WaPo Crossword Answers Today

Saturday’s Daily

By Barbara Lin & Jess Rucks · Edited by Patti Varol

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Across

  1. 1Teddy bearSOFTY
  2. 6Carousel rider?BAG
  3. 9Basaltic plain on the moonMARE
  4. 13Roadside snackSTREETTACO
  5. 16Driver on a movie setADAM
  6. 17Sign that means it's time to turn aroundNOENTRANCE
  7. 18Spam musubi wrapperNORI
  8. 19White-hotSEETHING
  9. 20Lights upSMILES
  10. 22Quick kissPECK
  11. 23Useful spotPSA
  12. 24Some sci-fi villainsETS
  13. 25Multipurpose toolSPORK
  14. 27Verb coined in "Stranger in a Strange Land"GROK
  15. 28Hindi honorificSRI
  16. 29Berry grown in Ohio?HALLE
  17. 30Jordan who won an Oscar for Best Original ScreenplayPEELE
  18. 31Org chart leaderCEO
  19. 32"Sure, that tracks"ISEEWHATYOUMEAN
  20. 35"J to __ L-O!": 2002 remix albumTHA
  21. 36Replacements after leaving marks?EUROS
  22. 37Huffs and puffsPANTS
  23. 38__ de deuxPAS
  24. 39Mass agreementAMEN
  25. 40Huffs and puffsRANTS
  26. 41"Yes, captain"AYE
  27. 42Clear (of)RID
  28. 43Clear of contaminantsPURE
  29. 44VariedRANGED
  30. 46Opportunities to learn the hard wayMISTAKES
  31. 50Mil. no-showAWOL
  32. 51"Mine! Mine! Mine!"IWANTITALL
  33. 53"The Goonies" role for Ke Huy QuanDATA
  34. 54Brings the temperature down, maybeTALKSSENSE
  35. 55Googly-__EYED
  36. 56Fashion lettersYSL
  37. 57Trapped, in a wayTREED

Down

  1. 1Fed. IDsSSNS
  2. 2Della Warrior's heritageOTOE
  3. 3Priceless?FREE
  4. 4One-night stand, perhaps?TENTPOLE
  5. 5Frustrated expressionYETHEREWEARE
  6. 6[All of a sudden!]BANG
  7. 7Stanford's gp.ACC
  8. 8Disbands?GOESSOLO
  9. 9Digital art, informally?MANI
  10. 10JuvenileADOLESCENT
  11. 11Special indulgencesRARETREATS
  12. 12Targets of smog checksEMISSIONS
  13. 14Bridge unitTRICK
  14. 15ChokeTANK
  15. 21One who tries not to overshadow the star?MAKEUPARTIST
  16. 23Feeds (on)PREYS
  17. 25"Shantay, you stay" oppositeSASHAYAWAY
  18. 26"This is important"PLEASENOTE
  19. 27MountGETON
  20. 29Top tunesHITPARADE
  21. 30Trimmed (down)PARED
  22. 33Hair curler?HUMIDITY
  23. 341982 Hall & Oates songMANEATER
  24. 40Shows signs of ageRUSTS
  25. 43Chappell Roan's "__ Pony Club"PINK
  26. 45ChuffedGLAD
  27. 46Edina, Minnesota is home to the first U.S. indoor oneMALL
  28. 47Lucci roleKANE
  29. 48Conditional word in PythonELSE
  30. 49Blair Braverman vehicleSLED
  31. 52PortrayedWAS

