USA Today Crossword September 3, 2026 Answers

Across

1A"Mini" convenience store4 5ATrade practice jabs4 9AMake small talk4 13AShower thought4 14ALanguage in Tehzeeb Hafi poems4 15A"___ Carter" (2005 sports film)5 16APhone setting that minimizes distractions9 18ALike some energy bars5 19ADay after Thu.3 20AMale turkey3 21ARage5 22AOld-timey photo tone5 24AEncourage4 27AViolent Greek god4 29AEmail button4 30AIt famously has no "I"4 31ATake five4 32ASmall lie3 34A"That ___ has sailed"4 36ALanguage with fingerspelling3 37ALike someone who swears they do?11 40AThree-part race, casually3 42ATie to a dock4 43AColeman Hawkins' instrument3 44AThe "L" of "LOTR"4 46AGets off the fence4 48AVideo game figures with limited dialogue (Abbr.)4 51APhone protector4 52AArizona city named for a landform4 53ABolillo sandwich5 55AData in year-end "wrap-ups"5 57AZodiac sign with the shortest name3 59ACalligraphy, e.g.3 60AVideo gaming pioneer5 61APoser who might be kept on their toes?9 64ASome bridal accessories5 65AGreek god of love4 66AEarnest request4 67ASwirl of water4 68ADeclare untrue4 69ACollections of items4

Down

1DTicks off5 2DFinds charming6 3DPart of a cookbook6 4DLetter after sigma3 5DJapan's national sport4 6DSuggestion provided to improv actors6 7DMix in3 8D"You'll ___ the day!"3 9DMountain lion6 10DBegrudgingly scroll through someone's blog, say8 11D"Exit the ___" (Priya Parmar novel)7 12D"Love ___ neighbor"3 15DMSNBC alternative3 17DLarge sports venue7 21DLets in6 23DDeets4 25DSome all-inclusive destinations7 26DIsland east of Kauai4 28DGateway Arch city, for short3 33DBlossoms6 35D"The ___ of the Opera"7 37DEmergency treatment8 38DSulk4 39DConvention center event, perhaps4 40D"Waterfalls" trio3 41DInsulted in a devastating way7 45D"Miss you ___ / Sincerely, Me" ("Dear Evan Hansen" lyric)6 47DBar with swinging doors6 49DCat's ___ (string game)6 50DPlace for a block party6 54DCollection of maps5 56D"___ the season . . ."3 58DOnline market for crafts4 60D"___ Maria"3 61DMade a meal for3 62DUnrefined metal3 63DPhoto ___3