Bud

Crossword Answer — August 07, 2026

Think of a casual word for a friend. 🤝

WaPo Crossword Answers

WaPo Crossword

Friday, August 07, 2026

By Gali Ellenblum & Tal Wagner · Edited by Patti Varol

Tap a square to reveal a letter.

Or reveal one clue at a time with the Hint and Answer buttons below.

Across

  1. 1Sheer
  2. 6Walrus kin
  3. 10Waffle over in the freezer aisle
  4. 14Bête __
  5. 15Shoestring
  6. 16Infuriate
  7. 17"Our previous recommendation stands"?
  8. 19Explore Mars, perhaps
  9. 20Ninth letter of the Hebrew alphabet
  10. 21Reaction to lions and tigers and bears
  11. 22Vein of ore
  12. 23Genesis locale
  13. 25"My peacock's tail is the best!," e.g.?
  14. 29Genesis locale
  15. 31Accessory often tipped or used for tips
  16. 32"Dee-lish!"
  17. 33French bean
  18. 37"We are not alone" subj.
  19. 38Features of some detours, or what four answers in this puzzle need in order to match their clues?
  20. 40"Shoo!"
  21. 42"Call Me" band
  22. 43Bud
  23. 44Refuse to settle, perhaps
  24. 45Sticker
  25. 49Record of one's attempts to enter a hedge maze?
  26. 54Mountain lion
  27. 55"Yer killin' me!"
  28. 56Utah city near two national parks
  29. 58Fishing pole
  30. 59Drops from above
  31. 60Promise made by a serial dater who aspires to commit?
  32. 63Early Bond foe
  33. 64Actor Auberjonois
  34. 65:-(
  35. 66Fortuneteller
  36. 67Spanish kiss
  37. 68Touchscreen tappers

Down

  1. 1Marries
  2. 2Home of the El Greco Museum
  3. 3Pitching
  4. 4Pitching stat
  5. 5Make over
  6. 6Substance celebrated by the Sloomoo Institute
  7. 7Smooth course
  8. 8Best club in Vegas?
  9. 9Was up
  10. 10Bad move
  11. 11Peace offerings?
  12. 12Buckle
  13. 13The Grand __ Opry
  14. 18TV broadcast band
  15. 22Allow
  16. 24Like a 2024 Blake Snell game
  17. 26Sticker
  18. 27Despised
  19. 28French friend
  20. 30Steamed
  21. 34Symbolic puzzle that dates to the Middle Ages
  22. 35Key
  23. 36Cybersecurity exec
  24. 37Very much inclined
  25. 38Source of some pink seasoning
  26. 39Ramadan-ending holiday, informally
  27. 40Cocoa scrub venue
  28. 41Auto maintenance
  29. 44Transgression
  30. 46Respectful dip
  31. 47Virtually indifferent?
  32. 48"The People's Princess"
  33. 50Show respect for
  34. 51Signs
  35. 52Shakespeare lover
  36. 53Former NBA star Ming
  37. 57Jewish rite
  38. 59Hwys.
  39. 60Sphere consulted by a 66-Across
  40. 61Born abroad
  41. 62CPR expert

