USA Today Crossword August 31, 2026 Answers

Across

1AMario Kart character with a mushroomlike head4 5A___ Evolution (powerful Pokemon form)4 9AScorches5 14AJust chillin'4 15ALeap for Alysa Liu4 16AMeasurement of gold purity5 17AEasy to understand15 20APayment to the IRS3 21AOther, in Spanish4 22A"Gotcha"4 23A"Let me fix myself up before guests arrive"7 26AGood ones are considered polite7 28AVery serious6 29A___ Coladice (board game)4 30A"Fine by me!"3 31ALike Druidry and Wicca5 33AVideo segments5 38AParticle physics concept12 40APrefix for "present" and "vore"4 43AShe liked a bad apple3 44ALike a bad apple6 45AWeaving devices5 47AFashion designer Saab4 49AAlcohol made from rice4 50ASilent ___ (parties with headphone-wearing dancers)6 52A___ car smell3 54AForest or coral reef7 57AHajj religion5 62AWhere you might keep snowboards and winter coats in July15 65AVulgar4 66ADEA investigator5 67AElide4 68AMama in the Mamas & the Papas4 69AMachines in casinos5 70AAesthetic with black clothing4

Down

1D"Quite so"3 2DPoem of celebration3 3DLacking follow-through7 4DSlander6 5DAt most3 6DConvention center gatherings5 7DHanukkah coins4 8DCausing worry8 9DPrecursor to reggae3 10DMake dinner at home5 11DCame to light5 12DLess common5 13DThey're real eye sores5 18DOff the hook6 19DBread often served with saag paneer4 23D"The Pitt" actress Briones3 24D"Greetings, fellow cow"3 25DDrum set essential5 27DCheese-topped chip5 29DComic Con event5 32D"___ it your best shot!"4 34D"I say we go for it!"4 35DCrumb4 36DClass that might have circle time4 37D"Auld Lang ___"4 38DSmartphone inserts8 39DIt may grow up and branch out?4 40DAntiquated3 41D"You're accusing me?!"3 42DAbsentees7 46DJapanese noodle often served cold4 48DWhole6 51DOmens5 53DSuccessor to the GameCube3 55DColor in peacock feathers4 56DHairstyle for Angela Davis4 58DToil4 59DLuxurious prom rental4 60DButting heads4 61D"We only use 10% of our brains," e.g.4 62DUtah's capital (Abbr.)3 63DCoffee alternative that's actually more likely to stain teeth3 64DTrig ratio3