Show signs of waking up

Latest answer — September 21, 2026

55 Down

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Clue explained

STIR means to show signs of waking or becoming active, as in someone beginning to move in bed. It is an infinitive/base-form verb after the implied “show.”

Clue type:
Word form
A person beginning to stir and wake up in bed

WSJ Crossword

This clue's Monday, September 21, 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. 1Chunk of granite
  2. 5“Paradise Lost” tempter
  3. 10Debate side
  4. 13Romance writer Roberts
  5. 14Political pamphlet
  6. 15Cambodia neighbor
  7. 16High vantage point
  8. 18Like some vaccines
  9. 19Duck or chicken piece
  10. 20First course, for short
  11. 21Share on social media
  12. 24Like an old mattress
  13. 26“Just doing my job”
  14. 27Windy City trains
  15. 30Tooth projections
  16. 32Game with captures and checks
  17. 34Japanese spitz breed
  18. 36Lobed organ
  19. 38Toronto’s prov.
  20. 39Enters via a keyboard, and (with an added apostrophe) a hint to this puzzle’s theme
  21. 41Bear, in Spanish
  22. 42Request in blackjack
  23. 43Financial review
  24. 44It comes before beta
  25. 46Suspicious sort
  26. 48Cribbage jack
  27. 50Cheers at a bullfight
  28. 51Finds a spot in a lot
  29. 53Get into the market
  30. 55Sunflower supporters
  31. 57Total beginner
  32. 60Melody
  33. 61Writing tool shaped like a pickle, e.g.
  34. 65Rustic stopovers
  35. 66Pickling liquid
  36. 67Eight, in Italian
  37. 68Tropicana Field player
  38. 69Druids, e.g.
  39. 70Previously owned

Down

  1. 1“Weekend Update” show, for short
  2. 2Bathroom, in Brisbane
  3. 3Boxer’s warning
  4. 4Diamond gofers
  5. 5Tropicana Field locale, familiarly
  6. 6About 31,700 square miles, for Lake Superior
  7. 7Does some road repair
  8. 8They have nos. at banks
  9. 9Indefinite degree
  10. 10Nightlife enthusiasts
  11. 11Crowd noise
  12. 12City with an opera house next to a fjord
  13. 15Yearns
  14. 17Cal. spans
  15. 20Lizard with a dewlap
  16. 21Maker of ScanSnap scanners
  17. 22Of a particular race or culture
  18. 23Tidy sum
  19. 25Broadway opening
  20. 28Org. in “The Rookie”
  21. 29Bundle of yarn
  22. 31Places for scouts’ merit badges
  23. 33Flight features
  24. 35What an analogy colon means
  25. 37Tribute with many put-downs
  26. 40“That’s disgusting!”
  27. 45Parting words before ending a call
  28. 47Choices for parents-to-be
  29. 49Books with cross references?
  30. 52“Bo-o-oring!”
  31. 54Trivial complaint
  32. 55Show signs of waking up
  33. 56Makeup of some cat food
  34. 58Not good at all
  35. 59Headed out
  36. 61Network for 1-Down
  37. 62Scoreboard amts.
  38. 63Summer, in Martinique
  39. 64Silent approval

The answer to “Show signs of waking up” in the Wall Street Journal crossword is STIR — a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the Wall Street Journal crossword on September 21, 2026, a Monday puzzle, at 55-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.

“Show signs of waking up” answer

STIR (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 STIR.

What does STIR mean?

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

(verb)

  • move a spoon or other implement round in (a liquid or other substance) in order to mix it thoroughly
  • move or cause to move slightly
  • arouse strong feeling in (someone); move or excite

When else has “Show signs of waking up” 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 21, 2026 (most recent) → STIR. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Show signs of waking up”?

The answer is STIR, a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the Wall Street Journal crossword on September 21, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Show signs of waking up”?

4 letters: STIR.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the Wall Street Journal crossword on September 21, 2026 (a Monday puzzle), at 55-Down.

Can “Show signs of waking up” 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 21, 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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