Crossword clues, hints, and answers

Across

  1. 1. Sheer — Answer: UTTER. Hint: Think of a word meaning “complete” or “total,” rather than a fabric description. 💯
  2. 6. Walrus kin — Answer: SEAL. Hint: Think of another flippered marine mammal that basks on rocky shores 🦭
  3. 10. Waffle over in the freezer aisle — Answer: EGGO. Hint: Think of the iconic frozen waffle brand that makes breakfast a little more convenient 🧇
  4. 14. Bête __ — Answer: NOIRE. Hint: This French phrase describes a person or thing you especially can’t stand. 😤
  5. 15. Shoestring — Answer: LACE. Hint: It’s what you thread through eyelets to keep a sneaker snug 👟
  6. 16. Infuriate — Answer: ROIL. Hint: To make someone so angry they’re practically boiling mad 🔥
  7. 17. "Our previous recommendation stands"? — Answer: ILLADVISED. Hint: A tongue-in-cheek way to admit that the earlier advice was a poor choice. 🤦
  8. 19. Explore Mars, perhaps — Answer: ROVE. Hint: Picture a robotic explorer traveling across the Red Planet and investigating its terrain. 🔴
  9. 20. Ninth letter of the Hebrew alphabet — Answer: TET. Hint: Think of the Hebrew letter traditionally linked with a coiled serpent 🐍
  10. 21. Reaction to lions and tigers and bears — Answer: OHMY. Hint: A startled exclamation you might blurt out when facing a trio of scary animals! 🦁
  11. 22. Vein of ore — Answer: LODE. Hint: A rich mineral deposit running through rock is the treasure you’re after. ⛏️
  12. 23. Genesis locale — Answer: EDEN. Hint: Think of the paradise garden where Adam and Eve first lived. 🌿
  13. 25. "My peacock's tail is the best!," e.g.? — Answer: FEATHERBOA. Hint: A flamboyant neck accessory might make this colorful boast about its showy plumage. 🦚
  14. 29. Genesis locale — Answer: SODOM. Hint: Think of the biblical city famously paired with Gomorrah. 📖
  15. 31. Accessory often tipped or used for tips — Answer: HAT. Hint: Think of a head-worn accessory that can be raised in greeting or held out for gratuity. 🎩
  16. 32. "Dee-lish!" — Answer: YUM. Hint: When something tastes great, it might evoke this quick expression of delight! 😋
  17. 33. French bean — Answer: HARICOT. Hint: Think of the French word commonly used for a green bean. 🇫🇷
  18. 37. "We are not alone" subj. — Answer: SETI. Hint: This subject explores the search for intelligent life beyond Earth. 👽
  19. 38. Features of some detours, or what four answers in this puzzle need in order to match their clues? — Answer: SIDESTREETS. Hint: Think of alternate routes, plus a small change four entries need before their clues line up. 🛣️
  20. 40. "Shoo!" — Answer: SCAT. Hint: It’s a curt command asking someone to leave immediately. 👋
  21. 42. "Call Me" band — Answer: BLONDIE. Hint: Think of the New York new-wave group behind the iconic American Gigolo theme 🎸
  22. 43. Bud — Answer: PAL. Hint: Think of a casual word for a friend. 🤝
  23. 44. Refuse to settle, perhaps — Answer: SUE. Hint: If you won’t accept a settlement, you might take the matter to court. ⚖️
  24. 45. Sticker — Answer: DECAL. Hint: It’s a sticky decoration you might slap on a laptop or notebook. 🏷️
  25. 49. Record of one's attempts to enter a hedge maze? — Answer: ARTHISTORY. Hint: Think of a scholarly field about creative works, with the clue playfully turning maze attempts into a historical record. 🎨
  26. 54. Mountain lion — Answer: PUMA. Hint: This sleek wild cat shares its name with a famous sportswear brand. 🐾
  27. 55. "Yer killin' me!" — Answer: CMON. Hint: This playful protest is what you say when someone is pushing your patience. 😄
  28. 56. Utah city near two national parks — Answer: MOAB. Hint: This desert town is a popular launchpad for exploring Arches and Canyonlands National Parks 🏜️
  29. 58. Fishing pole — Answer: ROD. Hint: A simple tool for casting your line into the water 🎣
  30. 59. Drops from above — Answer: RAIN. Hint: Think of what umbrellas help keep you dry from above ☔
  31. 60. Promise made by a serial dater who aspires to commit? — Answer: ONEMORETRY. Hint: A serial dater promises this will be the final attempt to make love stick. 💘
  32. 63. Early Bond foe — Answer: DRNO. Hint: This villain shares his name with the title of one of Bond’s earliest films. 🎬
  33. 64. Actor Auberjonois — Answer: RENE. Hint: Think of this actor’s familiar first name, a classic French given name 🎭
  34. 65. :-( — Answer: IMSAD. Hint: This little face signals a gloomy mood or feeling blue. 😟
  35. 66. Fortuneteller — Answer: SEER. Hint: This person might gaze into a crystal ball to reveal your fate! 🔮
  36. 67. Spanish kiss — Answer: BESO. Hint: In Spanish, this is a sweet little peck or greeting between friends. 💋
  37. 68. Touchscreen tappers — Answer: STYLI. Hint: They’re pen-shaped tools for navigating a device without using your fingertip. 🖊️

