"Cómo ___ usted?"

ESTA

This common Spanish verb follows "Cómo" when asking about someone's well-being.

The clue "Cómo ___ usted?" is a common Spanish greeting meaning "How are you?" The answer "ESTA" fits because it completes the phrase as "Cómo está usted?" which is the formal way to ask someone how they're doing. The verb "estar" (to be) is conjugated as "está" for the formal "you" in Spanish. This is a straightforward fill-in-the-blank clue with no wordplay.