USA Today Crossword Today: Answers for August 21 2026

The complete list of answers to the USA Today Crossword published on August 21 2026.

79
Total Clues
38
Total Across
41
Total Down

Clues Across (38 total)

(1)
Lessen gradually
The answer is:
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(6)
Monumental
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(10)
Flaky rock
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(14)
Take a load off
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(15)
"Rubber duckie, you're the one / You make ___time lots of fun"
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(16)
Type of exam
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(17)
Top-tier
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(18)
Fairy tale beginning
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(19)
August 20, e.g.
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(20)
"To catch them is my real test / To train them is my cause" song
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(23)
Amazement
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(24)
Ask nosy questions
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(25)
Interfere, like with a lock's integrity
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(29)
Devoured
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(30)
Feeling blue
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(31)
It can be fragile or inflated
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(32)
"Top Gun" actor Kilmer
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(34)
Like someone who unplugs completely
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(38)
State that hosts RAGBRAI
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(39)
Regret
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(40)
Broadcasts
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(41)
Successor's challenge after replacing a legend
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(46)
Cooling cubes
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(47)
Chooses
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(48)
Outlaw
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(49)
Simmer with anger
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(51)
A, in German
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(52)
Chimpanzee, e.g.
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(55)
Hints that help decipher the meaning of an unfamiliar word
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(59)
Leah or Sean, for example
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(62)
Calf-length skirt
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(63)
Actors memorize them
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(64)
Widely adored person
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(65)
"Beware the ___ of March"
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(66)
Prefix similar to "mega"
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(67)
Word after "cereal" or "acai"
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(68)
Value of a penny
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(69)
Prone to giving orders
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Clues Down (41 total)

(1)
Stuffed cornmeal cake
The answer is:
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(2)
Under
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(3)
Look-___ (doppelganger)
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(4)
British museum
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(5)
Not taxable, e.g.
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(6)
Traditional wood for some piano keys
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(7)
What dogs do to regulate body temperature
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(8)
Bug bite symptom
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(9)
Fastest land animal
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(10)
Wi-Fi device
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(11)
Roth ___ (nest egg option)
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(12)
Purring pet
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(13)
Pub offering
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(21)
Cookie with a BTS variety
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(22)
Created
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(26)
Severe danger
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(27)
Aesthetic with emo influences
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(28)
Photoreceptors responsible for night vision
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(29)
"'Tis a shame"
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(30)
Copy editor's "Leave as-is"
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(32)
Essence of a crossword constructor's style
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(33)
"Oh, shucks!"
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(35)
Ridge on a guitar neck
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(36)
Commotion
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(37)
Acquire
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(38)
Sacred Egyptian bird
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(42)
Snack cake similar to a Swiss roll
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(43)
Amateur comic's event
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(44)
Memorial bio
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(45)
Star's groupies
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(50)
Infection-fighting immune system component
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(51)
Simply be
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(52)
Parent's sisters
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(53)
Social equals
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(54)
Writing assignment
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(56)
"A rising ___ lifts all boats"
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(57)
Paradise
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(58)
Stitch's pal
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(59)
Pen tip
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(60)
Commotion
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(61)
Cut the grass
The answer is:
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Event Date, August 2026

About the USA Today Crossword Puzzle

USA Today is an American daily newspaper owned by Gannett and one of the most widely circulated newspapers worldwide. Like many daily publications, USA Today regularly publishes crossword puzzles and other games for its readers.

In 2021, USA Today announced the relaunch of its Crossword Puzzle, one of the most popular daily crosswords on the internet. The subscription-based crossword is now available for all readers on mobile and desktop and adds to its premium offerings.

USA Today's crossword editors are Erik Agard and Amanda Rafkin. Agard is a former Jeopardy winner and works with Rafkin to manage over 40 puzzle creators and publish about seven puzzles per week. The puzzles generally feature a 15x15 grid with various clues dealing with American culture, world events, general knowledge, and more.

Puzzle-solvers can play USA Today's crossword puzzle online through the official USA Today website or the USA Today Crossword mobile app on the App Store and Google Play. The website also features a variety of other puzzles, including a USA Today News Quiz, Sudoku, Quick Cross, KenKen, Lexigo, Unolingo, Mahjong, and more.

Subscribers to USA Today can access an unlimited number of puzzles and recent Crosswords for a monthly fee. The newly launched USA Today crossword app is free to download and costs $5.99 a month for unlimited puzzles.

Tips for Solving USA Today Crossword

Here are some tips to help you solve the crossword puzzles in USA Today:

  1. Start with the fill-in-the-blank clues, which are usually the easiest to solve.
  2. Work off the letters you know from previous answers.
  3. Come back to the tougher clues later.
  4. Look up answers if you're completely stumped!