USA Today Crossword August 21, 2026 Answers

Across

1ALessen gradually5 6AMonumental4 10AFlaky rock4 14ATake a load off5 15A"Rubber duckie, you're the one / You make ___time lots of fun"4 16AType of exam4 17ATop-tier5 18AFairy tale beginning4 19AAugust 20, e.g.4 20A"To catch them is my real test / To train them is my cause" song12 23AAmazement3 24AAsk nosy questions3 25AInterfere, like with a lock's integrity6 29ADevoured3 30AFeeling blue3 31AIt can be fragile or inflated3 32A"Top Gun" actor Kilmer3 34ALike someone who unplugs completely10 38AState that hosts RAGBRAI4 39ARegret3 40ABroadcasts4 41ASuccessor's challenge after replacing a legend14 46ACooling cubes3 47AChooses4 48AOutlaw3 49ASimmer with anger6 51AA, in German3 52AChimpanzee, e.g.3 55AHints that help decipher the meaning of an unfamiliar word12 59ALeah or Sean, for example4 62ACalf-length skirt4 63AActors memorize them5 64AWidely adored person4 65A"Beware the ___ of March"4 66APrefix similar to "mega"5 67AWord after "cereal" or "acai"4 68AValue of a penny4 69AProne to giving orders5

Down

1DStuffed cornmeal cake5 2DUnder5 3DLook-___ (doppelganger)5 4DBritish museum4 5DNot taxable, e.g.6 6DTraditional wood for some piano keys5 7DWhat dogs do to regulate body temperature4 8DBug bite symptom4 9DFastest land animal7 10DWi-Fi device5 11DRoth ___ (nest egg option)3 12DPurring pet3 13DPub offering3 21DCookie with a BTS variety4 22DCreated4 26DSevere danger5 27DAesthetic with emo influences5 28DPhotoreceptors responsible for night vision4 29D"'Tis a shame"4 30DCopy editor's "Leave as-is"4 32DEssence of a crossword constructor's style5 33D"Oh, shucks!"5 35DRidge on a guitar neck4 36DCommotion4 37DAcquire4 38DSacred Egyptian bird4 42DSnack cake similar to a Swiss roll4 43DAmateur comic's event7 44DMemorial bio4 45DStar's groupies7 50DInfection-fighting immune system component5 51DSimply be5 52DParent's sisters5 53DSocial equals5 54DWriting assignment5 56D"A rising ___ lifts all boats"4 57DParadise4 58DStitch's pal4 59DPen tip3 60DCommotion3 61DCut the grass3