WSJ Crossword Answers Today
Hollywood Ending
By Gary Larson & Amy Ensz · Edited by Mike Shenk
Tap a square to reveal a letter.
Or reveal one clue at a time with the Hint and Answer buttons below.
WSJ Crossword Clues
Across
Down
Crossword clues, hints, and answers
Across
- 1. Fist bump — Answer: DAP. Hint: It’s a quick, friendly greeting shared with a knuckle tap. 👊
- 4. Full of energy — Answer: VITAL. Hint: Think of a word describing someone bursting with life and energy. ⚡
- 9. Blows off steam — Answer: RANTS. Hint: Expresses frustration loudly and at length 😤
- 14. Commotion — Answer: ADO. Hint: Think of a short word for a noisy fuss or bit of hubbub. 🤹
- 15. Letter on a resistor — Answer: OMEGA. Hint: Look for the Greek symbol commonly used to denote electrical resistance on a resistor. 🔌
- 16. Old assembly area — Answer: AGORA. Hint: Think of the public gathering place at the heart of an ancient Greek city 🏛️
- 17. Operate the camera for a 1994 Bullock/Reeves action movie? — Answer: FILMSPEED. Hint: Picture yourself behind the camera, recording the title of that famous bus thriller. 🎥
- 19. Nickname of Hall of Famer Ernie Banks — Answer: MRCUB. Hint: This legendary Chicago shortstop was affectionately known by a title honoring his team and stature ⚾
- 20. Spun yarn — Answer: TALE. Hint: A fictional story, perhaps told with a little dramatic flair 📖
- 21. Digest founder Eric — Answer: UTNE. Hint: Think of the surname of the journalist who founded a digest known for thoughtful essays and alternative perspectives. 📰
- 22. Quiet partner — Answer: PEACE. Hint: Think of the calm companion that commonly follows “quiet” in a familiar phrase. 🤫
- 23. Arrange the kliegs and spots for a 1973 Woody Allen movie? — Answer: LIGHTSLEEPER. Hint: Picture someone who dozes lightly yet wakes at every little sound, with the stage-lighting wording pointing to the phrase. 🎬
- 26. Grave — Answer: SOLEMN. Hint: Describes a serious, dignified mood or manner. 🎩
- 29. The rite answer — Answer: IDO. Hint: Think of the brief words spoken when accepting wedding vows 💍
- 30. Put to the test — Answer: TRIED. Hint: This describes something that has already faced a challenge or experiment. 🧪
- 31. Papers in pots — Answer: IOUS. Hint: Think of informal promises to repay money, perhaps tucked into containers. 💰
- 34. Barclays Center ballers — Answer: NETS. Hint: Think of the Brooklyn basketball team that calls Barclays Center home 🏀
- 38. Star pitcher — Answer: ACE. Hint: A dominant baseball pitcher might be called this! ⚾
- 39. Provide funding for a 2004 James Wan horror movie? — Answer: BACKSAW. Hint: Combine a word meaning to financially support with a wood-cutting tool for this horror title. 🪚
- 42. Plumeria product — Answer: LEI. Hint: This fragrant tropical flower is often woven into a necklace for a warm island welcome. 🌺
- 43. Kansas or Alabama, e.g. — Answer: BAND. Hint: Think of a musical group whose name can also be a place on the map 🎶
- 45. Planted plots — Answer: BEDS. Hint: Garden areas where flowers or vegetables grow 🌱
- 46. Key — Answer: ISLET. Hint: Think of a tiny island surrounded by water 🏝️
- 48. Press into service — Answer: USE. Hint: Put something to work when you need it most. 🛠️
- 50. Relaxed — Answer: ATEASE. Hint: Think of feeling calm, comfortable, and free from tension. 😊
- 51. Helm a 2012 Denzel Washington movie? — Answer: DIRECTFLIGHT. Hint: Pair a verb meaning “steer” with what an airplane takes through the sky. ✈️
- 57. “Oh My God” singer — Answer: ADELE. Hint: This soulful British powerhouse released the hit “Oh My God.” 🎤
- 58. Chaplin of “Avatar: Fire and Ash” — Answer: OONA. Hint: This actress is related to the legendary silent-film comedian Charlie Chaplin. 🎬
- 59. Terrible time for a toddler — Answer: TWOS. Hint: Think of the famously challenging age when a little one discovers the word “no.” 😅
- 63. University of Louisiana’s ___ Cajuns — Answer: RAGIN. Hint: Think of the fiery, spirited word that completes this school’s nickname 🔥
- 64. Hire actors for a 2008 Meryl Streep movie? — Answer: CASTDOUBT. Hint: Think of hiring performers while also expressing skepticism about them. 🎬
- 66. 1960s United Nations secretary-general — Answer: THANT. Hint: Think of the Burmese diplomat who guided the United Nations through much of the 1960s 🌍
- 67. When many take their coffee break — Answer: ATTEN. Hint: Think of the common midmorning time for a coffee break. ☕
- 68. Veggie burger protein — Answer: SOY. Hint: This plant-based protein is also used to make tofu and tempeh 🌱
