USA Today Crossword Answers - Aug 2
Butter Up
By Jay Silverman
Tap a square to reveal a letter.
Or reveal one clue at a time with the Hint and Answer buttons below.
USA Today Crossword Clues
Across
Down
Crossword clues, hints, and answers
Across
- 1. It's dug up in a dig — Answer: FOSSIL. Hint: Think of a preserved remnant of ancient life uncovered beneath the soil 🦴
- 7. Ingredient in a Caprese salad — Answer: TOMATO. Hint: This juicy red fruit pairs beautifully with fresh mozzarella and basil in a classic Italian salad. 🍅
- 13. "Just got in!" — Answer: IMHERE. Hint: A cheerful way to announce that you've arrived at the spot. 👋
- 14. Online gaming icon — Answer: AVATAR. Hint: Your digital persona in a virtual world is this 🎮
- 15. Some niblings — Answer: NIECES. Hint: These are your siblings’ daughters, often delighted to have a fun aunt or uncle. 👧
- 16. Party food suppliers — Answer: CATERERS. Hint: They make sure the celebration’s guests have something tasty to eat. 🍽️
- 18. Bit of data on the back of a baseball card — Answer: STAT. Hint: A player's batting average or home run total would fit this card-sized piece of information. ⚾
- 19. Madison Avenue taglines — Answer: SLOGANS. Hint: Think of the catchy phrases dreamed up by advertising agencies on New York’s famous ad street. 💡
- 21. [This wasn't my error] — Answer: SIC. Hint: A tiny editorial note can signal that an oddity in a quotation appears exactly as written. 📝
- 23. Surface for a Zamboni — Answer: ICE. Hint: A Zamboni glides over this frozen playing surface to smooth it out ❄️
- 24. Like some cheddar and knives — Answer: SHARP. Hint: Think of a word describing both pungent cheese and very keen blades. 🔪
- 28. Washington or Ford, e.g. — Answer: ACTOR. Hint: Both Denzel and Harrison have made a career out of bringing characters to life on screen 🎬
- 30. "Pink ___ Club" (Chappell Roan song) — Answer: PONY. Hint: Picture the playful little horse featured in this pop song’s title. 🐴
- 32. Olympic blade — Answer: EPEE. Hint: Think of the slender fencing sword used in Olympic bouts 🤺
- 33. Seventh planet from the sun — Answer: URANUS. Hint: Think of the blue ice giant positioned between Saturn and Neptune. 🪐
- 35. Computing pioneer Lovelace — Answer: ADA. Hint: This pioneering mathematician is often called the world’s first computer programmer. 💻
- 36. Agile — Answer: SPRY. Hint: Think of someone who's quick on their feet and lively! 🏃♂️
- 37. Curtain holder — Answer: ROD. Hint: This simple fixture supports the fabric that blocks the window. 🪟
- 38. Expels from the practice of law — Answer: DISBARS. Hint: It means revoking a lawyer’s right to practice professionally. ⚖️
- 41. Footballer Messi, to fans — Answer: LEO. Hint: Think of the lion-associated zodiac sign that matches the football star’s first name 🦁
- 42. Boo-boo — Answer: OWIE. Hint: A tiny injury might prompt this childish cry of pain. 🤕
- 44. Aid for a driver? — Answer: TEE. Hint: On the golf course, this tiny support gives your first shot a lift. 🏌️
- 45. Triumph over — Answer: DEFEAT. Hint: To win against an opponent is to do this. 🏆
- 47. Agree to another go-round — Answer: REUP. Hint: Say yes to doing it one more time 🔁
- 48. Get your hands on — Answer: SNAG. Hint: This means to grab or secure something you want. ✋
- 50. A+ or B-, e.g. — Answer: GRADE. Hint: It’s the kind of mark a teacher might record for your work 📝
- 51. Own up to — Answer: ADMIT. Hint: Confess that you were responsible for it. 🙋
- 53. Serve well-done? — Answer: ACE. Hint: Think of a flawless tennis serve that your opponent cannot return. 🎾
- 54. 2023 film about Nike sneakers — Answer: AIR. Hint: Ben Affleck directed this sports-business drama about Nike’s pursuit of a basketball legend 🏀
