Wall Street Journal Crossword May 8, 2026 Answers

Below are all the clues for the Friday, May 8, 2026 Wall Street Journal Crossword, titled “Before the Second Half” by Patrick Berry. Today’s puzzle has a total of 78 crossword clues. Click any clue to reveal its answer, letter count, and past appearances.

ConstructorPatrick Berry

Clues78

Grid15×15

Across

1Theory, after being proven3 Letters

4Make sense of5 Letters

9Source of capital gains5 Letters

14Flamenco cry3 Letters

15Birthplace of Malcolm X5 Letters

16Long-necked wader5 Letters

17Rightmost pedal3 Letters

18Not in the top tier11 Letters

20Up next5 Letters

22Film character seized by Miss Gulch4 Letters

23Oktoberfest order3 Letters

24Where people say “nappy” instead of “diaper,” or “diaper” instead of “nappy”13 Letters

28Suddenly arise6 Letters

29Slot machine symbol3 Letters

30Rap sheet letters3 Letters

31Sank one’s teeth into?5 Letters

35Menacing Empire honorific5 Letters

39Symbol of solidarity4 Letters

41Cathedral centers5 Letters

43Place4 Letters

44Sweepstakes submission5 Letters

46Morocco’s capital5 Letters

48“Born on the Bayou” band, for short3 Letters

49Story that allows one to escape trouble3 Letters

51Will who voices Batman in the Lego movies6 Letters

53Cal Poly home13 Letters

58___ Z (the whole alphabet)3 Letters

59Lucky Charms symbol4 Letters

60Coat material5 Letters

6221-time Oscar nominee11 Letters

66“The Three-Body Problem” author Cixin3 Letters

67Backyard party area5 Letters

68Die down5 Letters

69Tread the boards3 Letters

70Stumbling block for nonnative speakers5 Letters

71Green energy option5 Letters

72The ACC’s Seminoles3 Letters

Down

1Letterhead topper4 Letters

2Yossarian’s portrayer in “Catch-22”9 Letters

3The American left?9 Letters

4Full of oneself7 Letters

5Bordeaux bud3 Letters

6Fiery blog posts5 Letters

7“Goldarn it!”5 Letters

8We’re here5 Letters

9“___ Bad” (Cardi B/YG song)3 Letters

10Gossip, in modern lingo3 Letters

11Prominent instrument in “House of the Rising Sun”5 Letters

12Might5 Letters

13Last word of “Oh! Susanna”4 Letters

19“Stay” singer Lisa4 Letters

21Sculptor Jean3 Letters

25Distance4 Letters

26It’s under the rug3 Letters

27Word-of-mouth4 Letters

28Bohemian meeting spot5 Letters

32Big battle3 Letters

33Juan Perón’s wife3 Letters

34Ball girl?3 Letters

36Starchy side dish cooked in broth9 Letters

37Study of the planet’s crust9 Letters

38Felt sore4 Letters

40“___: Ares” (2025 sci-fi film)4 Letters

42Bygone Scandinavian automaker4 Letters

45“The King and I” star Brynner3 Letters

47“Day ___” (1965 hit)7 Letters

50Product that uses the “Dragnet” theme in ads4 Letters

52Code-breaking org.3 Letters

53Runner’s feat5 Letters

54Significant blood line5 Letters

55Modest amounts5 Letters

56“Hercules: The Legendary Journeys” star5 Letters

57#1 NBA draft pick of 19925 Letters

58Ratchets (up)4 Letters

61Dance outfit4 Letters

63Feminine side3 Letters

64Timbersports target3 Letters

65LAX prediction, briefly3 Letters

About the May 8, 2026 WSJ Crossword

The Wall Street Journal Crossword for Friday, May 8, 2026 runs under the title “Before the Second Half” and was constructed by Patrick Berry. It uses a 15×15 grid and contains 78 clues — 37 across and 41 down. Every answer above has been solved and verified by hand.

The WSJ Crossword publishes a new puzzle every day of the week, with difficulty building across the week. Monday puzzles are the most approachable, while Friday brings the celebrated WSJ contest crossword with a meta answer to crack, and Saturday features the largest grid of the week. Click any clue above to open a dedicated answer page with a letter-by-letter breakdown and every past appearance of that clue.

Looking for a different day? Use the search bar at the top of the page, or browse Recent Puzzles in the sidebar. The official puzzle is published daily on the WSJ Puzzles site.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many clues are in the May 8, 2026 WSJ Crossword?

This puzzle contains 78 clues — 37 across and 41 down — all listed above with links to individual answer pages.

Who constructed this Wall Street Journal Crossword?

The May 8, 2026 puzzle was constructed by Patrick Berry.

Are these WSJ Crossword answers correct?

Yes. Every answer on WSJCrosswordAnswers.org is solved by hand from the official WSJ grid and cross-checked before publishing. If you spot a discrepancy, please let us know.

Is WSJCrosswordAnswers.org affiliated with the Wall Street Journal?

No. We are an independent, fan-made reference site and are not affiliated with The Wall Street Journal. The WSJ Crossword is a trademark of its respective owner.