- 69. Numbers — Answer: SONGS. Hint: Think of musical pieces that might top the charts. 🎵
- 70. Tibet’s capital — Answer: LHASA. Hint: This Himalayan city is traditionally known as the seat of the Dalai Lama 🏔️
- 71. Passport datum — Answer: SEX. Hint: It records the holder’s gender classification on the document. 🛂
Down
- 1. Absurd — Answer: DAFT. Hint: A playful way to describe something ridiculously silly or nonsensical 🤪
- 2. Sarah McLachlan hit — Answer: ADIA. Hint: Think of a heartfelt late-1990s ballad by the Canadian singer-songwriter behind “Angel.” 🎶
- 3. Campaign predictor — Answer: POLL. Hint: This survey gauges which candidate is leading before the votes are counted 📊
- 4. “Veritas ___ liberabit” (“Truth will set you free”) — Answer: VOS. Hint: Complete this Latin motto with the pronoun meaning “you” in the plural or formal sense. 📜
- 5. Call into question — Answer: IMPUGN. Hint: To challenge the truth or validity of something is to do this. 🤔
- 6. Some of them bear crowns — Answer: TEETH. Hint: Think of the ones in your mouth that may need caps after a dental visit 🦷
- 7. Star pitcher? — Answer: AGENT. Hint: Think of the person who represents a famous star, not someone throwing fastballs. 🌟
- 8. Fills with cargo — Answer: LADES. Hint: Think of what a ship or truck does when it takes on a load 📦
- 9. Ratcheted (up) — Answer: RAMPED. Hint: Think of increasing the intensity gradually, like turning up a dial. 📈
- 10. Accept mutually — Answer: AGREEON. Hint: Reach the same decision together 🤝
- 11. “For real!” — Answer: NOCAP. Hint: A casual way to insist that you’re being completely truthful, not joking around. 😄
- 12. Battle break — Answer: TRUCE. Hint: A temporary pause lets both sides catch their breath. 🕊️
- 13. Fencing choice — Answer: SABER. Hint: Think of the curved, single-edged blade used by one of fencing’s three disciplines 🤺
- 18. Rumble — Answer: MELEE. Hint: Think of a noisy, chaotic hand-to-hand fight. 🥊
- 24. Online reference for cinephiles — Answer: IMDB. Hint: Movie buffs often check this website for cast lists, ratings, and trivia. 🎬
- 25. Homer’s middle child — Answer: LISA. Hint: Think of the brainy, saxophone-playing daughter in The Simpsons 🎷
- 26. Wild guess — Answer: STAB. Hint: Taking a shot in the dark can lead to surprising outcomes! 🎯
- 27. Black-and-white mammal — Answer: ORCA. Hint: This striking ocean predator is also known as a killer whale. 🐋
- 28. Bank holding — Answer: LIEN. Hint: It’s a creditor’s legal claim that can keep property tied up until a debt is paid. 🔒
- 31. Rocks in slings? — Answer: ICE. Hint: Think of a slingshot projectile made from frozen water rather than stone. 🧊
- 32. Approved — Answer: OKD. Hint: A brief way to say something got the green light. 👍
- 33. Cruiser letters — Answer: USS. Hint: Look for the standard naval prefix placed before a U.S. Navy ship’s name. ⚓
- 35. Fitzgerald of jazz — Answer: ELLA. Hint: Think of the celebrated jazz vocalist known as the First Lady of Song 🎶
- 36. Concert merch — Answer: TEES. Hint: Think of the casual shirts fans wear to show which band they love 🎸
- 37. Position — Answer: SITE. Hint: Think of the spot or location where something is placed. 📍
- 40. Be complicit — Answer: ABET. Hint: Quietly help someone carry out a wrongdoing. 🤝
- 41. In the company of — Answer: WITH. Hint: Not alone, but together alongside someone or something 🤝
- 44. Some swordplay — Answer: DUELING. Hint: A dramatic blade-to-blade showdown between two opponents ⚔️
- 47. Fight — Answer: SETTO. Hint: A heated confrontation or quarrel can be called this. 🥊
- 49. Perfumery products — Answer: SCENTS. Hint: Fragrant offerings you might browse at a perfume counter 🌸
- 50. Playing marbles — Answer: AGATES. Hint: Think of the colorful glassy spheres children might flick across a playground. 🟢
- 51. Game with a numbered board — Answer: DARTS. Hint: Players take aim at a circular target divided into numbered sections. 🎯
- 52. Its license plates say “Famous potatoes” — Answer: IDAHO. Hint: Think of the U.S. state best known for spuds and rugged mountain scenery. 🥔
- 53. Lear’s middle child — Answer: REGAN. Hint: In Shakespeare’s tragedy, she is the daughter between the eldest and youngest sisters. 🎭
- 54. Kind of point — Answer: FOCAL. Hint: Think of the central spot where attention or rays converge 🎯
- 55. Reluctant — Answer: LOATH. Hint: Feeling unwilling or hesitant to take part? 🤔
- 56. Place for online pic posting — Answer: INSTA. Hint: Think of the popular photo-sharing platform where snapshots and stories live 📸
- 60. Gutless sort — Answer: WUSS. Hint: A timid person who backs down instead of standing firm 😬
