USA Today Crossword September 26, 2025 Answers

Here's your complete guide to the USA Today Crossword for Friday, September 26, 2025. Known for its approachable difficulty and contemporary references, this puzzle is perfect for daily solving practice.

USA Today Crossword September 26, 2025 Answers

This USA Today puzzle from September 26, 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	Tree tapped for sap	MAPLE
6A	Gravelly voice	RASP
10A	By way of	VIA
13A	Protective kitchen garment	APRON
14A	Take a lid off of	UNCAP
16A	Some online convos	IMS
17A	Outcome of a close race	PHOTOFINISH
19A	Celebratory Greek shout	OPA
20A	Virtual "City" resident	SIM
21A	"Messenger" molecule	RNA
22A	Followed sneakily	TAILED
24A	Birth day expert	DOULA
27A	Board game that can be played with cowry shells or stones	MANCALA
28A	Play therapy toy that might be a target for pent-up anger	BOPBAG
31A	Author Gerritsen	TESS
32A	Swing by the gas station for food and fuel, say	MAKEAPITSTOP
36A	Arab leader	EMIR
37A	Id checker	EGO
38A	"Throw me the ball!"	IMOPEN
42A	Gravel road grooves	RUTS
43A	Bridge length	SPAN
45A	Opposite of 39-Down	PREY
46A	Winter hours in IA	CST
47A	Move like a kangaroo	HOP
49A	Connections publisher, for short	NYT
51A	Homophone of 40-Down	EKE
52A	"Hi, my love!"	HEYBABE
54A	"Road Work ___" (highway sign)	AHEAD
56A	Gradually slow down	GRINDTOAHALT
60A	Gas brand	MOBIL
63A	Mount ___ (scary-sounding destination for Frodo)	DOOM
64A	"But also . . ." in a text	OTOH
65A	In the know	AWARE
66A	Salinger heroine	ESME
67A	Flower with "Agatha Christie" and "Barbra Streisand" cultivars	ROSE
68A	Queen's domain	REALM
69A	Sunbeams	RAYS
70A	Like many stereotypical hipsters	ARTY

Down Clues

#	Clue	Answer
1D	Navigation guides in many video games	MAPS
2D	Destructive garden insect	APHID
3D	Publicity piece	PROMO
4D	Auction unit	LOT
5D	Ambient musician Brian	ENO
6D	Wreck	RUIN
7D	Elsa's sister	ANNA
8D	Chem or bio	SCI
9D	Farfalle or fettuccine	PASTA
10D	Midsize string instruments	VIOLAS
11D	Urges on	IMPELS
12D	Carne ___	ASADA
15D	"Star Wars: The ___ Menace"	PHANTOM
18D	Frozen coffee drink	FRAPPE
23D	Frozen treat	ICEPOP
25D	Cab alternatives	UBERS
26D	Mauna ___	LOA
27D	Rx dosage units	MGS
29D	Person who throws their money around	BIGSPENDER
30D	On	ATOP
32D	Concert souvenirs	MERCH
33D	Cause to giggle	AMUSE
34D	Big ___ (tiger, to a toddler)	KITTY
35D	Simplified, smaller-sized living spaces	TINYHOMES
39D	Orca or lion, e.g.	PREDATOR
40D	"I saw a mouse!"	EEK
41D	"Bill ___ Saves the World" (Netflix series)	NYE
44D	Class with makeup tutorials?	ANATOMY
47D	Langston Hughes poem	HARLEM
48D	___-Wan Kenobi	OBI
50D	Gossip, in slang	TEA
53D	Certain break dancer	BGIRL
55D	Now, in Spanish	AHORA
57D	Thin, savory Indian food	DOSA
58D	Clueless	LOST
59D	___/them	THEY
60D	Dent or scratch	MAR
61D	"Thanks, I ___ you one!"	OWE
62D	"I'm a sheep!"	BAA

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.