Someone who behaves badly: a rascal; a criminal (noun)
Looking for the answer to the USA Today Rootonym clue “Someone who behaves badly: a rascal; a criminal (noun)”? The solution is MISCREANT, a 9-letter word built on the root CRE (“believe”). It appeared in the September 3, 2026 (Thursday) USA Today Rootonym. See the full puzzle for that day's other words.
Answer
MISCREANT
***CRE***CREmeans “believe”
In a sentence
Thomas earned a bad reputation as a MISCREANT because of multiple arrests for theft.
About this clue
The Rootonym clue “Someone who behaves badly: a rascal; a criminal (noun)” has the answer MISCREANT (9 letters), built on the root CRE, which means “believe”. Browse the full September 3, 2026 Rootonym puzzle for the other three words, or see all Rootonym answers.