Wordy Wednesday 409: Touchword 20

WORDY WEDNESDAY #406
SECTION SIX 40 (answer)

Here is the answer to this puzzle. If you still wish to solve it yourself, please go here for the normal version of the puzzle, or here for the easier version of the puzzle. Here's a list of people who solved it:
Cindy Heisler **
Joe Bernard **
Karen Spencer **
Kyle Nils **
Leo Termin **
Mark Ballinger **
Stephen Potter **
Kevin Orfield **
Ryan Faley **
Sam Levitin **

WORDY WEDNESDAY #407
THIS PUZZLE IS 2 SHORT! (hint)

As of this writing, 8 people have solved this puzzle. Haven't solved it yet? Here's an easier version. Send your answers to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com within the next week to appear on the solvers list and be recognized for your puzzle prowess. Good luck, solvers!

WORDY WEDNESDAY #408
SNAKE CRISSCROSS 16 (hint)

As of this writing, 11 people have solved this puzzle. Haven't solved it yet? Here's an easier version. Send your answers to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com within the next week to appear on the solvers list and be recognized for your puzzle prowess. Good luck, solvers!

WORDY WEDNESDAY #409
TOUCHWORD 20
(click here for a PDF version)

This puzzle contains a word suggested by patron Sagar Sarda. Support me on Patreon at the $5 per month level and solve the monthly Patron Puzzle for a chance to suggest a seed word for a future puzzle, or at the $20 per month level to suggest one seed word every month!

In a crossword, words cross each other; in this puzzle, they merely touch. More specifically, all answers read across, and every letter shares an edge with at least one identical letter either immediately above or immediately below. The top and bottom rows are considered adjacent.

Arrange the letters in the shaded spaces to form the final answer, an 8-letter word.

1 Decisive blow: 3 wds. / Supermodel Kate

2 Very brief poem / With The, 1985-1992 Canadian cartoon with aardvark villain Cyril Sneer

3 Entire / Reckon

4 Mexican foodstuff in a husk / “There's a ____ in My Beer” (Hank Williams song) / Pie shell

5 What Buzz McCallister has as a pet in Home Alone / Least common

6 Oppressive ruler / Extreme / For fear that

7 Big name in hotels / Prepare a manuscript for publication, say / Nastiness

8 Police, slangily / Ennui / The Postman Always Rings ____

9 Star Trek actor Nimoy / Boot / Become aware, with “up”

10 Simpleton / Protective suits / Come up

11 Peter Rabbit creator Beatrix / Parkay product

12 Item in a golf bag / North Dakota’s largest city / Stereotypical magician’s prop

13 What whole milk has more of than skim milk / Former Governor of Vermont Dean

14 Carried / Newspaper comic named after creator Parisi: 3 wds.

15 Wiener and batter on a stick: 2 wds. / N95, for one: 2 wds.

COMING NEXT WEEK. . .

* What's a 5-letter word for "All ____ Up! (2003-2008 Rugrats spin-off)"?

Submit your answers to glmathgrant[at]gmail[dot]com. Until next time, keep on living, and yappy solving!