Sally breaks down USA TODAY’s daily crossword puzzle, Top Secret Mission

There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today’s puzzle before reading further! Top Secret Mission

Constructors: Shannon Rapp & Will Eisenberg

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Comments from Today’s Crossword Constructors

Shannon & Will: We attended the first Westwords crossword tournament in Berkeley, California in the summer of 2024. Over the lunch break, we had some incredibly delicious (and gigantic) Mission-style burritos. That eventually led to this theme: we think it’s a fun wrinkle that the title not only tells you where you can add “MISSION” (at the top) but also acknowledges it’s a “secret”, that is, MISSION isn’t actually written in the grid. Crossword tournaments tend to be a particularly fertile environment for brainstorming new themes: not only are you surrounded by smart, creative puzzle people, but you’re going new places and experiencing new things. Both are great ways to generate crossword ideas, but the two together mean seeds for new puzzles are getting planned all throughout a tournament weekend.

What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle

• VAPE (16A: Device sometimes called a “penjamin”) The word “penjamin” (a portmanteau of “pen” and “Benjamin”) originally referred to a marijuana VAPE pen shaped like an actual pen. The term has expanded to refer to any vaping device.

• SWORD (49A: “Forged in Fire” creation) Forged in Fire (2015-present) is a competition TV series. On each episode of the show, blade smiths compete by forging bladed weapons such as SWORDs, knives, and daggers.

• PROPANE (55A: Fuel sold by Hank Hill on “King of the Hill”) King of the Hill is an animated sitcom that originally aired from 1997-2009. The show is centered on the lives of the Hill family, who live in the fictional town of Arlen, Texas. Hank Hill is the head of the Hill family, who works as a PROPANE and PROPANE accessory salesman. The character is voiced by Mike Judge, who co-created the show with Greg Daniels.

• TIM (24D: Broadway composer Minchin) TIM Minchin composed the music and lyrics for the musicals Matilda the Musical and Groundhog Day.

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

• ELMO (12A: Red Muppet) I’m always happy to see ELMO, the red Muppet of Sesame Street fame, in a puzzle. ELMO started 2025 strong, with three crossword appearances in the first nine days of the year. However, this is his first appearance since January 9. Welcome back, ELMO.

• SARI (18A: Garment that can be worn with a Nivi drape) There are many methods of draping a SARI, which is a single piece of cloth 15 to 30 feet long. The nivi style is one of the most common draping methods.

• EMO (19A: Rites of Spring genre) Rites of Spring was a Washington D.C.-based band that was active from 1983-1986. They were considered to be one of the first EMO bands.

• RASTA (23A: Believer in Jah) The religion known as Rastafari or Rastafarianism developed in the 1930s in Jamaica. Rastafari is based on a specific interpretation of the Bible. RASTA beliefs include monotheism, a belief in one God, who is referred to as Jah.

• HEAT (36A: Miami basketball team) and ORB (39A: Basketball, e.g.) I enjoyed the basketball echo in these consecutive clues. The Miami HEAT are an NBA team located in Florida.

• TIA (47A: Madre’s sister) Madre is Spanish for mother. Your mother’s sister would be your aunt, which is TIA in Spanish.

• LGA (53A: Airport 10 miles from JFK) LaGuardia Airport (LGA) and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) both serve the New York City (NYC) Metropolitan area. Both JFK and LGA are located in the NYC borough of Queens, and as the clue informs us, they are about 10 miles apart from each other.

• WEST (68A: Key ___ (island home to the Hemingway House)) Key WEST is an island off the coast of Florida. It has a total land area of just over four square miles. One of the notable buildings on the island of Key WEST is the Ernest Hemingway House, where the writer lived in the 1930s. It is a popular tourist attraction, and is home to a large population of polydactyl cats (sometimes called Hemingway cats). This is a fun nod to one of Shannon and Will’s previous crosswords, which is titled “Key WEST.”

• FEVER (1D: Indiana basketball team) The Indiana FEVER are a WNBA team. I got excited about this clue because it’s a sports thing I know! Caitlin Clark, who played basketball in college for the University of Iowa, now plays for the Indiana FEVER. This means I hear about the FEVER games from my many friends who are sports fans and follow Caitlin Clark’s career. (Don’t tell anyone, because it might ruin my status as a non-sports person, but I can even name a few other FEVER players, such as Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell.)

• IMPOSSIBLE FOODS (3D: Brand with a plant-based burger) IMPOSSIBLE FOODS launched their signature product, the IMPOSSIBLE burger, in 2016.

• TOE (4D: Ballet shoe tip) TOE is making back-to-back appearances in the puzzle. Yesterday we saw TOE clued as [Ballerina’s balancing point].

• KOREA (10D: “Parasite” setting) The 2019 movie Parasite was directed by Bong Joon-Ho. The movie is set in Seoul, South KOREA, and is about a family that insinuates itself into a wealthy household. KOREA is also making back-to-back appearances in the puzzle. Yesterday we saw KOREA clued as [Where gochujang is a frequently used condiment].

• SPIED (11D: Went on a top-secret mission) A lovely bonus entry for this TOP SECRET MISSION puzzle.

• NPR (29D: “Science Friday” network) Science Friday is a public radio talk show that focuses on news of science (surprise!), nature, medicine, and technology. Although Science Friday is now produced by an independently run non-profit organization, the program got its start on NPR.

• NEUTRAL (31D: The “N” of PRNDL) PRNDL here stands for Park, Reverse, NEUTRAL, Drive, and Low, the gear choices in many cars with automatic transmission.

• CATNAP (40D: Quick snooze) This picture shows my cat, Willow, taking a CATNAP while I’m working. She likes to sleep near my desk, just on the other side of my computer, where she can be available at a moment’s notice should she decide I need her help.

Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis

• IMPOSSIBLE FOODS (3D: Brand with a plant-based burger)

• BURRITO BOWL (6D: Mexican dish that forgoes the tortilla)

• STATEMENT PIECES (9D: Signature items in one’s wardrobe)

TOP SECRET MISSION: The TOP word of each vertical theme answer can be paired with the word MISSION to form a new phrase: MISSION IMPOSSIBLE, MISSION BURRITO, and MISSION STATEMENT.

Here’s my MISSION STATEMENT for today: I will eat a MISSION BURRITO while listening to the MISSION IMPOSSIBLE theme song. That could be your MISSION as well “should you choose to accept it.” Oh, wait, my actual MISSION here is to discuss the crossword puzzle… I thoroughly enjoyed this TOP SECRET MISSION theme. Thank you, Shannon and Will, for this excellent puzzle.

One more thing today: In their note, Shannon and Will mention the inaugural Westwords Crossword Tournament. Westwords is happening again this year, on Sunday, June 22. There will be an in-person tournament in Berkeley, California, and an online tournament that solvers can participate in wherever they may be. Registration is now open. I will be participating in the online tournament this year, which I did last year as well. It was a great time and the puzzles were wonderful.

For more on USA TODAY’s Crossword Puzzles

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Crossword Blog & Answers for February 21, 2025 by Sally Hoelscher