Jack-in-the-box feature

Latest answer — July 18, 2026

4 Down

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WaPo Mini Crossword

This clue's Saturday, July 18, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Striking thing from a book?
  2. 6FBI agent Seger played by 2-Down on "Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders"
  3. 7Setting of the 2024 Netflix series "House of Ninjas"
  4. 8Upturned
  5. 9Soaks up some sun by the sea, say

Down

  1. 1Position with poor prospects
  2. 2"FBI" actress De La Garza
  3. 3Much FBI evidence, once
  4. 4Jack-in-the-box feature
  5. 5All of them may be called on deck

The answer to “Jack-in-the-box feature” in the The Washington Post Mini crossword is CRANK — a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Washington Post Mini crossword on July 18, 2026 at 4-Down. Below you'll find why that fill fits, every other answer we've recorded for this clue, and links into the puzzle it came from.

“Jack-in-the-box feature” answer

CRANK (5 letters)

Use the reveal tiles above to uncover the solution one letter at a time if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Prefer the full answer straight away? It's CRANK.

Why the answer is CRANK

What do you turn to make surprises pop out? 🎉

What does CRANK mean?

Reading the plain dictionary sense of CRANK is often the fastest way to see why it answers this clue.

(verb)

  • turn the crankshaft of (an internal combustion engine) in order to start the engine
  • give a bend to (a shaft, bar, etc.)
  • inject a narcotic drug

When else has “Jack-in-the-box feature” appeared?

The Washington Post Mini reuses clues across dates, sometimes with a different answer depending on the grid. Here's where this exact clue has shown up, and what the answer was each time — handy when you're checking whether today's fill is the only one.

July 18, 2026 (most recent) → CRANK. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Jack-in-the-box feature”?

The answer is CRANK, a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Washington Post Mini crossword on July 18, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Jack-in-the-box feature”?

5 letters: CRANK.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Washington Post Mini crossword on July 18, 2026, at 4-Down.

Can “Jack-in-the-box feature” have a different answer?

Yes — The Washington Post Mini sometimes reuses a clue with a different solution to fit the grid. The answers we've recorded for each date it appeared are listed above when available.

Where can I find the rest of today's WaPo Mini answers?

Every clue and answer from that day's puzzle is linked above, and the full grid is on the WaPo Mini answers page.

The Washington Post Mini Crossword is published by The Washington Post; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

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