Nocturnal predator

Latest answer — September 09, 2026

23 Down

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Clue explained

An owl is a nocturnal bird of prey, making it a classic nighttime predator. The singular form matches “one nocturnal predator.”

Clue type:
Definition
An owl shown hunting at night.

WSJ Crossword

This clue's Wednesday, September 09, 2026 appearance

Tap a square to reveal a letter.

Or reveal one clue at a time with the Hint and Answer buttons below.

Across

  1. 1Shock treatment, for short
  2. 6Béjart métier
  3. 11Carry-on container
  4. 14Sultan Haitham, e.g.
  5. 15Spheres of interest
  6. 16___ Jima
  7. 17Heinz competitor
  8. 18String of nonsensical comments
  9. 20Song whose French lyrics predate the English lyrics by 28 years
  10. 22Triceps attachment
  11. 23Whom Leia seeks help from, in a holographic message
  12. 26Person on the brink of failure?
  13. 28“The Phoenician Scheme” director Anderson
  14. 29“You betcha!”
  15. 31“Lovely” meter maid of song
  16. 32Spring
  17. 34Feigned fearlessness
  18. 38Costumes for some businessmen, and a hint to the circled letters
  19. 42“B-roll,” “advertorial,” “ed cals,” and the like
  20. 43Brief recharges
  21. 45Jared of “Dallas Buyers Club”
  22. 47___ Altos, California
  23. 49Baseball legend Gehrig
  24. 50Have a stock exchange debut
  25. 54NCAA wins by #16 seeds, say
  26. 56Bring home the bacon
  27. 57Sophocles play
  28. 59Winner of three Emmys for playing Carmela Soprano
  29. 61Cartographic close-up
  30. 65Sister who may have no siblings
  31. 66Heavenly path?
  32. 67Hardly worldly
  33. 68Disposed
  34. 69Law school newbies
  35. 70Deck featured in the circled letters

Down

  1. 1Quote from Homer
  2. 2Australian runner
  3. 3Ballpark figure
  4. 4Following along
  5. 5Province of northern Spain
  6. 6Vampire’s curfew
  7. 7“We’re on ___ to nowhere” (Talking Heads lyric)
  8. 8Geeky group
  9. 9Camp David Accords figure
  10. 10Curving river shape
  11. 11Temporary lodging for a soldier
  12. 12“Gimme a turn!”
  13. 13Greet silently
  14. 19Speaker port
  15. 21Jackal-headed god of Egypt
  16. 23Nocturnal predator
  17. 24One of eight vegetables in V8
  18. 25Visionary claim?
  19. 27Language of Lahore
  20. 30Some kitchen work
  21. 33Mars delivery?
  22. 35Star fastballer
  23. 36Saltimbocca ingredient
  24. 37Invite on a date
  25. 39“No ___!”
  26. 40Yarn
  27. 41Predicament
  28. 44Questionable, slangily
  29. 45Gorge
  30. 46Digital document
  31. 48Track event
  32. 50Susan’s “Thelma & Louise” co-star
  33. 51Get schooled
  34. 52“Well, jeepers!”
  35. 53Three-time All-Star Fielder
  36. 55Yemen’s capital
  37. 58Evacuation center array
  38. 60Egg ___ yong
  39. 62Round Table address
  40. 63Sporty Mitsubishi model until 2016
  41. 64Hanoi holiday

The answer to “Nocturnal predator” in the Wall Street Journal crossword is OWL — a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the Wall Street Journal crossword on September 9, 2026, a Wednesday puzzle, at 23-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.

“Nocturnal predator” answer

OWL (3 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 OWL.

What does OWL mean?

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

(noun)

  • a nocturnal bird of prey with large eyes, a facial disc, a hooked beak, and typically a loud hooting call

When else has “Nocturnal predator” 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.

September 9, 2026 (most recent) → OWL. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Nocturnal predator”?

The answer is OWL, a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the Wall Street Journal crossword on September 9, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Nocturnal predator”?

3 letters: OWL.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the Wall Street Journal crossword on September 9, 2026 (a Wednesday puzzle), at 23-Down.

Can “Nocturnal predator” 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 September 9, 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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