USA Today Crossword October 21, 2026 Answers

MEMaya EllisonPuzzle Editor · Verified answers

Wednesday puzzle · 77 clues — every Across and Down answer for the October 21, 2026 USA Today Crossword.

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Across

1Syrup sourceSAP 4Some soft drinks in "Cola War" adsCOKES 9"Cool!"RAD 12LoneSOLE 13Puff upSWELL 14The "A" in UAEARAB 16Traditional Thanksgiving dessertPUMPKINPIE 18"Present!"HERE 19EmergedAROSE 20Like high pricesSTEEP 22Wanda Maximoff ___ Scarlet WitchAKA 23Treats, like a violin bowROSINS 25Family member who enjoys chasing a red dot of lightPETCAT 27Tolkien's "Shepherds of the Trees"ENTS 28Stab of hungerPANG 32Japanese game similar to chessSHOGI 33Funny business?HUMOR 34Military traineeCADET 35Fudgelike Southern confections with nutsPECANPRALINES 39Surgery beamLASER 40Horse featureMANE 41Caribou featureANTLER 43Cloak-and-___DAGGER 49Word following "quilting" or "spelling"BEE 50Artemis I org.NASA 54Lying face-downPRONE 55Dish containing fruits simmered in spiced wine, perhapsPOACHEDPEARS 58Indiana basketball playerPACER 61"Don't trip on the ___ root" (lyric on the "Moana" soundtrack)TARO 62___ veraALOE 63Make ecstaticELATE 64Title for a Kuwaiti leaderEMIR 65Spot for a 16-Across or a 25-AcrossSILL 66Hereditary unitsGENES 67ConsiderDEEM 68SPEAK LIKE THISYELL

Down

1Get the ick from, perhapsSOURON 2"Just about there!"ALMOST 3Some soft drinks in "Cola War" adsPEPSIS 4Forensics franchiseCSI 5HoldsOWNS 6HeldKEPT 7Designer SaabELIE 8Be out, but not aboutSLEEP 9Cheerleader's wordRAH 10Local figure?AREACODE 11Era before the RenaissanceDARKAGES 12Tire in the trunkSPARE 15"Scram!"BEATIT 17Ryan Gosling's "Barbie" roleKEN 21Fish-related surnamePESCI 24Created, like a webSPUN 26"Better late ___ never"THAN 29Clock radio toggleAMPM 30Writer EphronNORA 31Nickname for Mom's momGRAN 33Rabbit's relativeHARE 35No ___, No Gain (punny name for a window company)PANE 36East, in SpanishESTE 37Cartoon frameCEL 38Was aheadLED 39Chocolate dogLAB 42Messenger ___RNA 44Lex, e.g.APP 45___ spoon (unpretentious restaurant)GREASY 46Soccer player who uses their handsGOALIE 47Sign upENROLL 48List on eBay, sayRESELL 51Played a partACTED 52"That's a ___"SHAME 53Eagle's nestAERIE 55"___ the Cat" (children's book series)PETE 56Mining targetsORES 57Campus quartersDORM 58String instrument's tuning pinPEG 59Pub stapleALE 60Campbell's Soup containerCAN

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About this puzzle

This page lists every clue from the USA Today Crossword published on October 21, 2026, a Wednesday, 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.