"Cómo está ___?" ("How are you?," in Spanish)

USTED

["To find the missing word, think about how you would address someone formally in Spanish."]

The clue ""Cómo está ___?" ("How are you?," in Spanish)" leads to the answer "USTED" through a simple understanding of Spanish grammar and polite greetings. In Spanish, "Cómo está" is a polite way to ask "How are you?" The blank ("___") indicates that the clue is looking for the polite form of "you" in Spanish. In polite or formal contexts, instead of using "tú" (informal "you"), Spanish speakers use "usted." Therefore, the complete polite greeting is "Cómo está usted?" which translates to "How are you?" in a formal or respectful manner. So, the answer to the clue is "USTED," which fills in the blank to complete the polite greeting in Spanish.