- 61. Double-reed instrument — Answer: OBOE. Hint: Think of the slim orchestral woodwind known for its clear, slightly nasal voice 🎶
- 62. “Come Sail Away” rock group — Answer: STYX. Hint: Think of the classic prog-rock group behind this nautical-sounding anthem 🚢
- 65. Crime scene evidence — Answer: DNA. Hint: Forensic investigators often collect this genetic fingerprint at a scene. 🧬
Looking for today's WSJ Crossword answers? The full solution to today's Wall Street Journal puzzle — dated August 4, 2026 — is at the top of this page, updated the moment the new grid goes live. The WSJ crossword is a free daily 15×15 edited by Mike Shenk, known for polished, fair cluing with a business and finance streak, plus a Friday contest puzzle with a hidden meta answer. Whether you're checking a finished grid, unlocking one stubborn square, or want the whole answer key, every across and down solution is listed below.
Full WSJ Crossword answer list for today
Every clue from today's grid next to its solution — the same answers as the board above, in one plain list you can scan without tapping.
Across
| # | Clue | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fist bump | DAP |
| 4 | Full of energy | VITAL |
| 9 | Blows off steam | RANTS |
| 14 | Commotion | ADO |
| 15 | Letter on a resistor | OMEGA |
| 16 | Old assembly area | AGORA |
| 17 | Operate the camera for a 1994 Bullock/Reeves action movie? | FILMSPEED |
| 19 | Nickname of Hall of Famer Ernie Banks | MRCUB |
| 20 | Spun yarn | TALE |
| 21 | Digest founder Eric | UTNE |
| 22 | Quiet partner | PEACE |
| 23 | Arrange the kliegs and spots for a 1973 Woody Allen movie? | LIGHTSLEEPER |
| 26 | Grave | SOLEMN |
| 29 | The rite answer | IDO |
| 30 | Put to the test | TRIED |
| 31 | Papers in pots | IOUS |
| 34 | Barclays Center ballers | NETS |
| 38 | Star pitcher | ACE |
| 39 | Provide funding for a 2004 James Wan horror movie? | BACKSAW |
| 42 | Plumeria product | LEI |
| 43 | Kansas or Alabama, e.g. | BAND |
| 45 | Planted plots | BEDS |
| 46 | Key | ISLET |
| 48 | Press into service | USE |
| 50 | Relaxed | ATEASE |
| 51 | Helm a 2012 Denzel Washington movie? | DIRECTFLIGHT |
| 57 | “Oh My God” singer | ADELE |
| 58 | Chaplin of “Avatar: Fire and Ash” | OONA |
| 59 | Terrible time for a toddler | TWOS |
| 63 | University of Louisiana’s ___ Cajuns | RAGIN |
| 64 | Hire actors for a 2008 Meryl Streep movie? | CASTDOUBT |
| 66 | 1960s United Nations secretary-general | THANT |
| 67 | When many take their coffee break | ATTEN |
| 68 | Veggie burger protein | SOY |
| 69 | Numbers | SONGS |
| 70 | Tibet’s capital | LHASA |
| 71 | Passport datum | SEX |
Down
| # | Clue | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Absurd | DAFT |
| 2 | Sarah McLachlan hit | ADIA |
| 3 | Campaign predictor | POLL |
| 4 | “Veritas ___ liberabit” (“Truth will set you free”) | VOS |
| 5 | Call into question | IMPUGN |
| 6 | Some of them bear crowns | TEETH |
| 7 | Star pitcher? | AGENT |
| 8 | Fills with cargo | LADES |
| 9 | Ratcheted (up) | RAMPED |
| 10 | Accept mutually | AGREEON |
| 11 | “For real!” | NOCAP |
| 12 | Battle break | TRUCE |
| 13 | Fencing choice | SABER |
| 18 | Rumble | MELEE |
| 24 | Online reference for cinephiles | IMDB |
| 25 | Homer’s middle child | LISA |
| 26 | Wild guess | STAB |
| 27 | Black-and-white mammal | ORCA |
| 28 | Bank holding | LIEN |
| 31 | Rocks in slings? | ICE |
| 32 | Approved | OKD |
| 33 | Cruiser letters | USS |
| 35 | Fitzgerald of jazz | ELLA |
| 36 | Concert merch | TEES |
| 37 | Position | SITE |
| 40 | Be complicit | ABET |
| 41 | In the company of | WITH |
| 44 | Some swordplay | DUELING |
| 47 | Fight | SETTO |
| 49 | Perfumery products | SCENTS |
| 50 | Playing marbles | AGATES |
| 51 | Game with a numbered board | DARTS |
| 52 | Its license plates say “Famous potatoes” | IDAHO |
| 53 | Lear’s middle child | REGAN |
| 54 | Kind of point | FOCAL |
| 55 | Reluctant | LOATH |
| 56 | Place for online pic posting | INSTA |
| 60 | Gutless sort | WUSS |
| 61 | Double-reed instrument | OBOE |
| 62 | “Come Sail Away” rock group | STYX |
| 65 | Crime scene evidence | DNA |
Today's WSJ Crossword answers
Today's solution appears above, laid out clue by clue — every Across answer followed by every Down answer, exactly as the grid reads. Because a full crossword shares so many crossings, one wrong letter can block a whole corner, so we list each answer separately: reveal only the one you need and keep solving the rest yourself. The grid is confirmed and refreshed daily as soon as the puzzle is published.
