| USMEX | Abbr. above the Rio Grande on a map |
| ELPASO | Texas city straddling the Rio Grande on the Mexican border and nicknamed Sun City (2,4) |
| ELNORTE | Land above the Rio Grande |
| FRI | Abbr. above the sixth of seven columns, often |
| OPER | Abbr. above 0 on a phone |
| GAGA | Lady _ _ _ _ , U.S. artist who collaborated with Ariana Grande on the 2020 No 1 hit Rain On Me (4) |
| THUR | Abbr. above a fifth column |
| BIEBER | Justin _ collaborates with Ariana Grande on the single "Stuck With U" (6) |
| SOCIALHOUSE | Pop duo accompanying Ariana Grande on her hit Boyfriend (6,5) |
| THEWEEKND | Singer who collaborated with Ariana Grande on their 2014 top 10 song "Love Me Harder": 2 wds. |
| LAREDO | City in Texas on the Mexican border on the Rio Grande (6) |
| NEWMEXICO | A state of the south-western US, crossed by the Rio Grande and the Pecos River (3,6) |
| HOLA | "Hi," on the other side of the Rio Grande |
| AGUA | Contents of the Rio Grande (depending on which side you're on) |
| UTEP | Sch. on the bank of the Rio Grande |
| BROWNSVILLE | Port on the Rio Grande, Texas, US, across the border from Matamoros, Mexico (11) |
| ALBUQUERQUE | Largest city in the US state of New Mexico, in Bernalillo County on the Rio Grande (11) |
| NUEVOLAREDO | A city and port of entry in north-east Mexico, on the Rio Grande (5,6) |
| PASO | El ___ (city on the Rio Grande) |
| REYNOSA | Mexican city on the Rio Grande |
