Real stinker

Latest answer — September 16, 2026

50 Down

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Clue explained

A SKUNK is a literal “stinker,” because of its powerful defensive odor. The clue also works as a mildly insulting description of a thoroughly unpleasant person.

Clue type:
Pun or wordplay
A striped skunk outdoors with its distinctive black-and-white coloring

WSJ Crossword

This clue's Wednesday, September 16, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Full of guile
  2. 5Bit parts?
  3. 9Miles per hour, e.g.
  4. 141973 French Open champ Nastase
  5. 15Openly state
  6. 16Egg producer
  7. 17Celebrated Southern chef Lewis
  8. 18“State Fair” setting
  9. 19Ring around a watch face
  10. 20Magnet for controversy
  11. 23Sought-after
  12. 24Animated greetings, often
  13. 28Playfully pick on
  14. 29Eight, to Augustus
  15. 31Deposit in some banks
  16. 32Important acid type
  17. 35A+ student
  18. 37Brother of Jackie, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael
  19. 38Having a faraway dreamy look
  20. 39Campbell of “Scream”
  21. 40Rainbow-colored treats
  22. 42Acclivities
  23. 43Academic extension
  24. 44Flight records
  25. 45Close-mouthed
  26. 462022 World Series champs
  27. 48Overcome, as an upsetting experience
  28. 52Spy satellites, and a hint to 20-, 35- and 40-Across, given their second halves
  29. 55Somewhat
  30. 58Ammonia feature
  31. 59Redecorate
  32. 60Bolt with speed
  33. 61Exclusion anxiety, briefly
  34. 62Gendered suffix
  35. 63What you might go out with
  36. 64Bass line?
  37. 65Hockey fake-out

Down

  1. 1Catch flies, say
  2. 2“My Girl,” e.g.
  3. 3Places for peds
  4. 4“So you’ve said”
  5. 5Made headway
  6. 6Duck, say
  7. 7Promgoer’s purchase
  8. 8Gala giveaway
  9. 9Titular 1987 cyborg
  10. 10Vegan cosmetics brand
  11. 11Whirling Looney Tunes character, for short
  12. 12Seething state
  13. 13Olive with a skinny shape
  14. 21Rush, e.g.
  15. 22Take another crack at
  16. 25Ring borders
  17. 26Ambition
  18. 27French Open champ of 1990, 1991 and 1992
  19. 29Some native Nebraskans
  20. 30Recycling bin items
  21. 32Befuddled
  22. 33Pays attention to
  23. 34Words after slug, spit or sweat
  24. 35“My Girl,” e.g.
  25. 36Like an aerial view
  26. 38Cause of hundreds of collisions in Alaska annually
  27. 41Sickly sweet
  28. 42Namesake of baseball’s postseason MVP award
  29. 45Chevy subcompacts discontinued in 2001
  30. 47Sticky stuff
  31. 48Garden figure
  32. 49United
  33. 50Real stinker
  34. 51Melville’s first novel
  35. 53Remote location, perhaps
  36. 54Revered one
  37. 55Sine ___ non
  38. 56Charger standard
  39. 57Help for some breakdown sufferers

The answer to “Real stinker” in the Wall Street Journal crossword is SKUNK — a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the Wall Street Journal crossword on September 16, 2026, a Wednesday puzzle, at 50-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.

“Real stinker” answer

SKUNK (5 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 SKUNK.

What does SKUNK mean?

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

(noun)

  • a cat-sized American mammal with distinctive black-and-white striped fur. When threatened it squirts a fine spray of foul-smelling irritant liquid from its anal glands towards its attacker
  • a contemptible person
  • cannabis of a variety which has a high concentration of narcotic agents

When else has “Real stinker” 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 16, 2026 (most recent) → SKUNK. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Real stinker”?

The answer is SKUNK, a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the Wall Street Journal crossword on September 16, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Real stinker”?

5 letters: SKUNK.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the Wall Street Journal crossword on September 16, 2026 (a Wednesday puzzle), at 50-Down.

Can “Real stinker” 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 16, 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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