Down

  1. 1. Marries — Answer: UNITES. Hint: Joins two people in matrimony, often with vows and a ring 💍
  2. 2. Home of the El Greco Museum — Answer: TOLEDO. Hint: Think of the historic Spanish city famous for its El Greco Museum 🏛️
  3. 3. Pitching — Answer: TILTED. Hint: It describes something leaning at an angle rather than standing straight. 📐
  4. 4. Pitching stat — Answer: ERA. Hint: This baseball statistic measures a pitcher's average earned runs allowed per nine innings. ⚾
  5. 5. Make over — Answer: REDO. Hint: Give it another pass with a fresh approach and improve the result. 🔄
  6. 6. Substance celebrated by the Sloomoo Institute — Answer: SLIME. Hint: Think of the gooey, stretchy sensory material visitors love to squish and swirl there. 🫧
  7. 7. Smooth course — Answer: EASYA. Hint: Think of a class you can breeze through and the top grade it might earn you 📚
  8. 8. Best club in Vegas? — Answer: ACE. Hint: Think of the card that can be both the highest and the lowest in a casino deck. 🃏
  9. 9. Was up — Answer: LED. Hint: Think of the past tense of guiding or taking charge. 🧭
  10. 10. Bad move — Answer: ERROR. Hint: A poor choice that needs correcting. 🤦
  11. 11. Peace offerings? — Answer: GOODBYES. Hint: These are friendly words exchanged when it’s time to part ways 👋
  12. 12. Buckle — Answer: GIVEOUT. Hint: It can mean to lose strength or finally yield under pressure. 💪
  13. 13. The Grand __ Opry — Answer: OLE. Hint: Complete this famous Nashville music venue’s name with a spirited exclamation of approval. 🎶
  14. 18. TV broadcast band — Answer: VHF. Hint: Think of the familiar broadcast frequency range used by many television channels 📺
  15. 22. Allow — Answer: LET. Hint: Think of what you do when you give someone permission to do something! 👍
  16. 24. Like a 2024 Blake Snell game — Answer: NOHIT. Hint: It describes a pitching performance in which the opposing team never gets a hit. ⚾
  17. 26. Sticker — Answer: THORN. Hint: Think of the prickly bit of a rose that can snag your sleeve. 🌹
  18. 27. Despised — Answer: HATED. Hint: Think of something regarded with intense dislike 😠
  19. 28. French friend — Answer: AMI. Hint: In French, this is what you’d call a male friend. 🇫🇷
  20. 30. Steamed — Answer: MAD. Hint: Feeling this way means you’re boiling with anger rather than enjoying a spa treatment. 😠
  21. 34. Symbolic puzzle that dates to the Middle Ages — Answer: REBUS. Hint: Think of a picture-based wordplay puzzle with roots in medieval times. 🧩
  22. 35. Key — Answer: ISLET. Hint: Think of a tiny island surrounded by water 🏝️
  23. 36. Cybersecurity exec — Answer: CTO. Hint: This tech leader helps keep a company’s digital defenses strong. 🛡️
  24. 37. Very much inclined — Answer: STEEP. Hint: Picture a sharply sloped hillside—or a strong tendency toward something. ⛰️
  25. 38. Source of some pink seasoning — Answer: SALTMINE. Hint: Think of an underground deposit where rosy mineral crystals are mined for the kitchen. 🧂
  26. 39. Ramadan-ending holiday, informally — Answer: EID. Hint: This festive day marks the end of Ramadan and celebrates breaking the fast. 🌙
  27. 40. Cocoa scrub venue — Answer: SPA. Hint: Think of a relaxing place where a chocolatey body treatment might be offered. 🧖‍♀️
  28. 41. Auto maintenance — Answer: CARCARE. Hint: It’s what you give your vehicle to keep it running smoothly. 🚗
  29. 44. Transgression — Answer: SIN. Hint: A moral wrongdoing is the kind of offense this clue has in mind. 😈
  30. 46. Respectful dip — Answer: CURTSY. Hint: A graceful little knee bend can be a traditional sign of respect. 👒
  31. 47. Virtually indifferent? — Answer: AMORAL. Hint: This describes someone who treats moral rules as irrelevant, online or off. 😐
  32. 48. "The People's Princess" — Answer: LADYDI. Hint: Think of the beloved British royal remembered for her compassion and humanitarian work. 👑
  33. 50. Show respect for — Answer: HONOR. Hint: Treat someone with the esteem they deserve. 🙌
  34. 51. Signs — Answer: OMENS. Hint: Look for mysterious indications of what may be coming your way. 🔮
  35. 52. Shakespeare lover — Answer: ROMEO. Hint: This star-crossed romantic is forever linked with Juliet. 💘
  36. 53. Former NBA star Ming — Answer: YAO. Hint: This towering former NBA center was a basketball icon from China. 🏀
  37. 57. Jewish rite — Answer: BRIS. Hint: Think of the traditional Jewish circumcision ceremony for a newborn boy. ✡️
  38. 59. Hwys. — Answer: RDS. Hint: A short abbreviation for the routes you travel by car. 🛣️
  39. 60. Sphere consulted by a 66-Across — Answer: ORB. Hint: Think of a spherical object used for divination or magical guidance 🔮
  40. 61. Born abroad — Answer: NEE. Hint: This French term for “born” often appears after a married woman’s former surname. 👶
  41. 62. CPR expert — Answer: EMT. Hint: This trained responder knows what to do when someone’s heartbeat needs a jump-start 🚑