- 55. Boils with anger — Answer: SEETHES. Hint: Grows intensely furious, as if bubbling over with rage. 😡
- 58. Aquarium gunk — Answer: SCUM. Hint: It’s the murky buildup that appears when a fish tank needs cleaning 🧽
- 61. Rid of guilt — Answer: ABSOLVE. Hint: Think of the verb meaning to forgive someone and clear them of wrongdoing. ⚖️
- 64. Like one with a hit single? — Answer: ONBASE. Hint: Think baseball: a batter who smacks a single has reached this spot. ⚾
- 66. Harness part — Answer: BRIDLE. Hint: This headgear helps guide and control a horse. 🐴
- 67. Couldn't do without — Answer: NEEDED. Hint: Was absolutely essential to have around 🔑
- 68. Loving touch — Answer: CARESS. Hint: A gentle, affectionate stroke can be this. 💕
- 69. Is in the driver's seat — Answer: STEERS. Hint: Guides the vehicle from behind the wheel 🚗
Down
- 1. Ominous shark parts — Answer: FINS. Hint: These sleek swimming appendages can look especially threatening when circling below the surface 🦈
- 2. Not mention — Answer: OMIT. Hint: To do this is to deliberately leave something out of your words. 🤐
- 3. Home of the New York Mets from 1964 to 2008 — Answer: SHEASTADIUM. Hint: This Queens ballpark hosted the Mets for more than four decades before Citi Field took over ⚾
- 4. Subdivision of a whole — Answer: SECTION. Hint: Think of one distinct part carved out from something larger. 🧩
- 5. Feeling beyond mere frustration — Answer: IRE. Hint: Think of the fiery anger that goes beyond ordinary annoyance. 🔥
- 6. What a haggler hopes to pay — Answer: LESS. Hint: A bargain hunter dreams of paying below the asking price 🏷️
- 7. "Toodles!" — Answer: TATA. Hint: A breezy way to say goodbye, often with a playful flourish 👋
- 8. A lot of dough goes into them — Answer: OVENS. Hint: They’re the kitchen appliances where bread and pastries get baked to perfection. 🔥
- 9. Wetlands — Answer: MARSHES. Hint: Think of soggy, grassy areas where reeds, frogs, and other wildlife thrive 🐸
- 10. Completed the course? — Answer: ATE. Hint: Think of what you did after finishing the final dish. 🍽️
- 11. Besmirch — Answer: TAR. Hint: To besmirch someone is to smear their reputation with a sticky black substance. 🖤
- 12. Surgical areas, for short — Answer: ORS. Hint: Think of the abbreviated places where surgeons perform operations. 🏥
- 16. City on Florida's Space Coast — Answer: COCOABEACH. Hint: This Florida coastal city is famous for sandy shores and its proximity to NASA’s launch pads 🚀
- 17. Outline of things to discuss — Answer: AGENDA. Hint: A meeting’s handy roadmap for keeping everyone on topic 🗂️
- 20. Balm target — Answer: LIP. Hint: Think of the facial spot that soothing balm often rescues from chapping. 💧
- 22. "Drat!" — Answer: CRUD. Hint: Think of a folksy exclamation used when something goes wrong. 😤
- 25. Video game subscription service for Macs and iPhones — Answer: APPLEARCADE. Hint: Think of a paid gaming library offering ad-free titles across select phones and computers 🎮
- 26. Look over again — Answer: REREAD. Hint: Give the text another careful pass to catch anything you missed 📖
- 27. Psychoactive desert plant — Answer: PEYOTE. Hint: This sacred cactus has long been used in spiritual ceremonies. 🌵
- 28. City name in Illinois and Colorado — Answer: AURORA. Hint: This city has a dawn-inspired name and appears in two states. 🌅
- 29. Tooted one's own horn — Answer: CROWED. Hint: Boasted about your own achievements, perhaps a little too loudly 🎺
- 31. Place for some at-home sales — Answer: YARD. Hint: Look where a driveway-side bargain event might set up shop 🏷️
- 34. Watches the kids, for short — Answer: SITS. Hint: A casual shorthand for looking after children while their parents are away. 👶
