Salt ingredient that’s gone stale?

Latest answer — September 15, 2026

55 Across

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Clue explained

THE OLD SODIUM reads as a whimsical phrase for sodium, the key ingredient in salt, after it has become “old” or stale. The spaces are omitted in the grid.

Clue type:
Pun or wordplay
A salt shaker beside a simple illustration representing sodium.

WSJ Crossword

This clue's Tuesday, September 15, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Pointer’s pronoun
  2. 5Artery opener
  3. 10Bookstore section, sometimes
  4. 14Country star McEntire
  5. 15“Way to go!”
  6. 16Final, e.g.
  7. 17Matter matter
  8. 18“Don’t try to stop me!”
  9. 19Easter lead-in
  10. 20Where one can develop ESP skills?
  11. 23Shampoo brand since 1947
  12. 24Toper, in dated slang
  13. 28Letters in the sand, at times
  14. 29Boring lectures?
  15. 34Ticket category
  16. 35Long-legged wader
  17. 36Subwoofer sound
  18. 40Intelligence pros
  19. 42Guesses from the flight deck, for short
  20. 43“I’m a doctor, not a bricklayer” speaker
  21. 45Tadpole, e.g.
  22. 47Spot for the winner of the Orca Olympics?
  23. 49NFL VIPs
  24. 52Soon-to-be graduate
  25. 53Tierney of “Law & Order”
  26. 55Salt ingredient that’s gone stale?
  27. 60“Warp one, sir—leaving orbit” speaker
  28. 63Single-masted boat
  29. 64Suspicious of
  30. 65Urge to action
  31. 66Skip the altar
  32. 67Some Eurasian deer
  33. 68Throw in a chip
  34. 69Domesticated
  35. 70Artemis program org.

Down

  1. 1Walks with heavy steps
  2. 2Introduction to sexuality?
  3. 3Cabins and condos, e.g.
  4. 4Sri Lanka language
  5. 5Read through quickly
  6. 6Rolaids rival
  7. 7Univ.’s purpose
  8. 8Little snack
  9. 9Lightning bolts on a weather map, for short
  10. 10Pen pal?
  11. 11Body spray brand
  12. 12Bleachers occupant
  13. 13CPR pro
  14. 21Beauty chain
  15. 22Inning enders
  16. 25Novel need
  17. 26Gumbo base
  18. 27Scolding sounds
  19. 30Asner, O’Neill and Harris
  20. 31Lego blocks for tots
  21. 32Epic of the Trojan War
  22. 33Development sites?
  23. 36Mercedes alternatives
  24. 37Icy Hot target
  25. 38Digitize, as a document
  26. 39Hermit’s desire
  27. 41Mariska Hargitay’s “Law & Order” show, familiarly
  28. 44“Everything Everywhere All at Once” star Michelle
  29. 46Pebbles, for slingshots
  30. 48Like some spending limits
  31. 49Rice alternative
  32. 50Thugs
  33. 51Savory triangular pastry
  34. 54Decorate
  35. 56Vessel for arroz con pollo
  36. 57Hover ominously
  37. 58Inside info
  38. 59Whizzed along
  39. 60Pampering place
  40. 61Coffee shop container
  41. 62Auction unit

The answer to “Salt ingredient that’s gone stale?” in the Wall Street Journal crossword is THEOLDSODIUM — a 12-letter word. It most recently appeared in the Wall Street Journal crossword on September 15, 2026, a Tuesday puzzle, at 55-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.

“Salt ingredient that’s gone stale?” answer

THEOLDSODIUM (12 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 THEOLDSODIUM.

When else has “Salt ingredient that’s gone stale?” 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 15, 2026 (most recent) → THEOLDSODIUM. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Salt ingredient that’s gone stale?”?

The answer is THEOLDSODIUM, a 12-letter word. It most recently appeared in the Wall Street Journal crossword on September 15, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Salt ingredient that’s gone stale?”?

12 letters: THEOLDSODIUM.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the Wall Street Journal crossword on September 15, 2026 (a Tuesday puzzle), at 55-Across.

Can “Salt ingredient that’s gone stale?” 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 15, 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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