USA Today Crossword October 12, 2026 Answers

MEMaya EllisonPuzzle Editor · Verified answers

Monday puzzle · 76 clues — every Across and Down answer for the October 12, 2026 USA Today Crossword.

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Across

1"The ___ Express"POLAR 6"That ain't happening"UMNO 10Bitter beersIPAS 14Uttered some wordsSPOKE 15Look for some hidersSEEK 16What nun gets you in dreidelNONE 17Room often used for storageATTIC 18Periods of Taylor Swift's careerERAS 19Totally overDONE 20A band's most enthusiastic supporterNUMBERONEFAN 23"Welcome" surfaceMAT 26Beam of sunshineRAY 27Madame Tussauds sculpting materialWAX 28On edgeUNEASY 30"So cool!"OHH 31Org. that's interested in your baggageTSA 34Etail rating systemSTAR 35Org. for animal loversSPCA 37Baby sheepLAMB 38"It's bedtime for me!"TIMETOHITTHEHAY 42Word before "dating" or "dioxide"CARBON 43They make you say "pee-yew"ODORS 44One day ___ timeATA 46Sch. hidden in "iOS update"OSU 47Bird soundsTWEETS 48BurstPOP 49Places to pamper your poochesPETSPAS 52"Sheesh, no need to be so strict!"CUTMESOMESLACK 57Purple superfruitACAI 58Outfit for some bridesSUIT 59A meeting to discuss why there are too many meetings, e.g.IRONY 61"The best ___ plans . . ."LAID 62Jazz singer JamesETTA 63Late feesFINES 64First 24-hour news channelCNN 65U-turn from NNWSSE 66Art stand with three legsEASEL

Down

1Relative of FYIPSA 2ChooseOPT 3Place for mallgoers to parkLOT 4SimilarAKIN 5Happens againRECURS 6Food safety wordsUSEBY 7___ mortalMERE 8Close byNEAR 9"And your point is?"OKSOWHAT 10Finger used for pointingINDEX 11Sound of something vanishingPOOF 12"Naked Attraction" host RichardsonANNA 13ViewedSEEN 21Be Kind to Animals MonthMAY 22"Pass"NAH 23___-have items (things you've gotta get)MUST 24AgainstANTI 25Leader on the football fieldTEAMCAPTAIN 29RegionAREA 30Mo. for Prime Big Deal DaysOCT 31Sierra Nevada lakeTAHOE 32"Hacks" actress JeanSMART 33Dark, gaping pitABYSS 35Public expressions of thanksSHOUTOUTS 36"Let's put a ___ in it"PIN 37A journalist might bury oneLEDE 39Convention that might make a movie predictableTROPE 40Gets really mentally stuck on somethingOBSESSES 41"What's new with you?"HOWSLIFE 44Advanced H.S. math classAPCALC 45Froot Loops' bird mascotTOUCAN 47Profs' helpersTAS 50Strike downSMITE 51Org. for animal loversPETA 53Pretty so-soMID 54Vegas hotel named for a type of songARIA 55DownsidesCONS 56One might be taken in protestKNEE 60Fashion inits.YSL

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About this puzzle

This page lists every clue from the USA Today Crossword published on October 12, 2026, a Monday, in Across and Down order. Tap any clue to open its solution page with the answer, its letter count, and every other date it has appeared. Looking for a different day? Head to the full archive or use the search bar at the top of the page.