Washington Post Crossword Answers Today

Today's Washington Post Crossword answers, witty and news-savvy. Gimmick days happen often, so trust the key's letter counts over square counts. Updated daily with the complete Across and Down answer key.

Friday Friday, September 25, 2026

Friday’s Daily

Rebecca Goldstein Ed. Patti Varol 78 clues Across 39 Down 39
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ACROSS 39
1 Diminish WANE
5 "Too rich for my blood" IMOUT
10 "My word!" EGAD
14 Fusses ADOS
15 Bay area on the East Coast TAMPA
16 Olden times YORE
17 Fit to eat? LOBSTERBIB
19 Enthusiasm ELAN
20 Uno e uno e uno TRE
21 Arabian aristocrat EMIR
22 Hurled LETFLY
24 Nintendo princess ZELDA
26 Archrivals NEMESES
28 __ Minor URSA
30 Event that may have drawings ARTSHOW
33 Single ant, say SCOUT
35 Hon BAE
36 "Proud Mary" singer Turner TINA
37 "Don't think so" NAH
38 Fit for a king? PAJAMAS
41 Nero Wolfe creator Stout REX
42 Book jacket blurbs BIOS
44 Lip-smacking word YUM
45 Air ways DUCTS
47 Masterful demonstrations CLINICS
49 Capital city with a Museum of the Viking Age set to open in 2027 OSLO
50 Home body? REALTOR
52 Diving aquatic birds LOONS
56 One sister in "King Richard" SERENA
58 Treadmill setting PACE
60 D.C. MLBer NAT
61 The whole shebang ATOZ
62 Fit for work? SUITANDTIE
65 Broccoli __ RABE
66 Law of __: trigonometry equation SINES
67 Mud JAVA
68 Sudsy mugfuls ALES
69 "Tough crowd!" YEESH
70 Zoomed SPED
DOWN 39
1 Flounce WALTZ
2 Be wild about ADORE
3 Prize first awarded in 1901 NOBEL
4 Slow start? ESS
5 Object ITEM
6 Yacht spot MARINA
7 Color gradient technique OMBRE
8 News initials UPI
9 Rehearsals a cast generally won't stand for? TABLEREADS
10 Reason to look one's best? EYETEST
11 Fit to a tee? GOLFSHIRT
12 Central Asia's North __ Sea ARAL
13 Say "It wasn't me," say DENY
18 Start to cry TEARUP
23 Rough fig. EST
25 Pair DUO
27 "M'lady" MAAM
29 Sarcastic response to rude behavior STAYCLASSY
31 Individuals ONES
32 1-Across opposite WAX
33 Travel as the wind blows SAIL
34 Fit for service? CHOIRROBE
35 Comic book onomatopoeia BAM
37 "SVU" network NBC
39 A second ago JUST
40 Morose SULLEN
43 Seasonal allergy symptoms SNEEZES
46 Murmur COO
48 "What We Can Know" novelist McEwan IAN
49 Pontificates ORATES
51 Pontificate OPINE
53 Ready to pour ONTAP
54 Inexperienced NAIVE
55 Place STEAD
56 Singer-songwriter Bareilles SARA
57 Bibliography abbr. ETAL
59 Paper money CASH
63 Driver's one-eighty UIE
64 Turntable pros DJS
Last updated: 2026-09-08

Today's Washington Post Crossword answers, witty and news-savvy. Gimmick days happen often, so trust the key's letter counts over square counts.

Washington Post Crossword: Quick Facts

Publisher The Washington Post (incl. Evan Birnholz)
Style Witty daily with creative themes
Difficulty Medium with news-savvy edge
Grid Standard daily grid
Schedule New puzzle every day
Best for News readers, theme lovers, NYT alternates

History of the Washington Post Crossword

The Washington Post Daily Crossword brings the capital’s wit to grid form. Syndicated from top constructors including Evan Birnholz, one of the most inventive theme writers working today. The Post daily blends rigorous American construction with political and cultural savvy. It reads slightly looser and funnier than the NYT: themes take bigger swings, humor lands more often, and the cluing winks at news junkies without punishing everyone else.

