USA Today Crossword October 2, 2026 Answers

MEMaya EllisonPuzzle Editor · Verified answers

Friday puzzle · 78 clues — every Across and Down answer for the October 2, 2026 USA Today Crossword.

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Across

1Narrative shapeARC 4Religious subgroupSECT 8Pals who might wear matching necklacesBFFS 12"The Golden Girls" actress ArthurBEA 13Alabama city in civil rights historySELMA 14Hoedown seat, maybeBALE 15Influencer group challenging aging stereotypesSILVERFOXSQUAD 18Governor's office stafferAIDE 19Earn after taxesNET 20Present day? (Abbr.)XMAS 22NYC mayor often seen volunteeringMAMDANI 25___-AFTRASAG 27"hey wya?"ETA 28Eco-conscious org.EPA 29Home for many birdsNEST 31Threw outTOSSED 33Futomaki wrapperNORI 35Nile valley nativeNUBIAN 37Chappell Roan hit about "a special place / where boys and girls can all be queens"PINKPONYCLUB 41Tidy upNEATEN 42"Stranger Things" character who disappears after a pool partyBARB 45Talks backSASSES 48Bath set itemSOAP 51Promise-to-pay noteIOU 52Sportage makerKIA 53'60s psychedelicLSD 55___ Field (Chicago ballpark)WRIGLEY 57Opera highlightARIA 59Bit of graduation garbCAP 61"Finding Nemo" habitatREEF 62"Burnin' for You" bandBLUEOYSTERCULT 67"Heard!"NOTED 68Call for help?SOS 69It's taken in protestKNEE 70Out of cashBROKE 71Vietnamese Lunar New YearTET 72Leader of the Norse AesirODIN

Down

1Crunch targetsABS 2Camping retailerREI 3Seafood appetizerCALAMARI 4Beyond calmSERENE 5North Pole helperELF 6"Be real"CMON 7They might be e-filedTAXES 8Cuisine in KC or K-TownBBQ 9FakeFAUX 10"___ . . . on the side of my face" ("Clue" meme)FLAMES 11TranquilSEDATE 13SUV alternativeSEDAN 16YouTube upload, for shortVID 17UnchangingSTATIC 21BlueSAD 22"It's Raining ___"MEN 23EachAPOP 24"False!"ISNOT 26IntentionGOAL 30Sources of earwormsTUNES 32Awards season slightSNUB 34Cozy lodging spotsINNS 36At this pointBYNOW 38Lowermost boat partKEEL 39You might need one to get into a speakeasyPASSCODE 40The ACLU created the first recorded large-scale oneBAILFUND 43Tiny eggs on a sushi rollROE 44PurchaseBUY 45Sublime genreSKA 46Site where you can rent a whole houseAIRBNB 47SeafarerSAILOR 49Really captivateARREST 50Stardew Valley fishing spotPIER 54Part of a weekDAY 56Sticky-footed lizardGECKO 58Prefix with "fill" or "save"AUTO 60"Hey . . . hey, you!"PSST 63Shriek that rhymes with "shriek"EEK 64Digit visible in sandalsTOE 65Luau souvenirLEI 66Bowling pin countTEN

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About this puzzle

This page lists every clue from the USA Today Crossword published on October 2, 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.