USA Today Crossword October 16, 2025 Answers

Here's your complete guide to the USA Today Crossword for Thursday, October 16, 2025. Known for its approachable difficulty and contemporary references, this puzzle is perfect for daily solving practice.

USA Today Crossword October 16, 2025 Answers

This USA Today puzzle from October 16, 2025 contains 77 total clues—38 across and 39 down. Below you'll find every clue with its answer and helpful hints. If you're working on a different date, check our USA Today crossword archive.

Across Clues

#	Clue	Answer
1A	Botches	BUNGLES
8A	Region that includes parts of Finland and Canada	ARCTIC
14A	Pressed for time	INARUSH
15A	Largest hot desert in the world	SAHARA
16A	"Groundhog Day" plot device	TIMELOOP
18A	100% correct	SPOTON
19A	Incredible bargain	STEAL
20A	Ocean movement	TIDE
22A	Penny's value	CENT
23A	Airport screening org.	TSA
25A	Cool again	RETRO
27A	The ___ (part of a "Toy Story" arcade game)	CLAW
30A	"Better late ___ never"	THAN
32A	Really good time	BLAST
36A	"Passing" star Negga	RUTH
37A	"$50 on red," in roulette, say	BET
38A	Total disaster	FIASCO
39A	Three-syllable fruit	ACAI
40A	"Am not!" retort	ARESO
42A	Purple bubble tea flavor	TARO
43A	Dirt-covered	FILTHY
45A	Large body of water	SEA
46A	Garden in Genesis	EDEN
47A	"Tall" stories	TALES
48A	Throat-clearing sound	AHEM
49A	Piglets' moms	SOWS
50A	___ Go! (game in which a squid nigiri scores 3 points)	SUSHI
52A	"Woohoo!"	YAY
54A	Desire to scratch	ITCH
57A	"SportsCenter" channel	ESPN
59A	Use a stencil	TRACE
63A	Hairstyling product for a ducktail or pompadour	POMADE
65A	"A likely story"	IBET
67A	Totally loved	ADORED
68A	The "it" of "Say it. Out loud. Say it" in "Twilight"	VAMPIRE
69A	Braying animal	DONKEYASS
70A	Braying animal	DONKEYASS
71A	YouTube promos you can't always skip	ADS

Down Clues

#	Clue	Answer
1D	Smidgens	DABS
2D	Meter or liter	UNIT
3D	Line on a birth certificate	NAME
4D	Ocean predator with around 300 teeth	GREATWHITESHARK
5D	Quiet periods	LULLS
6D	Spanish for "that"	ESO
7D	Bartending measurement	SHOT
8D	Desirable trait	ASSET
9D	Flo Rida genre	RAP
10D	Gooey sundae topping	CHOCOLATESYRUP
11D	___ Modern (London museum)	TATE
12D	Wrinkle remover	IRON
13D	"Sorry, I ___ relate"	CANT
17D	Vessels with cannons in a Disneyland water ride	PIRATESHIPS
21D	Bear's lair	DEN
24D	Held in check	ATBAY
26D	MLB stat	RBI
27D	Needlework, e.g.	CRAFT
28D	Saint ___ (Caribbean nation named after a woman)	LUCIA
29D	Even a little	ATALL
31D	She/___	HER
33D	Pollo ___ (grilled chicken dish)	ASADO
34D	Phillips-head fastener	SCREW
35D	Animated characters, for short	TOONS
38D	Like shaving cream	FOAMY
41D	"Get it?"	SEE
44D	"Joy Ride" star Stephanie	HSU
48D	"_merican _orror _tory"	AHS
51D	Run-down	SEEDY
53D	Molecular building blocks	ATOMS
54D	Apple tablet	IPAD
55D	Chore list heading	TODO
56D	"Hurry up!"	CMON
58D	Word after "bossa" or before "Scotia"	NOVA
60D	Nepal's continent	ASIA
61D	Part of a tarot deck	CARD
62D	Peepers	EYERS
64D	Actor and activist Ruby	DEE
66D	Affirmation with ball culture origins	YAS

The USA Today Crossword launched in 1982 alongside the newspaper itself. Known for accessible difficulty and contemporary pop culture references, USA Today puzzles maintain consistent challenge levels throughout the week, making them excellent for daily solving practice. The puzzles embrace modern references while keeping clues fair and solvable.

Looking for more puzzles? We publish daily solutions for NYT Mini, NYT, LA Times Mini, LA Times, Wall Street Journal, and other popular crosswords. Visit our complete crossword answers hub to explore all available puzzles.