USA Today Crossword October 16, 2026 Answers

MEMaya EllisonPuzzle Editor · Verified answers

Friday puzzle · 78 clues — every Across and Down answer for the October 16, 2026 USA Today Crossword.

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Across

1Bake sale org.PTA 4Daytime dramasSOAPS 9Get a whiff of this!SCENT 14Shape used to describe storylinesARC 15Like needs that have not yet been fulfilledUNMET 16Like a piano that's performance-readyTUNED 17Protected lands for flora and faunaNATUREPRESERVES 20Notice that solicits an online RSVPEVITE 21They have many i-opening productsAPPLE 22On airLIVE 23Spitting images?LLAMAS 26Get the ___ of the landLAY 29NNW's oppositeSSE 30Pirate's haulBOOTY 31Oliver Twist's request for another helpingMORE 32Long-necked bird resembling a heronCRANE 33CurtainsDRAPES 35Pull-apart dairy snackSTRINGCHEESE 38FilmsMOVIES 39Gives three stars to, sayRATES 40Site that features cast listsIMDB 41CarriedTOTED 42Hair gooGEL 45Friendship garlandLEI 46Post-gym refreshment?SHOWER 48AssistantAIDE 49Kicks with swooshesNIKES 51"From the top!"AGAIN 52Fifes and flutesWINDINSTRUMENTS 57LiberatedFREED 58Use the pink end of a pencilERASE 59From head to ___TOE 60ThrongsHERDS 61Accord, e.g.SEDAN 62Soon-to-be grads (Abbr.)SRS

Down

1Groups of conference presentersPANELS 2NFL tight end KelceTRAVIS 3Like a Discord user who posts a lotACTIVE 4UnwaveringSURE 5Beat that the downbeat is usually onONE 6Metal box?AMP 7According toPER 8Like love scenes in moviesSTEAMY 9Fitness-tracking unitsSTEPS 10Bicep exerciseCURL 11Something for an Oscar presenter to openENVELOPE 12Once namedNEE 13Causes for end zone celebrations (Abbr.)TDS 18Native of ColoradoUTE 19Place to enjoy a mud bathSPA 23Sources of student debtLOANS 24AcheLONG 25Had a serving of humble pieATECROW 27Is for many?ARE 28"Say ___ to the Dress"YES 30"Captain Marvel" actress LarsonBRIE 31___ mediaMASS 32Baby's bedCRIB 33Scare offDETER 34Plant that can help filter waterREED 35A fewSOME 36Meal eaten in front of the small screenTVDINNER 37Feel extremely negatively towardHATE 38"Cool" amountMIL 41ChucksTOSSES 42Eli Manning's former teamGIANTS 43Person who improves clarity and toneEDITOR 44Some telescopes have these at both endsLENSES 46Slips and slidesSKIDS 47Certain roost-erHEN 48Stone ___ ("The Flintstones" era)AGE 50Checked a license at the doorIDED 51"Heck, yeah!"AMEN 52Join a Zoom meeting while wearing PJs, say (Abbr.)WFH 53AngerIRE 54Uno + dueTRE 55"So awesome!"RAD 56Alysa Liu's teamUSA

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About this puzzle

This page lists every clue from the USA Today Crossword published on October 16, 2026, a Friday, 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.