USA TODAY Crossword · 23-Across · 7 letters
"Let me fix myself up before guests arrive" USA TODAY Crossword clue
Editorially reviewed August 31, 2026
Complete the phrase
Reveal the fill now—or finish the wording yourself.
Phrase cue
Use a three-word seven-letter confession that one's appearance is untidy.
Open the fill and see the complete expressionOne click · no signup
Answer
Why these words complete it
IMAMESS explains why the speaker wants time to fix up before guests arrive: “I'm a mess.” Spaces and the apostrophe disappear in the seven-letter grid entry.
Continue this puzzle"The Pitt" actress Briones →The phrase frame
The quoted sentence asks for the natural self-description motivating the requested delay.
What the completed phrase means
"I'm a mess” is a self-description meaning one's appearance or condition is untidy or unpresentable.
Where this clue appeared
23-Across in USA TODAY Crossword puzzle for August 31, 2026.
Browse selected USA TODAY Crossword clues →More selected clues from USA TODAY Crossword · August 31, 2026
Continue with independently explained clues from the same puzzle date. This is a selected learning set, not a complete answer list.
See IMAMESS meaning and common clue patterns →
Related reviewed clues
Solve the next clue here.
Paste another clue, add the letters you trust, and keep solving without returning to search.
This independently written explanation is for learning and clue analysis. Crossword Clue Tutor is not affiliated with or endorsed by USA TODAY Crossword or its publisher.