Alternative to jailing

The answer to “Alternative to jailing” in the Wall Street Journal crossword is FINING — a 6-letter word. It most recently appeared in the Wall Street Journal crossword on July 17, 2026, a Friday puzzle, at 99-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.

“Alternative to jailing” answer

FINING (6 letters)

Reveal the solution one letter at a time with the tiles above if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Just want it outright? The answer is FINING.

Why the answer is FINING

Sometimes, a price tag is more effective than a prison cell! 💸

What does FINING mean?

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

When else has “Alternative to jailing” appeared?

Wall Street Journal 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 17, 2026 (most recent) → FINING. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

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