- 39. Part of Congress — Answer: SENATE. Hint: This chamber is where senators debate and vote on national laws. 🏛️
- 40. Onetime Nintendo rival — Answer: SEGA. Hint: This game company once battled Nintendo in the console wars 🎮
- 43. Installment of a sitcom — Answer: EPISODE. Hint: A single chapter or airing in a comedy series 📺
- 46. Disc thrown in Ultimate — Answer: FRISBEE. Hint: Players toss this lightweight flying disc to teammates in the fast-paced field sport of Ultimate. 🥏
- 49. "___ whiz!" — Answer: GEE. Hint: A brief exclamation of surprise completes this excited phrase. 😲
- 52. Doesn't keep secrets — Answer: TELLS. Hint: This person readily shares what they know instead of keeping it private. 🤫
- 56. Pre-holiday nights — Answer: EVES. Hint: Think of the nights that come just before a holiday celebration 🎉
- 57. "___ and Lovers" (D.H. Lawrence novel) — Answer: SONS. Hint: Think of D.H. Lawrence’s coming-of-age novel centered on family bonds and romantic entanglements. 📚
- 59. Software customer — Answer: USER. Hint: This is the person interacting with a program or app. 🖥️
- 60. Prescriptions, for short — Answer: MEDS. Hint: A casual abbreviation for the medicines a doctor orders 💊
- 61. "Press Your Luck" network — Answer: ABC. Hint: Think of the three-letter broadcast network that brings this game show to TV 📺
- 62. Garment that might be built into a shirt — Answer: BRA. Hint: This supportive undergarment can be discreetly sewn into a top for extra structure. 👚
- 63. Title turned down by Stephen Hawking — Answer: SIR. Hint: Think of the British honorific that the famous physicist reportedly declined. 🎓
- 65. End of some URLs — Answer: NET. Hint: Think of a familiar domain suffix commonly seen in website addresses 🌐
Here are the USA Today Crossword answers for Sunday, August 2, 2026 — every solution for that day's mid-size puzzle, listed at the top of this page. Whether you're catching up on a puzzle you missed, settling a “what was the answer on August 2?” question, or checking a grid you finished that day, the complete clue-by-clue solution is right here. Looking for today's puzzle instead? Head to our live USA Today Crossword answers page.
USA Today Crossword answers for August 2, 2026
The full solution for the August 2 USA Today Crossword is shown above, laid out clue by clue — every Across answer followed by every Down answer, exactly as that day's grid read. Each answer is listed separately, so you can check just the clue you were stuck on and leave the rest. This is the confirmed grid as published on Sunday, August 2.
Full USA Today Crossword answer list for August 2, 2026
Every clue from the August 2 grid next to its solution — the same answers as the board above, in one plain list you can scan without tapping.
Across
| # | Clue | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | It's dug up in a dig | FOSSIL |
| 7 | Ingredient in a Caprese salad | TOMATO |
| 13 | "Just got in!" | IMHERE |
| 14 | Online gaming icon | AVATAR |
| 15 | Some niblings | NIECES |
| 16 | Party food suppliers | CATERERS |
| 18 | Bit of data on the back of a baseball card | STAT |
| 19 | Madison Avenue taglines | SLOGANS |
| 21 | [This wasn't my error] | SIC |
| 23 | Surface for a Zamboni | ICE |
| 24 | Like some cheddar and knives | SHARP |
| 28 | Washington or Ford, e.g. | ACTOR |
| 30 | "Pink ___ Club" (Chappell Roan song) | PONY |
| 32 | Olympic blade | EPEE |
| 33 | Seventh planet from the sun | URANUS |
| 35 | Computing pioneer Lovelace | ADA |
| 36 | Agile | SPRY |
| 37 | Curtain holder | ROD |
| 38 | Expels from the practice of law | DISBARS |
| 41 | Footballer Messi, to fans | LEO |
| 42 | Boo-boo | OWIE |
| 44 | Aid for a driver? | TEE |
| 45 | Triumph over | DEFEAT |
