USA Today Crossword October 22, 2026 Answers

MEMaya EllisonPuzzle Editor · Verified answers

Thursday puzzle · 78 clues — every Across and Down answer for the October 22, 2026 USA Today Crossword.

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Across

1Cover removed at a pumpGASCAP 7It'll do for the presentBOW 10Mother of a spotted newbornDOE 13Pacific weather phenomenonELNINO 14Insect circling a lampMOTH 15Coffee dispenserURN 1618+ peopleADULTS 17Book for a lazy afternoonEASYREAD 19Latvia's biggest cityRIGA 20Puts away some leftovers?EATS 22ShoutsYELLS 23Polite refusalNOSIR 25Theater scenerySET 26Light touchesPATS 28Edible stem with holesLOTUSROOT 33Yuzu or satsuma, e.g.CITRUS 35___ LankaSRI 36State south of Lake ErieOHIO 37___ gobi (curry dish)ALOO 38"Stranger Things" actor SeanASTIN 40"One Day Only" eventSALE 41Microscope partLENS 42Day, in SpanishDIA 43Record labels?GENRES 45Opposites of pragmatistsIDEALISTS 48Must haveNEED 49Home to the Louvre Abu Dhabi, for shortUAE 50"The Gram"INSTA 52Parcel of landTRACT 55Sport with frequent horse changesPOLO 56Mario ___ WorldKART 60"You owe me nothing now"WEREEVEN 62Response to "am not"ARETOO 64Artist ApplebroogIDA 65Lust and pride, for twoSINS 66Country singer DollyPARTON 67Squishy lumpGOB 68Time for family reunionsTET 69___ seed bunSESAME

Down

1Cyclist's selectionGEAR 2"Twice as Nice Guarantee" grocerALDI 3Warm and cozySNUG 4Green, herby drizzle on a tacoCILANTROSAUCE 5Insect that builds hillsANT 6Prepares for a selfiePOSES 7Constricting snakesBOAS 8Extra NHL periodsOTS 9"But of course!"WHYYES 10One-on-one sword fightDUEL 11Like a spelling bee responseORAL 12ConcludesENDS 14Dots on some transit mapsMETROSTATIONS 18Footwear with an old-school vibeRETROSNEAKERS 21Feel poorlyAIL 24The NCAA's BuckeyesOSU 25Taking to courtSUING 26Like hay bales in a barnPILED 27Do penanceATONE 29Swim-bike-run race, for shortTRI 30Midwest hub with a Hall of FlagsOHARE 31Prepped a skillet, perhapsOILED 32Digits that help with balanceTOES 33Death Valley's state, for shortCALI 34"Spider-Man: Brand New Day" actress SinkSADIE 39Alana, to Este Haim, for shortSIS 44Doc who treats sinusitisENT 46Most recentLATEST 47NBC show in its 52nd seasonSNL 51Wet bars?SOAPS 52Support for a nest egg?TWIG 53Second attemptREDO 54Like most JordaniansARAB 55___-up energyPENT 57Puri flourATTA 58Section of the Clue boardROOM 59Vocal quality crucial to Mandarin pronunciationTONE 61CompeteVIE 63"Addison" singer AddisonRAE

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About this puzzle

This page lists every clue from the USA Today Crossword published on October 22, 2026, a Thursday, 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.