“Boat backbone”

Here is the verified answer to the Wall Street Journal Crossword clue “Boat backbone”, last seen on July 17, 2026.

Answer hidden — reveal below

K??L

A 4-letter down entry from the Friday puzzle

The Answer

KEEL

The answer to “Boat backbone” is KEEL

Letters4

DirectionDown

PublishedJul 17, 2026

Letter analysis

The clue “Boat backbone” appeared in the Wall Street Journal Crossword on Friday, July 17, 2026 as a down entry. The verified answer is KEEL — a 4-letter word that begins with K and ends with L.

This answer contains 2 vowels and 2 consonants. Click through any related clue below to keep solving, or open the full answer key for the day from the link above.

More clues from this puzzle

Newman and Oldman, e.g.6 Letters Up, in a way5 Letters Strip for laughs5 Letters Loyalty that’s pledged, quaintly5 Letters Choral verse from Sophocles’ “Antigone”8 Letters Yokel4 Letters Reach across4 Letters Dries out, say6 Letters Barbershop tool5 Letters What a generous diner might pick up6 Letters Diamond pattern6 Letters Toy brand with theme parks4 Letters

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the answer to “Boat backbone”?

The answer to the Wall Street Journal Crossword clue “Boat backbone” is KEEL — a 4-letter down entry from the July 17, 2026 puzzle.

How many letters is the answer?

KEEL has 4 letters — 2 vowels and 2 consonants.

Are these answers official?

WSJCrosswordAnswers.org is an independent reference site, not affiliated with the Wall Street Journal. We solve and verify each puzzle by hand before publishing.