USA Today Crossword Answers Today
Central Perk
By Matthew Sherman · Edited by Amie Walker
Across
- 6Person from GlasgowSCOT
- 10Chess game endingMATE
- 14"Easy on Me" singerADELE
- 15"___ on First?"WHOS
- 16At any point in timeEVER
- 17Mushroom Kingdom menace with a capeSUPERKOOPA
- 20"The Gift of the Magi" authorOHENRY
- 21"___ a spicy meatball!"THATS
- 22Tug of ___WAR
- 25Get some air?BREATHE
- 27Place to plug inOUTLET
- 29Trait associated with an impartial judgeFAIRNESS
- 30Femur-tibia connectorKNEE
- 31Wrens and dovesBIRDS
- 32'90s school binder with a Velcro flapTRAPPERKEEPER
- 39Monkey appendageTAIL
- 41Thundercat and Paul McCartney, for twoBASSISTS
- 45Few and far betweenSCARCE
- 47CharacteristicsASPECTS
- 48Cheer wordRAH
- 49Cribbage markerPEG
- 50Sparkled like a diamondSHONE
- 51Car with a clutchMANUAL
- 53GazillionsTONS
- 54Wide receiver for the Seattle SeahawksCOOPERKUPP
- 58ThusERGO
- 60StiffRIGID
- 61FortunetellerSEER
- 62Like the score 9-9TIED
- 63BeginningONSET
Down
- 3Newsroom employeeREPORTER
- 5TranquilSERENE
- 7Bok ___CHOY
- 8Alley-___OOP
- 10Archie and Lilibet's momMEGHAN
- 11Fly a planeAVIATE
- 13Wipes cleanERASES
- 18Common pretzel shapeKNOT
- 21Not verboseTERSE
- 22Pan for stir-fryingWOK
- 25WoofsBARKS
- 26Imagineer's creationRIDE
- 29Employers of some lawyersFIRMS
- 31"___ me!" ("No idea!")BEATS
- 33CostPRICE
- 34Social media updatePOST
- 36A snorer's spouse might use theseEARPLUGS
- 41Moistens with drippings, perhapsBASTES
- 42Onto landASHORE
- 43Mr. SquarePants, for oneSPONGE
- 44Motion detector, e.g.SENSOR
- 45RationalSANE
- 46Popular Disneyland treatCHURRO
- 48Really quickRAPID
- 52RelatedAKIN
- 55French for "yes"OUI
Crossword clues, hints, and answers
Across
- 1. Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme, e.g. — Answer: HERBS. Hint: These fragrant culinary plants add flavor and aroma to dishes. 🌿
- 6. Person from Glasgow — Answer: SCOT. Hint: A Glaswegian may be described by this national identity. 🏴
- 10. Chess game ending — Answer: MATE. Hint: The king is trapped, and the opponent has delivered this final blow. ♟️
- 14. "Easy on Me" singer — Answer: ADELE. Hint: This soulful British powerhouse turned heartbreak into a chart-topping ballad. 🎤
- 15. "___ on First?" — Answer: WHOS. Hint: Abbott and Costello’s famous routine begins with this question word. 🎭
- 16. At any point in time — Answer: EVER. Hint: This timeless word refers to any moment whatsoever. ⏳
- 17. Mushroom Kingdom menace with a cape — Answer: SUPERKOOPA. Hint: This airborne turtle villain gets a superhero-style upgrade. 🐢
- 19. "Jane the Virgin" star Rodriguez — Answer: GINA. Hint: She won a Golden Globe for portraying the titular character. 📺
- 20. "The Gift of the Magi" author — Answer: OHENRY. Hint: This short-story writer penned the famous tale of a watch and hair combs. 📚
- 21. "___ a spicy meatball!" — Answer: THATS. Hint: This cartoon-style exclamation celebrates a dish with plenty of heat. 🌶️
- 22. Tug of ___ — Answer: WAR. Hint: The classic team contest pulls a rope in opposite directions. 🪢
- 24. Oscar nomination, casually — Answer: NOD. Hint: A movie award contender might receive this informal acknowledgment. 🎬
- 25. Get some air? — Answer: BREATHE. Hint: Take in oxygen or pause for a moment outdoors. 🌬️
- 27. Place to plug in — Answer: OUTLET. Hint: Look for this wall fixture when your device needs power. 🔌
- 29. Trait associated with an impartial judge — Answer: FAIRNESS. Hint: An even-handed referee is expected to show this quality. ⚖️
