USA Today Crossword September 22, 2026 Answers

Across

1AHair on a lid4 5AFlattering poems4 9ARoast battle hosts3 12ANot bottled5 14APerpetual roamer5 16ATuna often used in tataki3 17A"It's not over 'til it's over"15 20AThrow in3 21A"The ___ is history!"4 22ADiving apparatuses6 23AGarland that can be made in "wili" and "kui" styles3 24ABe real5 26AOne of two allowed before a layup4 27AUtterly defeat3 29AStats for inbound flights4 31AThere are 109.361 in 100 meters, for short3 33ARed fruit in fanqie chao dan6 36AArray at a rock concert4 38AEnjoy a smashburger3 39AChickpea penne, e.g.15 42AThings checked by bouncers3 43ASing it with me!4 44A"You're getting closer"6 45A"In case it's of interest . . ." for short3 46ADoes some stitching4 48AU.S. spy org.3 49ABounce-back effect4 52AResponse to a relatable meme4 54ARoot crop in amala3 57AUFO crew6 59AThe ___ (Chi-Town paper)4 60A"Dude . . ."3 61ATreat a lens like an audience15 64ACalligrapher's tool3 65APresident who shared a meal with Anthony Bourdain5 66AOverlong sentence5 67ASophomores, in two years (Abbr.)3 68ACherry discard4 69ACuts grass4

Down

1DRide-or-die5 2DOne end of a battery5 3DPeople hired to play in recording sessions15 4D"Yeah, you WISH!"3 5DNewborn's garment6 6D"I'm in no mood for your attitude!"15 7DCPR expert3 8DTools in lumberyards4 9D"I haven't made up my mind"15 10DRomantic outing that doesn't cost a fortune9 11DIs on the bottom?4 13DRaised children8 15DRx prescribers4 18DReally annoy3 19DPecan or pistachio3 25DDomesticated4 28DAngkor ___ (Cambodian temple)3 30DGush forth4 32DOne of five on the Chinese flag4 33D"At last! The weekend!"4 34DDog in a 1957 Disney film9 35DDemanding burden4 37DIt's used to separate words8 40DService charge3 41DR&B singer Lennox3 47DSmall mountain flower?6 50D"What's up?"3 51DNot fooled by4 53D___ drop (dramatic exit)3 55DOne in a keyboard quartet?5 56DRhyme and synonym for "groans"5 57DPrograms such as Boycat and Buycott4 58DHas a bawl4 62DBit of body art created by Whang-od, for short3 63DTight-lipped3