Follow furtively

Latest answer — July 29, 2026

38 Across

Shadow someone on the sly like a detective 🕵️

Scroll down for rest of crossword answers

WSJ Crossword

This clue's Wednesday, July 29, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Battered boat
  2. 4XXX
  3. 8Elba of “The Wire”
  4. 13Whichever
  5. 14Major vein
  6. 15“Lovergirl” singer ___ Marie
  7. 16Steps off the base, maybe
  8. 18Arrives speedily
  9. 20Senior status, of a sort
  10. 22Turquoise kin
  11. 25Skin cream ingredient
  12. 26Shocked beyond words
  13. 31Sacred Hindu text
  14. 32Quick swim
  15. 33Door opener
  16. 34Córdoba kiss
  17. 35Ring for a boxer?
  18. 38Follow furtively
  19. 40Retreat
  20. 41Following
  21. 44Male meowers
  22. 45Systematic
  23. 48Warns of a collision, perhaps
  24. 50Red figure
  25. 51Pay individually, and what the sets of circles in this puzzle do
  26. 56“Evil Under the Sun” sleuth
  27. 57Fan who might sing along to “Sorry”
  28. 61Clinton’s 2016 running mate
  29. 62Endure a heat wave
  30. 63Lingerie piece
  31. 64Fragrant compound
  32. 65Figure (out)
  33. 66Lose firmness, perhaps

Down

  1. 1Graffiti signature
  2. 2Game whose name is announced during play
  3. 3Player’s pass
  4. 4Hammer part
  5. 523-time NHL All-Star
  6. 6Fan’s fixation
  7. 7Mirror sight
  8. 8Violinist Perlman
  9. 9Stoop
  10. 10One who chastises
  11. 11How retail workers are employed
  12. 12Made a meaningful commitment
  13. 17Sudden pain
  14. 19“99 Luftballons” singer
  15. 21Spa treatment, initially
  16. 22Recipe verb
  17. 23Who, in French
  18. 24Worker who makes a lot of calls
  19. 27Cheer from Minnesota Vikings fans
  20. 28Capt. Picard’s spinoff
  21. 29Huge bird of myth
  22. 30Letter-shaped hardware
  23. 34Medieval entertainer
  24. 35Bring low
  25. 36“Well, ___-di-dah!”
  26. 37Mark Tatulli comic strip
  27. 38Soccer kick using the tip of the foot
  28. 39Bloomer and Earhart
  29. 41Opening day pitcher
  30. 42Research site
  31. 43PC key
  32. 44Recipe amt.
  33. 45Carry weight
  34. 46Biblical verb ending
  35. 47Sitting still
  36. 49Masonry material
  37. 52Recedes
  38. 53Billet-doux sender
  39. 54Sorts
  40. 55Propaganda, probably
  41. 58Air rifle ammo
  42. 59Historic chapter
  43. 60Disreputable newspaper

The answer to “Follow furtively” in the Wall Street Journal crossword is TAIL — a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the Wall Street Journal crossword on July 29, 2026, a Wednesday puzzle, at 38-Across. 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.

“Follow furtively” answer

TAIL (4 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 TAIL.

Why the answer is TAIL

Shadow someone on the sly like a detective 🕵️

What does TAIL mean?

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

(noun)

  • the hindmost part of an animal, especially when prolonged beyond the rest of the body, such as the flexible extension of the backbone in a vertebrate, the feathers at the hind end of a bird, or a terminal appendage in an insect
  • a thing resembling an animal's tail in its shape or position, typically extending downwards or outwards at the end of something
  • the end of a long train or line of people or vehicles

When else has “Follow furtively” 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 29, 2026 (most recent) → TAIL. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Follow furtively”?

The answer is TAIL, a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the Wall Street Journal crossword on July 29, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Follow furtively”?

4 letters: TAIL.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the Wall Street Journal crossword on July 29, 2026 (a Wednesday puzzle), at 38-Across.

Can “Follow furtively” have a different answer?

Yes — Wall Street Journal 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 this day's WSJ answers?

The full grid for July 29, 2026 is on the WSJ answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

Wall Street Journal Crossword is published by The Wall Street Journal; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

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