Wall Street Journal Crossword October 2, 2026 Answers

Below are all the clues for the Friday, October 2, 2026 Wall Street Journal Crossword, titled “In the Pits” by Mike Shenk. Today’s puzzle has a total of 144 crossword clues. Click any clue to reveal its answer, letter count, and past appearances.

ConstructorMike Shenk

Clues144

Grid21×21

Across

1Sandwich fill for Paddington Bear9 Letters

10Kitchen invader3 Letters

13French article3 Letters

16Character in Progressive ads3 Letters

19Proactiv rival9 Letters

20Stephen of “The Crying Game”3 Letters

21More impatiently eager7 Letters

23Oscar winner for 1963’s “Lilies of the Field”13 Letters

25Big name in frozen cheesecakes7 Letters

26Spanish shaker contents3 Letters

27Piece that may be attacked by la dame or le cavalier3 Letters

28Citrusy sugar-free brand10 Letters

30The Yamaha Banshee 350, e.g.3 Letters

33Yogi’s need3 Letters

35Gander’s mate5 Letters

37Fresh from the showers3 Letters

38Capital at 12,000 feet5 Letters

40Toward the rudder6 Letters

43Field in which you might study Klein bottles and Möbius strips8 Letters

48Award for “Spotlight” or “Moonlight”11 Letters

50Arrested5 Letters

51Adversary3 Letters

52“Let It Go” singer4 Letters

53Cherry discards5 Letters

54PetSmart purchases5 Letters

55Hollow bread4 Letters

56Noncommittal answer4 Letters

57Painter Mondrian4 Letters

58Meat’s marbling3 Letters

59Formally certifies7 Letters

61Raconteur’s recitals5 Letters

63“Password” players, at times6 Letters

65Fly ball also called a “duck snort”8 Letters

66Bit of balm3 Letters

68Lack of reverence7 Letters

70Spanish article3 Letters

71Where some pitching takes place8 Letters

75Bully’s comeback6 Letters

77Scrabble rack septet5 Letters

81Kindles7 Letters

82Neither partner3 Letters

83Fling4 Letters

85Play group4 Letters

86Ben & Jerry’s purchase4 Letters

87Silk substitute5 Letters

89Tool for a gem appraiser5 Letters

90Marlins infielder Lopez4 Letters

91Id ___3 Letters

92Boston seafood specialty5 Letters

93Avoided profanity11 Letters

95On edge8 Letters

97Shelley’s middle name6 Letters

98Expedition5 Letters

99Historian’s concern3 Letters

100Height boosters5 Letters

102Successor of HST3 Letters

104Danson of “The Good Place”3 Letters

105Movers of dinghies10 Letters

109Builder’s extension3 Letters

112CPR expert3 Letters

114Home wrecker, of a sort7 Letters

115Italian entree prepared by heating meat between two dishes over a boiling pot13 Letters

121Emmy winner who served as Screen Actors Guild president in the 1980s7 Letters

122“Don’t mind ___ do”3 Letters

123Response to a cruel comment9 Letters

124Verbal agility3 Letters

125Pioneering muscle car3 Letters

126Rep.’s opponent3 Letters

127Group in the pit (and in this puzzle’s PITs)9 Letters

Down

1Dance club VIPs3 Letters

22001 Will Smith film3 Letters

3Spectrum end3 Letters

4Occupies, as a battle station4 Letters

5Handout from a concierge7 Letters

6Eric Clapton song5 Letters

7Symbol of power in ancient Egypt3 Letters

8Christian from Normandy4 Letters

92025 Pixar film4 Letters

10D-backs, on scoreboards3 Letters

11Schindler’s portrayer6 Letters

12Diamond covers5 Letters

13Virna of “Casanova 70”4 Letters

14Coup target4 Letters

15Like some bottle caps7 Letters

16McDonald’s item since the 1960s10 Letters

17Skeevy look4 Letters

18Treat with a trademarked design4 Letters

22Eye color of about 5% of people5 Letters

24Comerica Park team6 Letters

29Put a new price on, maybe5 Letters

30However6 Letters

31Louise’s pal6 Letters

32Subordinate sort6 Letters

34Ploy6 Letters

36Vein makeup3 Letters

39Didn’t leave9 Letters

41Metal marble7 Letters

42Belly, informally6 Letters

44Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille5 Letters

45“Hamilton” prop6 Letters

46“The Teflon Don”5 Letters

47Brewery supply5 Letters

49WWW-access offerer3 Letters

50Snitch3 Letters

54“Sturdy batsman” of verse5 Letters

55Beverage named for its supposed digestive benefits9 Letters

58Tuck, e.g.5 Letters

60Highway warning4 Letters

62Lip4 Letters

64Seller of EcoTank printers5 Letters

65Orally7 Letters

67“The Devil’s Dictionary” author6 Letters

69Harvard Avenue and Fenway on the Green Line, e.g.6 Letters

71Criminal outing5 Letters

72Happen5 Letters

73Caribbean island whose capital is a ghost town due to volcanic eruptions10 Letters

74Bygone autocrats5 Letters

76Caught sight of6 Letters

78Up-to-the-minute news6 Letters

79Monticello, e.g.6 Letters

80High6 Letters

82Discreet bid3 Letters

84Collector’s goal3 Letters

88Dinosaur of Mario games5 Letters

89Dwindle6 Letters

92Some roof work7 Letters

93Jon who returned to the Senate to fill John McCain’s seat3 Letters

94Loose-fitting nightgown7 Letters

96Clips5 Letters

97Farewell from a worrier6 Letters

101Hero soldier of Spain5 Letters

103Pool marking5 Letters

105Hearty supper4 Letters

106Mani counterpart4 Letters

107Dele override4 Letters

108Dynamic start?4 Letters

110Paul Atreides’s father, in “Dune”4 Letters

1111939 co-star of Bolger and Haley4 Letters

113Scots’ caps4 Letters

116Canyon feature3 Letters

117Champlain, to Champlain3 Letters

118Hanoi holiday3 Letters

119Ship sealer3 Letters

120Words before tear or dare3 Letters

About the October 2, 2026 WSJ Crossword

The Wall Street Journal Crossword for Friday, October 2, 2026 runs under the title “In the Pits” and was constructed by Mike Shenk. It uses a 21×21 grid and contains 144 clues — 69 across and 75 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 2, 2026 WSJ Crossword?

This puzzle contains 144 clues — 69 across and 75 down — all listed above with links to individual answer pages.

Who constructed this Wall Street Journal Crossword?

The October 2, 2026 puzzle was constructed by Mike Shenk.

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.