Crossword clues, hints, and answers

Across

  1. 1. Teddy bear — Answer: SOFTY. Hint: A cuddly nickname for someone gentle and tender-hearted. 🧸
  2. 6. Carousel rider? — Answer: BAG. Hint: An item that may circle around an airport baggage carousel. 🧳
  3. 9. Basaltic plain on the moon — Answer: MARE. Hint: Its name is Latin for “sea,” though it is a dark, flat lunar plain. 🌙
  4. 13. Roadside snack — Answer: STREETTACO. Hint: Picture a handheld Mexican bite bought from a curbside vendor. 🌮
  5. 16. Driver on a movie set — Answer: ADAM. Hint: This performer shares a surname with someone behind the wheel. 🎬
  6. 17. Sign that means it's time to turn around — Answer: NOENTRANCE. Hint: This warning tells you that continuing forward is not allowed. 🚫
  7. 18. Spam musubi wrapper — Answer: NORI. Hint: This savory sea vegetable forms the dark outer wrap around the rice snack. 🍙
  8. 19. White-hot — Answer: SEETHING. Hint: Describe anger or emotion boiling with extreme intensity. 🔥
  9. 20. Lights up — Answer: SMILES. Hint: A happy face does this when joy suddenly appears. 😊
  10. 22. Quick kiss — Answer: PECK. Hint: It is a brief, light smooch rather than a lingering one. 💋
  11. 23. Useful spot — Answer: PSA. Hint: This brief message offers helpful information to the public. 📢
  12. 24. Some sci-fi villains — Answer: ETS. Hint: These extraterrestrial baddies come from beyond Earth. 👽
  13. 25. Multipurpose tool — Answer: SPORK. Hint: This hybrid utensil combines the jobs of two familiar table tools. 🍴
  14. 27. Verb coined in "Stranger in a Strange Land" — Answer: GROK. Hint: It means to understand something deeply and intuitively. 📖
  15. 28. Hindi honorific — Answer: SRI. Hint: This respectful title can precede a person’s name in South Asia. 🙏
  16. 29. Berry grown in Ohio? — Answer: HALLE. Hint: The fruit is a playful nod to the famous Ohio-born actress. 🍓
  17. 30. Jordan who won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay — Answer: PEELE. Hint: This filmmaker and comedian shared the Academy Award for a groundbreaking horror screenplay. 🏆
  18. 31. Org chart leader — Answer: CEO. Hint: This executive sits at the top of a company’s reporting structure. 🏢
  19. 32. "Sure, that tracks" — Answer: ISEEWHATYOUMEAN. Hint: Use this phrase to show that another person’s explanation makes sense. 👍
  20. 35. "J to __ L-O!": 2002 remix album — Answer: THA. Hint: This title playfully spells a familiar three-letter article by sound. 🎶
  21. 36. Replacements after leaving marks? — Answer: EUROS. Hint: They took over from Germany’s former currency. 💶
  22. 37. Huffs and puffs — Answer: PANTS. Hint: Someone short of breath may do this after strenuous exertion. 😮‍💨
  23. 38. __ de deux — Answer: PAS. Hint: A ballet term for a performance involving two dancers. 🩰
  24. 39. Mass agreement — Answer: AMEN. Hint: A congregation may say this together at the end of a prayer. 🙏
  25. 40. Huffs and puffs — Answer: RANTS. Hint: Complains loudly and at length. 😤
  26. 41. "Yes, captain" — Answer: AYE. Hint: A nautical affirmative from a crew member. ⚓
  27. 42. Clear (of) — Answer: RID. Hint: Get free from an obligation or burden. 🧹
  28. 43. Clear of contaminants — Answer: PURE. Hint: Unmixed and uncontaminated. 💧
  29. 44. Varied — Answer: RANGED. Hint: Covered a broad assortment or spread. 🌈
  30. 46. Opportunities to learn the hard way — Answer: MISTAKES. Hint: Lessons learned through unsuccessful attempts. 🛠️
  31. 50. Mil. no-show — Answer: AWOL. Hint: Absent from duty without permission. 🪖
  32. 51. "Mine! Mine! Mine!" — Answer: IWANTITALL. Hint: A greedy declaration of wanting everything. 🛍️
  33. 53. "The Goonies" role for Ke Huy Quan — Answer: DATA. Hint: He played the gadget-loving kid in the 1985 adventure film. 🎬
  34. 54. Brings the temperature down, maybe — Answer: TALKSSENSE. Hint: Calms things down by reasoning with everyone. 🗣️
  35. 55. Googly-__ — Answer: EYED. Hint: Describes someone with comically wide, staring eyes. 👀
  36. 56. Fashion letters — Answer: YSL. Hint: The initials of a renowned French fashion house. 👗
  37. 57. Trapped, in a way — Answer: TREED. Hint: Cornered with escape routes blocked by branches. 🌳

