USA Today Crossword September 18, 2026 Answers

MEMaya EllisonPuzzle Editor · Verified answers

Friday puzzle · 72 clues — every Across and Down answer for the September 18, 2026 USA Today Crossword.

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Across

1Send by truck, ironicallySHIP 5"Like that'll ever happen!"HAH 8Not straightASKEW 13AssistantAIDE 14___ gov'nor (punny name for a plant shop)ALOE 16___ off (deter)STAVE 17Sushi protein made with Sriracha or chili oilSPICYTUNA 19DangerPERIL 20Gave an addressSPOKE 21Yankees' crosstown rivalsMETS 23Place to hang artWALL 24___ KippurYOM 25Low-pHACIDIC 27"There's a red light ahead!"STOP 28Like tissue paperTHIN 29One might be used to test the temperature of bathwaterTOE 31Species of the insurance spokesbird that's about 10x heavier than the Aflac duckEMU 32"Don't leave without me!"WAITUP 34Piece of tennis gearRACKET 36Singer who said "musicians are the architects of heaven"BOBBYMCFERRIN 38Tasty bitMORSEL 39Completely out of energySAPPED 40Chicago airport codeORD 41NBA Hall of Famer DuncanTIM 43Crash another streamer's eventRAID 44Excited tail movementsWAGS 46Superficial appearanceFACADE 48RecedeEBB 51"Next to the plate!"BATTERUP 53PoliteCIVIL 55Shakespearean loverboyROMEO 56Winless chess endingSTALEMATE 58RegionsAREAS 59Bring onto the teamHIRE 60"Now, here's an ___ . . ."IDEA 61Costume ball concealersMASKS 62Himalayan cryptidYETI 63Where egg mimicry make take placeNEST

Down

1Full of attitudeSASSY 2Aquatic African mammalHIPPO 3Saying that's hard to translateIDIOM 4Quick kissPECK 5Bowler or fedoraHAT 6Lightweight metalALUMINUM 7Refined, like a new skillHONED 8Egyptian snakeASP 9Dishes with gravylike consistenciesSTEWS 10Role for Ralph Macchio and Jaden SmithKARATEKID 11Sign of bad things to comeEVILOMEN 12"I couldn't have said it better"WELLPUT 15Wipe outEATIT 18"Like that'll happen!"YEAHIBET 22Sheet with board game resultsSCOREPAD 26"The hustle and bustle"CITYLIFE 28Bills that have to be closedTABS 30Spy's communication gadgetEARPIECE 32Scattergories and Scrabble, for twoWORDGAMES 33Computer lab arrayPCS 35RepCRED 36Island surrounded by a lagoonBORABORA 37With lots of distance betweenFARAPART 38Take care of the lawnMOW 42Like a bogMARSHY 45Filet mignon, e.g.STEAK 47Rhyming partner of "patootie"CUTIE 48Slip pastEVADE 49Bagel ___BITES 50Make goat noisesBLEAT 52Casually throwTOSS 54"Let's do it!"IMIN 55Sheep with big hornsRAM 57Floral Polynesian giftLEI

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About this puzzle

This page lists every clue from the USA Today Crossword published on September 18, 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.