National loyalty; devoted love, support and defense of one's country (noun)
Looking for the answer to the USA Today Rootonym clue “National loyalty; devoted love, support and defense of one's country (noun)”? The solution is PATRIOTISM, a 10-letter word built on the root PATR (“father”). It appeared in the July 15, 2026 (Wednesday) USA Today Rootonym. See the full puzzle for that day's other words.
Answer
PATRIOTISM
PATR******PATRmeans “father”
In a sentence
Nick hoists the American flag each morning to display PATRIOTISM for his country.
About this clue
The Rootonym clue “National loyalty; devoted love, support and defense of one's country (noun)” has the answer PATRIOTISM (10 letters), built on the root PATR, which means “father”. Browse the full July 15, 2026 Rootonym puzzle for the other three words, or see all Rootonym answers.