USA Today Crossword October 17, 2025 Answers

Here's your complete guide to the USA Today Crossword for Friday, October 17, 2025. Known for its approachable difficulty and contemporary references, this puzzle is perfect for daily solving practice.

USA Today Crossword October 17, 2025 Answers

This USA Today puzzle from October 17, 2025 contains 80 total clues—40 across and 40 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	"Defense! Defense!," e.g.	CHANT
6A	Trademarked sound in "The Simpsons"	DOH
9A	Scent	AROMA
14A	The real deal	LEGIT
15A	A Little Sumpin' Sumpin', e.g.	IPA
16A	Lesser in importance	MINOR
17A	FIRE enthusiasts' financial goal	EARLYRETIREMENT
20A	NYC's Madison, e.g.	AVE
21A	Haul	LUG
22A	Flee	RUN
23A	Helpers for profs	TAS
24A	Habitat for parrotfish	REEF
26A	"Me too!"	SOAMI
28A	"So ___ say . . ."	THEY
29A	Pairs	TWOS
31A	Judo instructor	SENSEI
33A	Occasion for some in-flight snacks?	FOODFIGHT
36A	Word before "tube" or "peace"	INNER
39A	First conjunction mentioned in "Conjunction Junction"	AND
40A	Not near	FAR
41A	Object under a "Cash Here" sign	ATM
43A	Grad school exam	GRE
44A	What some headphones reduce	NOISE
46A	"Everyone hop on!"	ALLABOARD
49A	Rave light	STROBE
51A	Seasoning that melts ice	SALT
52A	Hawaiian party	LUAU
54A	They flank a bookmark	PAGES
56A	Projectile thrown at a board	DART
59A	Official language of Ghana (Abbr.)	ENG
60A	Small amount	DAB
61A	Still in shrink	NEW
63A	7-7, e.g.	TIE
64A	Fabled creatures with homes of straw, sticks and bricks	THREELITTLEPIGS
68A	Filtering tool	SIEVE
69A	___ time (golf reservation)	TEE
70A	"The sky's the ___!"	LIMIT
71A	Little chirp	PEEP
72A	Organ with a cochlea	EAR
73A	Ownership papers	DEEDS

Down Clues

#	Clue	Answer
1D	Like Saran wrap	CLEAR
2D	Throw hard	HEAVE
3D	"I'm not convinced, but let's stop arguing"	AGREETODISAGREE
4D	Zero	NIL
5D	"Bye 4 now!"	TTYL
6D	Muralist Rivera	DIEGO
7D	___ in (decide to join)	OPT
8D	Headbanger's genre	HAIRMETAL
9D	"I agree!"	AMEN
10D	Edge	RIM
11D	"We'd better take it systematically"	ONETHINGATATIME
12D	"Hidden Figures" star Janelle	MONAE
13D	Website that can be searched by gallery or style	ARTSY
18D	Birthplace of matryoshka dolls	RUSSIA
19D	Spoil	RUIN
25D	Abbr. on a passed-along email	FWD
27D	Shade of gray	ASH
28D	Only two-digit number in a poker deck	TEN
30D	Proposal	OFFER
32D	Character who "just can't wait to be king"	SIMBA
33D	Common Kyomai prop	FAN
34D	Peace activist Yoko	ONO
35D	Get some food	GRABABITE
37D	Blunder	ERR
38D	Traditional bridal color in India	RED
42D	Graduation cap feature	TASSEL
45D	Stuart, little?	STU
47D	That's the kicker!	LEG
48D	Like a stale joke	OLD
50D	Australia's national gemstone	OPAL
52D	"We should do it!"	LETS
53D	Square	UNHIP
55D	"___ Sandman" (Metallica hit)	ENTER
57D	Stiff	RIGID
58D	Graded assessments	TESTS
60D	Like the Mariana Trench	DEEP
62D	Join with a torch	WELD
65D	Night before	EVE
66D	"Spilled" gossip	TEA
67D	Sliced dessert	PIE

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.

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