Down

  1. 1. Fed. IDs — Answer: SSNS. Hint: Numbers used to identify taxpayers federally. 🪪
  2. 2. Della Warrior's heritage — Answer: OTOE. Hint: This Native American heritage is associated with a Great Plains people. 🪶
  3. 3. Priceless? — Answer: FREE. Hint: It has no cost whatsoever. 🎁
  4. 4. One-night stand, perhaps? — Answer: TENTPOLE. Hint: A campsite shelter that may be pitched for just one evening. ⛺
  5. 5. Frustrated expression — Answer: YETHEREWEARE. Hint: A resigned remark when a situation has reached this point again. 😩
  6. 6. [All of a sudden!] — Answer: BANG. Hint: A sharp sound effect for an unexpected event. 💥
  7. 7. Stanford's gp. — Answer: ACC. Hint: This university competes in a major collegiate athletic league. 🏈
  8. 8. Disbands? — Answer: GOESSOLO. Hint: A musical group may do this when its members split into separate acts. 🎸
  9. 9. Digital art, informally? — Answer: MANI. Hint: A playful pun linking fingertip creativity with artwork on a screen. 🎨
  10. 10. Juvenile — Answer: ADOLESCENT. Hint: A person between childhood and adulthood. 🧑‍🎓
  11. 11. Special indulgences — Answer: RARETREATS. Hint: Occasional luxuries reserved for especially memorable occasions. ✨
  12. 12. Targets of smog checks — Answer: EMISSIONS. Hint: Vehicle exhaust pollutants are measured during these inspections. 🚗
  13. 14. Bridge unit — Answer: TRICK. Hint: In this card game, one round of played cards goes to the highest play. 🃏
  14. 15. Choke — Answer: TANK. Hint: In sports slang, deliberately perform poorly or collapse under pressure. 🏟️
  15. 21. One who tries not to overshadow the star? — Answer: MAKEUPARTIST. Hint: This backstage professional enhances a performer without stealing the spotlight. 💄
  16. 23. Feeds (on) — Answer: PREYS. Hint: Hunts and feeds upon another creature. 🐺
  17. 25. "Shantay, you stay" opposite — Answer: SASHAYAWAY. Hint: The command meaning a contestant is sent home. 👋
  18. 26. "This is important" — Answer: PLEASENOTE. Hint: A formal way to draw attention to a key message. 📌
  19. 27. Mount — Answer: GETON. Hint: A phrasal verb meaning board or climb onto something. 🚌
  20. 29. Top tunes — Answer: HITPARADE. Hint: A ranking of the most popular songs. 🎶
  21. 30. Trimmed (down) — Answer: PARED. Hint: Reduced in size or scope. ✂️
  22. 33. Hair curler? — Answer: HUMIDITY. Hint: The atmosphere’s dampness can give locks an unexpected curl. 🌫️
  23. 34. 1982 Hall & Oates song — Answer: MANEATER. Hint: This early-eighties hit warns of a ferocious romantic predator. 🎵
  24. 40. Shows signs of age — Answer: RUSTS. Hint: Develops the reddish coating associated with weathered metal. 🧲
  25. 43. Chappell Roan's "__ Pony Club" — Answer: PINK. Hint: Complete the title of the singer’s brightly colored club-themed song. 🎤
  26. 45. Chuffed — Answer: GLAD. Hint: Feeling genuinely pleased is a good start here. 😊
  27. 46. Edina, Minnesota is home to the first U.S. indoor one — Answer: MALL. Hint: Think of a covered shopping destination where many stores share one roof. 🛍️
  28. 47. Lucci role — Answer: KANE. Hint: Susan Lucci's famous daytime-drama character fits this entry. 📺
  29. 48. Conditional word in Python — Answer: ELSE. Hint: In a Python decision, this word handles the alternative branch. 🐍
  30. 49. Blair Braverman vehicle — Answer: SLED. Hint: This winter conveyance glides over snow, often behind a team of dogs. ❄️
  31. 52. Portrayed — Answer: WAS. Hint: A simple past-tense form can mean “portrayed” in a sentence. 🎭

Recent WaPo Crossword Answers

The last 7 days of solutions

WaPo Crossword 14 August 2026WaPo Crossword 13 August 2026WaPo Crossword 12 August 2026WaPo Crossword 11 August 2026WaPo Crossword 10 August 2026WaPo Crossword 9 August 2026WaPo Crossword 8 August 2026

Looking for today's Washington Post Crossword answers? The full solution to today's puzzle — dated August 15, 2026 — is at the top of this page, updated the moment the new grid goes live. The WaPo crossword is a free daily 15×15 with fair, conversational cluing, played by millions online. Whether you're checking a finished grid, unlocking one stubborn square, or want the whole answer key, every across and down solution is listed below.

Full WaPo 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

#ClueAnswer
1Teddy bearSOFTY
6Carousel rider?BAG
9Basaltic plain on the moonMARE
13Roadside snackSTREETTACO
16Driver on a movie setADAM
17Sign that means it's time to turn aroundNOENTRANCE
18Spam musubi wrapperNORI
19White-hotSEETHING
20Lights upSMILES
22Quick kissPECK
23Useful spotPSA
24Some sci-fi villainsETS
25Multipurpose toolSPORK
27Verb coined in "Stranger in a Strange Land"GROK
28Hindi honorificSRI
29Berry grown in Ohio?HALLE
30Jordan who won an Oscar for Best Original ScreenplayPEELE
31Org chart leaderCEO
32"Sure, that tracks"ISEEWHATYOUMEAN
35"J to __ L-O!": 2002 remix albumTHA
36Replacements after leaving marks?EUROS
37Huffs and puffsPANTS
38__ de deuxPAS
39Mass agreementAMEN
40Huffs and puffsRANTS
41"Yes, captain"AYE
42Clear (of)RID
43Clear of contaminantsPURE
44VariedRANGED
46Opportunities to learn the hard wayMISTAKES
50Mil. no-showAWOL
51"Mine! Mine! Mine!"IWANTITALL
53"The Goonies" role for Ke Huy QuanDATA
54Brings the temperature down, maybeTALKSSENSE
55Googly-__EYED
56Fashion lettersYSL
57Trapped, in a wayTREED

