The WSJ Crossword for October 6, 2026 is titled “Take Your Pict” and was constructed by Mike Shenk. The puzzle uses a playful theme built around changing the final CK sound/spelling to CT in familiar phrases.
The October 6, 2026 WSJ Crossword, “Take Your Pict,” features a collection of wordplay-heavy clues and several theme answers that become easier once the central trick is spotted.
WSJ Crossword hints and answers for October 6, 2026
Here are quick hints for the clues before the full answers.
Across
| No. | Clue | Hint | Answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1A | Volunteer sitters, sometimes | Family members who may babysit | AUNTS |
| 6A | Scrape souvenir | What a minor scrape might leave | SCAB |
| 10A | Do seen in Wakanda | A hairstyle | AFRO |
| 14A | Hiatus | A break or pause | BREAK |
| 15A | Political columnist Klein | First name Ezra | EZRA |
| 16A | 1982 sci-fi film with 2010 and 2025 sequels | Classic Disney sci-fi title | TRON |
| 17A | Being polite to the celebs arriving at a gala event? | A playful take on “red carpet” | CARPET TACT |
| 19A | Four-time Tony nominee Esparza | Actor Raúl | RAUL |
| 20A | ___ Poke (caramel candy) | A classic candy name | SLO |
| 21A | Drone from a drone | A buzzing or humming sound | WHIR |
| 22A | Like Vulcan ears | Pointed, as on Spock | POINTY |
| 24A | Campus figure | A college dean | DEAN |
| 25A | November birthstone | Yellow-orange gemstone | TOPAZ |
| 26A | Frost or Burns | A poet named Robert | ROBERT |
| 29A | Hudson River School painter Thomas | American landscape painter | COLE |
| 30A | Telluride seller | Automaker behind the SUV | KIA |
| 33A | Crude assn. | Petroleum organization | OPEC |
| 34A | Coalition basis? | A playful “pack” alteration | POWER PACT |
| 36A | Spheres of interest | Areas of concern or focus | AREAS |
| 38A | Cannes consent | French “yes” | OUI |
| 39A | 1966 Michael Caine movie | Title of a Michael Caine film | ALFIE |
| 40A | Part of a quirky heating system? | A playful take on “duct” | DAFFY DUCT |
| 42A | Seller of Kajplats smart lights | Swedish home-furnishing retailer | IKEA |
| 43A | Pronoun for some | Feminine pronoun | SHE |
| 44A | Either-or alternative | One possibility alongside one other | BOTH |
| 45A | Feature of a casino “bandit” | A one-armed machine | ONE ARM |
| 47A | Friendly relationship | Good rapport | AMITY |
| 49A | Ignored the limit | Went beyond a speed limit, perhaps | SPED |
| 50A | Not stationary | Capable of movement | MOTILE |
| 52A | Does some gardening | Uses these garden tools | HOES |
| 53A | Lenny and Carl frequent his tavern | “The Simpsons” bartender | MOE |
| 56A | “If I may interrupt…” | A brief interjection | AHEM |
| 57A | Leaflet that makes valid arguments? | A playful take on “track” | SOUND TRACT |
| 60A | It may be worn on a long trip | Part of a vehicle | TIRE |
| 61A | Baker’s need | Something used for baking | OVEN |
| 62A | Leisurely movement | A musical direction | LENTO |
| 63A | Get rid of | Discard | TOSS |
| 64A | All up in everyone’s business | Nosy | NOSY |
| 65A | Pump brand | Major fuel company | EXXON |
Down
| No. | Clue | Hint | Answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1D | Rudimentary principles | The basics | ABCS |
| 2D | River to the Caspian Sea | Major European river | URAL |
| 3D | Cruel emperor | Roman ruler | NERO |
| 4D | Bar feature | Something that can be ordered at a bar | TAP |
| 5D | Mock without mercy | Make fun of harshly | SKEWER |
| 6D | Become prevalent | Start to spread | SET IN |
| 7D | Winter Palace occupant | Russian ruler | CZAR |
| 8D | Pendulum path | Curved movement | ARC |
| 9D | Certain Wayne Manor exit | Batman’s famous way out | BATPOLE |
| 10D | Parts of hearts | Upper chambers | ATRIA |
| 11D | “Amerika” novelist | Kafka’s first and last name | FRANZ KAFKA |
| 12D | Embarrassing defeat | A humiliating loss | ROUT |
| 13D | Sole | Only one | ONLY |
| 18D | Yonder thing | “That” thing | THAT |
| 23D | Puccini production | An opera | OPERA |
| 24D | Brew before bedtime, maybe | Caffeine-free drink | DECAF |
| 25D | Namely | Latin abbreviation equivalent | TO WIT |
| 26D | Fork features | Branching roads | ROADS |
| 27D | “You get a car!” shouter | Famous talk-show host | OPRAH |
| 28D | Tower of London guards, familiarly | Historic guards | BEEFEATERS |
| 29D | Remote location, maybe | Something found in a living room | COUCH |
| 31D | Less friendly | More icy or hostile | ICIER |
| 32D | Opening day players | Starting lineup | A TEAM |
| 34D | Sullen | Moody or gloomy | POUTY |
| 35D | Worked diligently at | Applied oneself to | PLIED |
| 37D | Youngest daughter on “Downton Abbey” | The Crawley daughter | SYBIL |
| 41D | Spoils, perhaps | Treats someone lavishly | DOTES ON |
| 45D | Columnist’s piece | Newspaper opinion article | OP-ED |
| 46D | Get snug | Settle comfortably | NESTLE |
| 48D | Silent performers | They perform without speaking | MIMES |
| 49D | Cuckoo mascot of Cocoa Puffs | Sonny the ___ | CUCKOO |
| 50D | Ben’s “Good Will Hunting” co-writer | Matt Damon | MATT |
| 51D | Home of the Buckeyes | State university location | OHIO |
| 52D | Shades | Tints or hues | HUES |
| 53D | Tailless cat | A cat breed | MANX |
| 54D | Eight, to Augustus | Latin-derived number prefix | OCTO |
| 55D | School near Windsor | Famous British school | ETON |
| 58D | ___-lacto vegetarian | Vegetarian classification | OVO |
| 59D | Mystery author Stout | Nero Wolfe creator Rex | REX |
WSJ Crossword theme for October 6, 2026
The title “Take Your Pict” is the biggest hint to the theme. Four long answers deliberately change the familiar -CK ending into -CT:
| Theme answer | Expected phrase | Theme change |
|---|---|---|
| CARPET TACT | CARPET TACK | CK → CT |
| POWER PACT | POWER PACK | CK → CT |
| DAFFY DUCT | DAFFY DUCK | CK → CT |
| SOUND TRACT | SOUND TRACK | CK → CT |
The October 6 WSJ Crossword is built around clever clue interpretations rather than simply straightforward definitions. Once the CK-to-CT theme becomes apparent, the four long entries become much easier to understand. For anyone still working through the grid, start with the shorter entries such as SCAB, AFRO, EZRA, TRON, OPEC, OUI, IKEA, MOE, OVEN, and EXXON, then use the crossing letters to tackle the longer theme answers.
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