- 30. Femur-tibia connector — Answer: KNEE. Hint: This joint links the thigh bone to the shin. 🦵
- 31. Wrens and doves — Answer: BIRDS. Hint: These songsters and cooers belong to the feathered animal group. 🐦
- 32. '90s school binder with a Velcro flap — Answer: TRAPPERKEEPER. Hint: This nostalgic school organizer kept papers secure behind a hook-and-loop flap. 📒
- 38. Uses a cellphone abroad, perhaps — Answer: ROAMS. Hint: A traveler may do this when connecting to an overseas network. 📱
- 39. Monkey appendage — Answer: TAIL. Hint: A monkey may swish this behind it. 🐒
- 41. Thundercat and Paul McCartney, for two — Answer: BASSISTS. Hint: These musicians hold down the low end of a band. 🎸
- 45. Few and far between — Answer: SCARCE. Hint: If something is hard to find, it may be described this way. 🔎
- 47. Characteristics — Answer: ASPECTS. Hint: These are the features or angles of something. 🧩
- 48. Cheer word — Answer: RAH. Hint: A short stadium shout can rally the crowd. 📣
- 49. Cribbage marker — Answer: PEG. Hint: In this card game, players advance a small token along a board. 🃏
- 50. Sparkled like a diamond — Answer: SHONE. Hint: It glittered brightly, as a gemstone might. ✨
- 51. Car with a clutch — Answer: MANUAL. Hint: This vehicle requires the driver to change gears by hand. 🚗
- 53. Gazillions — Answer: TONS. Hint: An exaggerated way to say “a huge amount.” 🌊
- 54. Wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks — Answer: COOPERKUPP. Hint: This Seahawks pass catcher won Super Bowl MVP with the Rams. 🏈
- 58. Thus — Answer: ERGO. Hint: A concise Latin-derived way to say “therefore.” 🧠
- 59. Car with a four-ring logo — Answer: AUDI. Hint: This German marque is known for its four interlocking rings. 🚘
- 60. Stiff — Answer: RIGID. Hint: Unable to bend or yield, this describes something inflexible. 🪵
- 61. Fortuneteller — Answer: SEER. Hint: This person might gaze into a crystal ball to reveal your fate! 🔮
- 62. Like the score 9-9 — Answer: TIED. Hint: Neither side has the lead in this kind of game. ⚖️
- 63. Beginning — Answer: ONSET. Hint: Think about the moment when something first happens! 🌅
Down
- 1. "Time ___ Come Today" — Answer: HAS. Hint: Complete the familiar lyric with a simple auxiliary verb. 🎵
- 2. End of Caltech's URL — Answer: EDU. Hint: This web suffix is commonly used by colleges and universities. 🌐
- 3. Newsroom employee — Answer: REPORTER. Hint: This newsroom worker gathers facts and writes stories. 📰
- 4. Rhyming synonym of "meh" — Answer: BLEH. Hint: A dismissive reaction might signal indifference or lack of enthusiasm. 😐
- 5. Tranquil — Answer: SERENE. Hint: A peaceful lake on a windless morning feels this way. 🌅
- 6. Weapon in many fantasy novels — Answer: SWORD. Hint: A knight might draw this before battle. ⚔️
- 7. Bok ___ — Answer: CHOY. Hint: This leafy green often appears in stir-fries. 🥬
- 8. Alley-___ — Answer: OOP. Hint: A basketball phrase shouted after a high-flying pass and dunk 🏀
- 9. Org. that makes people empty their pockets — Answer: TSA. Hint: The airport security agency known for screening travelers. ✈️
- 10. Archie and Lilibet's mom — Answer: MEGHAN. Hint: The Duchess of Sussex and wife of Prince Harry. 👑
- 11. Fly a plane — Answer: AVIATE. Hint: What a pilot does when taking to the skies. ✈️
- 12. Place to the right of a decimal point — Answer: TENTHS. Hint: Digits in this place represent fractions of ten. 🔢
- 13. Wipes clean — Answer: ERASES. Hint: Removes marks from a page. 🧽