Birnholz’s influence shows in the gimmicks. Expect creative theme mechanics (letters that do unusual things, meta-flavored tricks, visual jokes in the grid) alongside clean, modern fill. Non-theme days play like a polished standard daily; theme days can be genuinely surprising. Either way the key below keeps you oriented when the trick hides.

The puzzle runs daily and suits solvers who read the news. Following politics, policy, and Washington culture converts directly into answers here more than in any other American daily.

How to Read This Washington Post Crossword Answer Key

Scan Across answers first, watching the longest entries for the theme mechanism. Post themes often announce themselves through parallel structure — same word count, matching puns, mirrored gimmicks. Name the pattern, and the remaining themes solve themselves.

Confirm the date and byline on the card. Guest constructors rotate through, and style varies meaningfully — a Birnholz theme day demands different expectations than a standard Monday-style grid.

On gimmick days, trust the key’s letter counts over your grid squares. Rebuses and special mechanics break square-counting; the answers as listed are authoritative.

Washington Post Crossword Solving Tips That Work

Read the news

Current events, political figures, policy terms, and Washington personalities appear often. A daily headlines skim is legitimate crossword training for this grid.

Expect bold themes

When long answers look strange, assume a gimmick rather than errors. Look for shared oddity — extra words, odd lengths, repeated elements — and decode the mechanism.

Solve crossings aggressively

Gimmick themes need exact letters. Fill every crossing with confidence before judging theme entries; premature theme guesses waste time.

Enjoy the humor

Post clues joke more than most dailies. If a clue makes you smile, the funny reading is probably the intended one — follow it.

Compare with NYT skills

Everything learned on NYT grids transfers directly. Alternate the two dailies to double your theme-pattern exposure each week.

Stuck on One Washington Post Crossword Clue?

Gimmick days break square counting, so solve from the clue text plus crossings rather than grid position. Archive matches carry the theme vocabulary.

Open our free crossword solver for any remaining entry. Archive-backed matches appear first, so the answer that real crosswords have used most often sits on top.

Smart, funny, and plugged into the news cycle — the Post daily is a highlight of the American crossword week. Bookmark this key for gimmick days and enjoy the wit.

CrosswordAnswer is independent and not affiliated with The Washington Post. Puzzle content belongs to its publisher; this key and guide are original editorial content.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where are today's Washington Post Crossword answers?

Right here on this page. The answer key above shows today's complete Washington Post Crossword solution — every Across clue with its answer and every Down clue with its answer, plus the puzzle date, author and total clue counts. The page refreshes daily as soon as the newest The Washington Post (syndicated Evan Birnholz) puzzle is available.

What time is the Washington Post Crossword published?

New puzzle every day. This page updates the same morning so you can check answers before work, at lunch, or with your evening solve.

How hard is the Washington Post Crossword?

Medium with witty political wordplay. If you get stuck on one entry, copy the clue into our free crossword solver with the letters you know and it will rank the most likely answers from millions of archived clues.

Can I see answers without spoiling the whole grid?

Yes. The Across and Down lists are grouped by number, so scroll to just the clue you need. Use your browser find (Ctrl+F or Cmd+F) and type the clue number to jump straight to it.

Is this page affiliated with the publisher?

No. CrosswordAnswer is an independent answers guide and is not affiliated with or endorsed by The Washington Post (syndicated Evan Birnholz) or any puzzle publisher. All puzzle titles belong to their respective owners.

How This Page Is Made

Answer keys on this page are generated from the current puzzle data feed for this edition, showing clue texts, answers, author and editor credits, and clue counts together so you can confirm the key matches your grid. Guides and FAQs are original editorial notes written by working solvers, refreshed regularly, and dated above. CrosswordAnswer is an independent guide with no affiliation to any puzzle publisher.