<p>-
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Clean Up</p>
<p>Sally Hoelscher, USA TODAYJuly 6, 2025 at 7:00 AM</p>
<p>There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Clean Up</p>
<p>Constructor: Stella Zawistowski</p>
<p>Editor: Amie Walker</p>
<p>July 6, 2025What I Learned from Today's Puzzle -</p>
<p>ARUBA (49A: Island where Papiamento is spoken) Papiamento is a Portuguese-based creole language that is an official language in ARUBA, Bonaire, and Curaçao. Those three Caribbean islands are known collectively as the ABC islands. ARUBA has two official languages, Papiamento and Dutch.</p>
<p>SELMA (28D: "Hellboy" star Blair) Hellboy is a 2004 movie based on the Dark Horse Comics superhero of the same name. Ron Perlman portrays the title character, and SELMA Blair portrays Liz Sherman, who has pyrokinetic abilities (the ability to control fire with one's mind). SELMA Blair reprises the role of Liz Sherman in Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008). She also voices the character in the animated movies Hellboy: Sword of Storms (2006) and Hellboy: Blood and Iron (2007).</p>
<p>Random Thoughts & Interesting Things -</p>
<p>ALOO (9A: ___ tikki chaat (potato-based snack)) Five days ago we saw ALOO clued as [___ tikki (potato snack)]. ALOO tikki is a croquette made of potatoes, peas, and spices. In ALOO tikki chaat, the potato patties are topped with chutneys, yogurt, and other garnishes.</p>
<p>WIDOW (13A: Black ___ (Scarlett Johansson role)) Black WIDOW aka Natasha Romanoff is a Marvel Comics character that was introduced as a Russian spy. She later defected to the United States and joined the Avengers. Scarlett Johansson portrays the Black WIDOW in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).</p>
<p>ADELE (17A: "Someone Like You" singer) "Someone Like You" is a song from ADELE's 2011 album, 21. It's also been my earworm since I read this clue. "Never mind I'll find someone like you / I wish nothing but the best for you..."</p>
<p>SOAP (18A: Cleanser sold in bars) This is a nice bonus answer for this "Clean Up" puzzle.</p>
<p>KRISHNA (26A: Eighth incarnation of Vishnu) Vishnu is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. In Hinduism, Avatars refer to the Earthly incarnation, or material appearances of deities. Krishna is a major Hindu deity worshipped as the eight avatar of Vishnu, but also worshiped as god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love.</p>
<p>INNS (34A: Places to regenerate health in some RPGs) RPGs are role-playing games – games in which players assume the roles of characters in the game. RPGs are set in a fictional setting, and INNS are a frequent feature of those settings. INNS tend to be places for players to recover as well as gather information.</p>
<p>MISO (41A: Paste in some marinated cod recipes) MISO paste is a traditional Japanese seasoning made by fermenting soybeans with salt and kōji (a type of fungus). It is known for its umami-boosting flavor. In Japanese cuisine, cod is often marinated in MISO for several days prior to cooking.</p>
<p>WACO (46A: Texas city that's home to Baylor University) Baylor University is a private Baptist university located in WACO, in central Texas.</p>
<p>JUDE (57A: "Hey ___" (Beatles hit)) Last month we saw "Hey JUDE" referenced in a clue for LENNON [Musician Julian who inspired the song "Hey Jude"].</p>
<p>CHEAT CODE (60A: Way to gain extra abilities in a video game) This clue reminded me of the bygone GAME GENIE, which we saw as an answer six days ago.</p>
<p>SEDER (62A: Jewish ritual with a festive meal) The SEDER is a ritual marking the beginning of the Jewish holiday Passover. The word "SEDER" means "order," which is appropriate, as the meal is eaten in a certain order. Throughout the meal – which includes songs, prayers, readings, and questions – the foods on the SEDER plate are explained.</p>
<p>OMEGA (12D: Last Greek letter) OMEGA is the final letter of the 24-letter Greek alphabet. It follows upsilon, phi, chi, and psi.</p>
<p>MCU (43D: Film franchise with "Thunderbolts*" and "Black Panther," for short) As I noted when discussing the Black WIDOW above, MCU stands for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. MCU releases their movies in "phases" or groups of movies. The 2008 movie Iron Man was the first movie of Phase One. Thunderbolts*, released in April of this year, is the 36th movie in the MCU and the final film of Phase Five. Spoiler alert The asterisk in the title refers to the fact that during the movie the Thunderbolts team becomes the New Avengers. The title is changed to The New Avengers in the end credits. The 2018 movie Black Panther was the 18th film in the MCU, and is part of Phase Three.</p>
<p>A few other clues I especially enjoyed:</p>
<p>EVER (64A: "Best. Day. ___!")</p>
<p>SPOT (66A: Apt name for a dalmatian)</p>
<p>DEEP (58D: It's not that ___" (You're overthinking it"))</p>
<p>Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis -</p>
<p>POLISHED OFF (4D: Finished entirely)</p>
<p>SPARKLING WATER (8D: LaCroix or Bubly product)</p>
<p>SHINY OBJECT (27D: Distraction, metaphorically)</p>
<p>CLEAN UP: The UPmost word in each vertical theme answer is a synonym of CLEAN: POLISHED, SPARKLING, and SHINY.</p>
<p>"Attention solvers: CLEAN UP on columns 4, 8, and 27." I do like a synonym theme, and this is a fun one. Thank you, Stella, for this delightful puzzle.</p>
<p>For more on USA TODAY's Crossword Puzzles -</p>
<p>USA TODAY's Daily Crossword Puzzles</p>
<p>Sudoku & Crossword Puzzle Answers</p>
<p>This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Crossword Blog & Answers for July 6, 2025 by Sally Hoelscher</p>
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