- 18. Common pretzel shape — Answer: KNOT. Hint: A twisted loop often used to fasten or secure something. 🪢
- 21. Not verbose — Answer: TERSE. Hint: Brief and to the point. ✂️
- 22. Pan for stir-frying — Answer: WOK. Hint: A shallow, round-bottomed favorite for quick sizzling meals 🍳
- 23. Nancy Cartwright, to Sabrina Carpenter — Answer: AUNT. Hint: A family relation one generation above a niece. 👪
- 25. Woofs — Answer: BARKS. Hint: What excited dogs may do at the door. 🐶
- 26. Imagineer's creation — Answer: RIDE. Hint: A themed attraction designed to whisk visitors into an adventure. 🎢
- 28. "Back to the Future" costar Thompson — Answer: LEA. Hint: She played Lorraine McFly in the time-travel trilogy. 🎬
- 29. Employers of some lawyers — Answer: FIRMS. Hint: Lawyers may work for these professional partnerships. ⚖️
- 31. "___ me!" ("No idea!") — Answer: BEATS. Hint: This phrase admits that you do not know. 🤷
- 33. Cost — Answer: PRICE. Hint: The amount charged for something. 🏷️
- 34. Social media update — Answer: POST. Hint: A message shared on a social platform. 📱
- 35. School fundraising org. — Answer: PTA. Hint: A parent-teacher group that often organizes school events. 🏫
- 36. A snorer's spouse might use these — Answer: EARPLUGS. Hint: Noise-blocking helpers for a restless sleeper's partner. 😴
- 37. Most consumed food in the world — Answer: RICE. Hint: This staple grain appears in meals worldwide. 🍚
- 40. one of 1,306 for some millipedes — Answer: LEG. Hint: It is one of the many limbs that helps a millipede move. 🐛
- 41. Moistens with drippings, perhaps — Answer: BASTES. Hint: A cook does this to keep roasting food juicy. 🍗
- 42. Onto land — Answer: ASHORE. Hint: It describes arriving from the water onto the beach. 🏖️
- 43. Mr. SquarePants, for one — Answer: SPONGE. Hint: This underwater cartoon character belongs to a household cleaning category. 🧽
- 44. Motion detector, e.g. — Answer: SENSOR. Hint: It notices movement and can trigger an alarm or light. 🚨
- 45. Rational — Answer: SANE. Hint: It describes someone thinking clearly and sensibly. 🧠
- 46. Popular Disneyland treat — Answer: CHURRO. Hint: This cinnamon-sugar pastry is a theme-park favorite. 🍩
- 48. Really quick — Answer: RAPID. Hint: It means moving or happening with great speed. ⚡
- 51. Edna ___ ("The Incredibles" character) — Answer: MODE. Hint: Complete the name of the tiny, stylish superhero costume designer. 🦸
- 52. Related — Answer: AKIN. Hint: It means similar in nature or connected by resemblance. 🔗
- 54. "Unofficial mascot of the internet" — Answer: CAT. Hint: This furry pet has ruled online memes for decades. 🐱
- 55. French for "yes" — Answer: OUI. Hint: This is the simplest affirmative reply in French. 🇫🇷
- 56. Popular March 14th dessert — Answer: PIE. Hint: Celebrate the mathematical constant with this classic dessert. 🥧
- 57. Summer hrs. in California — Answer: PDT. Hint: California uses this daylight-saving time zone in summer. 🕒
Recent USA Today Answers
The last 7 days of solutions
Looking for today's USA Today Crossword answers? The full solution to today's puzzle — dated August 22, 2026 — is at the top of this page, updated the moment the new grid goes live. The USA Today crossword is free, themed, and refreshingly modern, which has made it one of the most-played daily puzzles in the country. Whether you want to check a finished grid, unlock one stubborn square, or see the whole answer key, every across and down solution is listed below.