What is the WSJ Crossword?
The Wall Street Journal Crossword is the paper's daily puzzle, free to play at wsj.com/games/crosswords with no subscription needed. Edited by Mike Shenk, it runs a classic American 15×15 through the week and a larger themed grid at the end of it. The house style is polished and fair rather than punishing — plenty of wordplay, a recognisable business and finance streak in the cluing, and themes that reward spotting the trick early. That combination has made it one of the most-solved daily crosswords in the country, and the reason solvers so often want just one answer confirmed without seeing the rest of the grid.
The Friday contest crossword
The WSJ's best-known quirk is its Friday contest puzzle, or “meta.” Solving the grid is only step one: the finished puzzle hides a further answer — a word or phrase you have to extract from it — which you then submit as your contest entry. Because entries stay open until Sunday night, the Journal doesn't publish the solution until the contest closes, so a freshly-released contest grid genuinely has no answers available anywhere yet. We publish the full grid on this page as soon as the WSJ releases it, which means contest days fill in a few days after the puzzle first appears.
How the WSJ Crossword compares to other dailies
It shares the same 15×15 shape as the other big American dailies, with its own voice and cadence:
| WSJ | NYT (main) | Washington Post | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grid size | 15×15 (larger end of week) | 15×15 (21×21 Sunday) | 15×15 (larger Sunday) |
| Difficulty | Fair, polished | Ramps to a hard Saturday | Accessible, fair |
| Cost | Free online | Games subscription | Free online |
| Signature | Friday contest meta | Thursday rebus tricks | Conversational themes |
Tips for solving the WSJ Crossword
- Read the title. WSJ puzzles are titled, and the title is a genuine hint at the theme — often the fastest way into the long answers.
- Expect the business angle. Market, company and finance references show up more here than at other papers, so lean into them when a clue feels ambiguous.
- Start with the fill-in-the-blanks. They're the quickest points and flood the grid with crossing letters.
- On contest Fridays, watch the theme entries. The meta answer is usually extracted from them, so they repay a second look once the grid is full.
- Use the solver for one answer. Our crossword solver reveals a single clue's answer from your known letters, without spoiling the rest.
Browse past WSJ Crossword answers
Every previous WSJ Crossword is archived on this page by date, with its full across and down solutions — handy for checking yesterday's grid or one you set aside. The archive updates automatically each day, so it stays complete without spoiling the current day. Stuck on a single clue, our crossword solver will reveal just that answer.
Browse more puzzles on the crossword solver, or use it to crack any clue from any publication.
Frequently asked questions
What are today's WSJ Crossword answers?
The full Across and Down solution for today's puzzle (August 4, 2026) is listed at the top of this page, updated as soon as the Wall Street Journal releases it.
Is the WSJ Crossword free?
Yes — the Journal's daily crossword is free to play at wsj.com/games/crosswords without a subscription, and our answers and clues are free too.
What is the WSJ Friday contest crossword?
Every Friday the WSJ runs a contest (meta) puzzle: you solve the grid, then extract a hidden word or phrase from it and submit that as your entry. The contest stays open until Sunday night, so the Journal withholds the solution until it closes — we publish the full grid here as soon as it does.
How hard is the WSJ Crossword?
It's a fair, polished 15×15 midweek with a larger themed grid at the end of the week. Editor Mike Shenk keeps the cluing clean rather than brutal, so it's generally friendlier than a late-week NYT while still leaning on business and finance references.
Where can I find past WSJ Crossword answers?
Every previous puzzle is in the archive on this page, listed by date with full solutions, updated automatically each day.