Recent WaPo Crossword Answers

The last 7 days of solutions

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The answer to “Bud” in the The Washington Post crossword is PAL — a 3-letter word. This clue ran in the The Washington Post crossword on August 7, 2026, a Friday puzzle, at 43-Across. If it's the entry standing between you and a clean grid, that's the word you need — and below you'll find why it fits, plus links to the day's other clues if more than one square is giving you trouble.

“Bud” answer

PAL (3 letters)

Reveal the solution one letter at a time with the tiles above if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Just want it outright? The answer is PAL.

Why the answer is PAL

Think of a casual word for a friend. 🤝

When else has “Bud” appeared?

The Washington Post reuses clues across dates, sometimes with a different answer depending on the grid. Here's where this exact clue has shown up before, and what the answer was each time — handy if you landed here from a puzzle on another date.

August 7, 2026 (this puzzle) → PAL. We haven't indexed an earlier appearance of this exact clue yet.

More clues from the WaPo Crossword on August 7, 2026

Stuck elsewhere in the grid? Here are some of the crossing and nearby clues from the same puzzle — tap any for its answer and explanation.

Want every clue in one place? The full The Washington Post answer list for August 7, 2026 is on that day's grid page, and today's live WaPo Crossword answers are always one tap from the today page.

About the WaPo Crossword

The Washington Post Crossword is a classic American daily 15×15 (larger on Sunday), free to play online and known for fair, conversational cluing. This page covers a Friday puzzle. Theme answers and mid-length fill trade places in importance; when a theme clue stalls you, a confirmed crossing entry usually breaks the corner open.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Bud”?

The answer is PAL, a 3-letter word. It appeared in the The Washington Post crossword on August 7, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Bud”?

3 letters: PAL.

Where did this clue appear?

In the The Washington Post crossword on August 7, 2026 (a Friday puzzle), at 43-Across.

Can “Bud” have a different answer?

Yes — The Washington Post sometimes reuses a clue with a different solution to fit the grid. The answers we've recorded for each date it appeared are listed above when available.

Where can I find the rest of this day's WaPo Crossword answers?

The full grid for August 7, 2026 is on the WaPo Crossword answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

Crossword Clues

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