Down

#ClueAnswer
1Fed. IDsSSNS
2Della Warrior's heritageOTOE
3Priceless?FREE
4One-night stand, perhaps?TENTPOLE
5Frustrated expressionYETHEREWEARE
6[All of a sudden!]BANG
7Stanford's gp.ACC
8Disbands?GOESSOLO
9Digital art, informally?MANI
10JuvenileADOLESCENT
11Special indulgencesRARETREATS
12Targets of smog checksEMISSIONS
14Bridge unitTRICK
15ChokeTANK
21One who tries not to overshadow the star?MAKEUPARTIST
23Feeds (on)PREYS
25"Shantay, you stay" oppositeSASHAYAWAY
26"This is important"PLEASENOTE
27MountGETON
29Top tunesHITPARADE
30Trimmed (down)PARED
33Hair curler?HUMIDITY
341982 Hall & Oates songMANEATER
40Shows signs of ageRUSTS
43Chappell Roan's "__ Pony Club"PINK
45ChuffedGLAD
46Edina, Minnesota is home to the first U.S. indoor oneMALL
47Lucci roleKANE
48Conditional word in PythonELSE
49Blair Braverman vehicleSLED
52PortrayedWAS

Today's Washington Post Crossword answers

Today's solution appears above, laid out clue by clue — every Across answer followed by every Down answer, exactly as the grid reads. Because a full crossword shares so many crossings, one wrong letter can block a whole corner, so we list each answer separately: reveal only the one you need and keep solving the rest yourself. The grid is confirmed and refreshed daily as soon as the puzzle is published.

What is the Washington Post Crossword?

The Washington Post Crossword is the paper's free daily puzzle — a classic American 15×15 on weekdays (larger on Sunday), played at washingtonpost.com/games/crossword. It's known for fair, conversational cluing and approachable themes: a solid everyday solve that sits neatly between a quick mini and the toughest end of the NYT week. Millions of solvers treat it as a weekday habit, which is why a single tricky clue can send people hunting for just that one answer without spoiling the rest of the grid.

How the WaPo Crossword compares to other dailies

It shares the same 15×15 shape as the big American dailies, with its own editorial voice:

WaPoNYT (main)LA Times
Grid size15×15 (larger Sunday)15×15 (21×21 Sunday)15×15 (larger Sunday)
DifficultyAccessible, fairRamps to a hard SaturdayAccessible, smooth
CostFree onlineGames subscriptionFree online
Clue styleConversational themesHeavy wordplay, misdirectionFair, playful themes

Tips for solving the WaPo Crossword

  • Crack the theme early. Long theme answers often share a twist — spotting it hands you several entries at once.
  • Start with the fill-in-the-blanks. They're the quickest points and flood the grid with crossing letters.
  • Trust the crossings. A clue you can't get alone usually falls once its crossing words are in place.
  • Watch the endings. Plurals end in S, past-tense answers in ED — free letters once you notice the clue's tense.
  • 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 Washington Post Crossword answers

Every previous WaPo Crossword is archived on this page by date, with its full across and down solutions — handy for checking yesterday's grid or one you set aside. The archive updates automatically each day, so it stays complete without spoiling the current day. Stuck on a single clue, our crossword solver will reveal just that answer.

Browse more puzzles on the crossword solver, or use it to crack any clue from any publication.

Frequently asked questions

What are today's Washington Post Crossword answers?

The full Across and Down solution for today's puzzle (August 15, 2026) is listed at the top of this page, updated as soon as it's released.

Is the Washington Post Crossword free?

Yes — it's free to play online each day at washingtonpost.com/games/crossword, and our answers and clues are free too.

How do I see just one answer without spoiling the rest?

Each answer is listed separately, so you can reveal only the clue you're stuck on and keep solving the rest of the grid yourself.

How is the WaPo Crossword different from the WaPo Mini?

The daily crossword is a full 15×15 (larger on Sunday); the Mini is a tiny speed puzzle. Same publisher, different size and solve time.

Where can I find past Washington Post Crossword answers?

Every previous puzzle is in the archive on this page, listed by date with full solutions, updated automatically each day.

NYT Crossword Answers NYT Mini Crossword Answers Wordle Hint Today Connections Hint Today Strands Hint Today Quordle Hint Today Contexto Hint Today Spotle Hint Today Minute Cryptic Answer Today Pips Hint Today Jumble Answers Today 7 Little Words Answers