Otherwise

The answer to “Otherwise” in the Wall Street Journal crossword is ELSE — a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the Wall Street Journal crossword on August 14, 2026, a Friday puzzle, at 119-Across, and it has also run on 1 earlier date with the same answer. 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.

“Otherwise” answer

ELSE (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 ELSE.

What does ELSE mean?

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

When else has “Otherwise” 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.

• August 14, 2026 (most recent) → ELSE
• August 2, 2026 → ELSE

Frequently asked questions