| 47 | Agree to another go-round | REUP |
| 48 | Get your hands on | SNAG |
| 50 | A+ or B-, e.g. | GRADE |
| 51 | Own up to | ADMIT |
| 53 | Serve well-done? | ACE |
| 54 | 2023 film about Nike sneakers | AIR |
| 55 | Boils with anger | SEETHES |
| 58 | Aquarium gunk | SCUM |
| 61 | Rid of guilt | ABSOLVE |
| 64 | Like one with a hit single? | ONBASE |
| 66 | Harness part | BRIDLE |
| 67 | Couldn't do without | NEEDED |
| 68 | Loving touch | CARESS |
| 69 | Is in the driver's seat | STEERS |
Down
| # | Clue | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ominous shark parts | FINS |
| 2 | Not mention | OMIT |
| 3 | Home of the New York Mets from 1964 to 2008 | SHEASTADIUM |
| 4 | Subdivision of a whole | SECTION |
| 5 | Feeling beyond mere frustration | IRE |
| 6 | What a haggler hopes to pay | LESS |
| 7 | "Toodles!" | TATA |
| 8 | A lot of dough goes into them | OVENS |
| 9 | Wetlands | MARSHES |
| 10 | Completed the course? | ATE |
| 11 | Besmirch | TAR |
| 12 | Surgical areas, for short | ORS |
| 16 | City on Florida's Space Coast | COCOABEACH |
| 17 | Outline of things to discuss | AGENDA |
| 20 | Balm target | LIP |
| 22 | "Drat!" | CRUD |
| 25 | Video game subscription service for Macs and iPhones | APPLEARCADE |
| 26 | Look over again | REREAD |
| 27 | Psychoactive desert plant | PEYOTE |
| 28 | City name in Illinois and Colorado | AURORA |
| 29 | Tooted one's own horn | CROWED |
| 31 | Place for some at-home sales | YARD |
| 34 | Watches the kids, for short | SITS |
| 39 | Part of Congress | SENATE |
| 40 | Onetime Nintendo rival | SEGA |
| 43 | Installment of a sitcom | EPISODE |
| 46 | Disc thrown in Ultimate | FRISBEE |
| 49 | "___ whiz!" | GEE |
| 52 | Doesn't keep secrets | TELLS |
| 56 | Pre-holiday nights | EVES |
| 57 | "___ and Lovers" (D.H. Lawrence novel) | SONS |
| 59 | Software customer | USER |
| 60 | Prescriptions, for short | MEDS |
| 61 | "Press Your Luck" network | ABC |
| 62 | Garment that might be built into a shirt | BRA |
| 63 | Title turned down by Stephen Hawking | SIR |
| 65 | End of some URLs | NET |
Hints for the August 2 puzzle
Not ready for the full answer? Here are lighter, spoiler-free nudges for that day's grid, above the solutions. The August 2 USA Today puzzle was, like every USA Today crossword, themed — and, unlike the older broadsheet puzzles, it didn't get harder just because of the weekday: USA Today keeps a consistent, accessible difficulty every day. What changed on Sunday was the theme, not the toughness, so that day's theme is usually what solvers were looking up. Use the hints for the trickiest clues, then reveal the answers above only if you need them.
Looking for a different day?
- ← USA Today Crossword answers for August 1
- → USA Today Crossword answers for August 3
- Today's USA Today Crossword answers — the live puzzle
- Browse the full archive of past USA Today Crossword answers from the today page, or step through the dates above.
Prefer to solve rather than peek? The play button opens the puzzle so you can try that day's grid yourself, then come back to check your answers. Stuck on a single clue from any puzzle, our crossword solver reveals just that answer from your known letters.
Frequently asked questions
What were the USA Today Crossword answers on August 2, 2026?
Every answer for the Sunday, August 2, 2026 USA Today Crossword is listed at the top of this page — the confirmed grid as published that day.
Where can I find today's USA Today Crossword answers?
Today's live puzzle is on our USA Today Crossword answers today page, updated the moment each new grid goes live.
How do I look up a different date?
Use the previous/next links above to step day by day, or open the today page to browse the full dated archive.