Full USA Today Crossword answer list for today
Every clue from today's 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 | Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme, e.g. | HERBS |
| 6 | Person from Glasgow | SCOT |
| 10 | Chess game ending | MATE |
| 14 | "Easy on Me" singer | ADELE |
| 15 | "___ on First?" | WHOS |
| 16 | At any point in time | EVER |
| 17 | Mushroom Kingdom menace with a cape | SUPERKOOPA |
| 19 | "Jane the Virgin" star Rodriguez | GINA |
| 20 | "The Gift of the Magi" author | OHENRY |
| 21 | "___ a spicy meatball!" | THATS |
| 22 | Tug of ___ | WAR |
| 24 | Oscar nomination, casually | NOD |
| 25 | Get some air? | BREATHE |
| 27 | Place to plug in | OUTLET |
| 29 | Trait associated with an impartial judge | FAIRNESS |
| 30 | Femur-tibia connector | KNEE |
| 31 | Wrens and doves | BIRDS |
| 32 | '90s school binder with a Velcro flap | TRAPPERKEEPER |
| 38 | Uses a cellphone abroad, perhaps | ROAMS |
| 39 | Monkey appendage | TAIL |
| 41 | Thundercat and Paul McCartney, for two | BASSISTS |
| 45 | Few and far between | SCARCE |
| 47 | Characteristics | ASPECTS |
| 48 | Cheer word | RAH |
| 49 | Cribbage marker | PEG |
| 50 | Sparkled like a diamond | SHONE |
| 51 | Car with a clutch | MANUAL |
| 53 | Gazillions | TONS |
| 54 | Wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks | COOPERKUPP |
| 58 | Thus | ERGO |
| 59 | Car with a four-ring logo | AUDI |
| 60 | Stiff | RIGID |
| 61 | Fortuneteller | SEER |
| 62 | Like the score 9-9 | TIED |
| 63 | Beginning | ONSET |
Down
Today's USA Today Crossword answers
Today's solution appears above, split into Across and Down just as the puzzle numbers them. If you only need one word, each answer is listed separately so you can reveal the clue that's blocking you and keep solving the rest. The grid is confirmed and refreshed daily as soon as USA Today publishes it, so this is always the fastest place to check today's answers.
About the USA Today Crossword
The USA Today crossword is a free daily puzzle edited by Erik Agard, a celebrated constructor known for making crosswords more welcoming and inclusive. Unlike the older broadsheet puzzles, USA Today deliberately features contemporary vocabulary, diverse names and references, and a bright, modern voice — every puzzle is themed, and the themes are consistently clever without being cruel. It's a mid-size grid, quicker than the full NYT or LA Times, and it's earned a devoted following precisely because it feels fresh and fair rather than stuffy.
What makes the USA Today puzzle different
The biggest surprise for solvers coming from other papers is that USA Today doesn't follow the usual week-long difficulty ramp:
| USA Today | NYT / LA Times | |
|---|---|---|
| Difficulty curve | Consistent every day | Ramps through the week |
| Theme | Every puzzle is themed | Themed early week, themeless late |
| Vocabulary | Modern, inclusive, current | More traditional |
| Cost | Free | NYT paid; LA Times free |
| Editor | Erik Agard | Will Shortz / Patti Varol |
Tips for solving the USA Today Crossword
- Find the theme. Every USA Today puzzle is themed, and the long theme answers usually share a pattern — crack one and the others often follow.
- Lean on modern references. If a traditional-sounding answer isn't fitting, the intended answer is probably more contemporary — a current name, phrase, or bit of pop culture.
- Fill the blanks first. Fill-in-the-blank clues are fast points and give you crossing letters everywhere.
- Trust the crossings. A clue you can't get alone almost always falls once its crossing words are in.
- Use the solver for one answer. Our crossword solver reveals a single clue's answer from your known letters, without spoiling the rest.
Browse past USA Today answers
Every previous USA Today puzzle is archived on this page by date, with its complete across and down solutions. It's the quickest way to check yesterday's grid, revisit a theme you enjoyed, or find a clue that stumped you. The archive updates automatically each day — today's answers roll into it as the next puzzle publishes — so it stays complete without spoiling the current day.
Browse more puzzles on the crossword solver, or use it to crack any clue from any publication.
Frequently asked questions
What are today's USA Today Crossword answers?
The full Across and Down solution for today's puzzle (August 22, 2026) is listed at the top of this page, updated as soon as it's released.
Is the USA Today Crossword free?
Yes — it's free to play online every day, and our answers and clues are free too.
Does the USA Today Crossword get harder through the week?
No — unlike the NYT, it keeps a consistent, accessible difficulty every day. What changes daily is the theme, not the toughness.
How do I reveal just one answer?
Each answer is listed separately here, or use the crossword solver to reveal a single clue's answer from your known letters.
Where can I find past USA Today answers?
Every previous puzzle is in the archive on this page, listed by date with full solutions, updated automatically each day.



