Wall Street Journal Crossword October 16, 2026 Answers

Below are all the clues for the Friday, October 16, 2026 Wall Street Journal Crossword, titled “On the Wrong Track” by Brad Wiegmann. Today’s puzzle has a total of 140 crossword clues. Click any clue to reveal its answer, letter count, and past appearances.

ConstructorBrad Wiegmann

Clues140

Grid21×21

Across

1Seacrest succeeded him5 Letters

6Univ., e.g.3 Letters

9Wire nail4 Letters

13Idiomatic sticking points5 Letters

18Degrade5 Letters

19Overly3 Letters

20Quebec neighbor5 Letters

21Anne of “Donnie Brasco”5 Letters

22Awkward party song to play for Rumpelstiltskin? (Destiny’s Child)9 Letters

24Unaided5 Letters

25Bury5 Letters

26Member of a destructive colony7 Letters

27Awkward party song to play for Jack and Jill? (Culture Club)12 Letters

29Like many hard cheeses4 Letters

30Neckline choice3 Letters

31High habitat5 Letters

32Awkward party song to play for the Big Bad Wolf? (The Commodores)10 Letters

37Swinton of “Doctor Strange”5 Letters

39To’s partner3 Letters

42Iconic riveter of WWII5 Letters

43Oft-hidden cost3 Letters

44Flier from Savasleyka air base3 Letters

45The Pequod, e.g.6 Letters

48Where preteens can’t sit7 Letters

50Awkward party song to play for Captain Hook? (Elton John)13 Letters

54100,000th of a newton4 Letters

55Dental hygienist’s target6 Letters

57Bill in a till3 Letters

58Object of Versailles cheers5 Letters

59“Carnival of Harlequin” painter4 Letters

60Pick up6 Letters

62Pick up5 Letters

63Market indicators?5 Letters

66Awkward party song to play for Pinocchio? (Selena Gomez)7 Letters

68Tripping5 Letters

69Sister of une mère or eine Mutter5 Letters

70Sister of Moses6 Letters

71Zaragoza’s river4 Letters

73Filer’s worry5 Letters

74“Blonde” star de Armas3 Letters

75Longtime Red Sox anthem6 Letters

77Sponge feature4 Letters

81Awkward party song to play for Sleeping Beauty? (Blood, Sweat & Tears)13 Letters

84It may take a few minutes7 Letters

86Washington hub6 Letters

87___ Lingus3 Letters

88Comfy boots brand3 Letters

90Lift with much effort5 Letters

91Direction suffix3 Letters

92Eleniak of “Under Siege”5 Letters

95Awkward party song to play for Humpty Dumpty? (Tom Petty)10 Letters

97Catcher’s posture5 Letters

99Dr. of hip-hop3 Letters

101Ninny4 Letters

102Awkward party song to play for Dracula? (Sheryl Crow)12 Letters

106Footstool7 Letters

110Weary feeling5 Letters

111Concert venues5 Letters

112Awkward party song to play for Frosty the Snowman? (Buster Poindexter)9 Letters

114Boxer’s dream5 Letters

115Razzle-dazzle5 Letters

116Co. with a Stubs rewards program3 Letters

117Clog-clearing brand5 Letters

118Long-billed wading bird5 Letters

119Hoarse voice4 Letters

120Ho-hum3 Letters

121Steer clear of5 Letters

Down

1Sweden-based carrier3 Letters

2Blind as ___4 Letters

3Davidson of “The Crying Game”4 Letters

4Tingling sensation sometimes called a “brain massage”4 Letters

5Access-providing character in the “Matrix” movies8 Letters

6Open fighting10 Letters

7Need to be paid7 Letters

8Garden shed tool3 Letters

9Graceful8 Letters

10Barrel of laughs4 Letters

11Like birthdays but not weddings6 Letters

12Considered6 Letters

13Cause for alarm at a diner?5 Letters

14“Hamilton” Tony winner ___ Elise Goldsberry5 Letters

15When Juliet drinks the potion4 Letters

16Ricotta source4 Letters

17Blood fluids4 Letters

20Like bucks, bulls and billies4 Letters

23Fast approaching4 Letters

27“Now ___ heard everything!”3 Letters

28Dust-up5 Letters

32Like champion racehorses4 Letters

33___ Music (group whose members included Bryan Ferry and Brian Eno)4 Letters

34“The ball ___ your court”4 Letters

35Refer to4 Letters

36Splinter group4 Letters

38“You have to let me!”6 Letters

39Plant groups6 Letters

40Groovy music source6 Letters

41Pest control brand5 Letters

44“To be continued...”9 Letters

46“Over my dead body!”6 Letters

47Staggering5 Letters

49“Safety hoist” inventor4 Letters

51CNN journalist Kaye5 Letters

52Some tractors6 Letters

53Rustic retreat3 Letters

56Pregraduation activity6 Letters

59Highest active volcano in Eur.6 Letters

61Garcia of “Lucifer”5 Letters

63“She Bop” singer Cyndi6 Letters

64Madagascar’s ocean6 Letters

65Bit of work5 Letters

67Guiana people6 Letters

68Hydrox imitator4 Letters

69Cup, in Calais5 Letters

70“Yowza!”3 Letters

72What marathon spectators do?10 Letters

76Betray intoxication, perhaps4 Letters

77Skin4 Letters

78Shimmery stone4 Letters

79Sitarist Shankar4 Letters

80Pristine place4 Letters

82Freeze over5 Letters

83“I’m such an idiot!” indicator8 Letters

85“Curious...”8 Letters

89Pull into the driveway, say7 Letters

93Moderately6 Letters

94Cornell site6 Letters

95Marshy spot3 Letters

96Bass, e.g.4 Letters

97Jolly Roger feature5 Letters

98Librarian’s demand5 Letters

100Red-brown shade4 Letters

102Hardens4 Letters

103“I got this, Boss!”4 Letters

104Opposed4 Letters

105Building wings4 Letters

107Other, in Acapulco4 Letters

108Nation south of Libya4 Letters

109Follower of King or Donkey4 Letters

112Croque-monsieur ingredient3 Letters

113Foot division3 Letters

About the October 16, 2026 WSJ Crossword

The Wall Street Journal Crossword for Friday, October 16, 2026 runs under the title “On the Wrong Track” and was constructed by Brad Wiegmann. It uses a 21×21 grid and contains 140 clues — 67 across and 73 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 October 16, 2026 WSJ Crossword?

This puzzle contains 140 clues — 67 across and 73 down — all listed above with links to individual answer pages.

Who constructed this Wall Street Journal Crossword?

The October 16, 2026 puzzle was constructed by Brad Wiegmann.

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.