The WSJ Crossword for October 9, 2026, is titled “Under the Weather” and was constructed by Alan Olschwang and edited by Mike Shenk. The puzzle includes a variety of wordplay, general knowledge, and clues about everyday expressions.
The Wall Street Journal Crossword can be challenging when several crossing answers are unfamiliar. The completed grid and clue sheet supplied for this puzzle provide the basis for the answer guide below.
WSJ Crossword hints and answers for October 9, 2026
Across answers
| No. | Clue | Hint | Answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1A | One of many in a locker room | A place to shower after exercising | SHOWERS |
| 8A | Offering from Google or Amazon | A digital assistant | CLOUDS |
| 14A | Contacted, in days gone by | Communicated by telephone | CABLED |
| 20A | Court shutout | A tennis score | LOVE SET |
| 21A | Washes gently against | Moves softly against a shore | LAPS AT |
| 22A | Salt for melting winter sidewalks | A common de-icing mineral | HALITE |
| 23A | It was once the fourth-largest lake in the world | A shrinking Central Asian lake | ARAL SEA |
| 24A | “The Power of Oat for Sensitive Skin” brand | Skincare brand | AVEENO |
| 25A | Occupation in an O’Neill title | A person who catches fish | ICEMAN |
| 26A | “Au Revoir les Enfants” director | French filmmaker Louis | MALLE |
| 27A | Kendrick with 27 Grammys | Rapper’s first name | LAMAR |
| 29A | Chocolate mousse quality | A rich, full flavor | RICHNESS |
| 31A | Ltr. accompaniers | Abbreviations on correspondence | ENCLS |
| 33A | Like a file sent by email | Sent along with a message | ATTACHED |
| 36A | Frigate or freighter | A vessel | VESSEL |
| 39A | Afgh. neighbor | A neighboring country | PAK |
| 42A | Get back | Recover or return | REGAIN |
| 43A | Rids of parasites, as a puppy | Treats a pet | DEWORMS |
| 46A | Variety | A particular type | STYLE |
| 47A | Follow a pattern, maybe | Stitch in a regular design | SEW |
| 49A | Player in a cap with a compass rose over an S | A sailing vessel’s name | MARINER |
| 51A | Timber wolf | Another name for a wolf | LOBO |
| 52A | Sneak attack | A surprise assault | RAID |
| 54A | 1990s dance craze | A popular dance | MACARENA |
| 56A | Seller with a site | Online marketplace | EBAY |
| 59A | Free of the bottom, as an anchor | Ready to leave the seabed | AWEIGH |
| 61A | Florida | A U.S. state abbreviation | FLA |
| 63A | Plow and plant again | Prepare soil for another crop | RESEED |
| 64A | “Hands off!” | A warning to stop touching | LET GO |
| 65A | Moderate | Keep within limits | ABATE |
| 66A | Search parties? | People looking for something | SEARCHERS |
| 68A | Island 18 miles off the Venezuelan coast | Caribbean island | MARGARITA |
| 70A | Adage | A familiar saying | MAXIM |
| 72A | “Have a taste!” | An invitation to try food | TRY IT |
| 73A | Speedy segment of a game show | A timed round | LIGHTNING ROUND |
| 77A | Fit for a queen | Royal or majestic | REGAL |
| 79A | Stealthy assassin | A covert killer | NINJA |
| 83A | Encroachment | An intrusion | INROAD |
| 84A | Abscissa’s counterpart, in graphing | The vertical axis | Y-AXIS |
| 86A | Parisian’s passion | A strong feeling | AMOUR |
| 87A | Beautiful young men | Attractive young men | ADONISES |
| 89A | Skin soother | A calming lotion | ALOE |
| 91A | Wings | Aircraft components | AIRFOILS |
| 92A | Slick trick | A clever maneuver | RUSE |
| 93A | Cherished | Held dear | BELOVED |
| 95A | Goddess of the dawn | Roman dawn goddess | AURORA |
| 97A | Acapulco uncle | Spanish word for uncle | TIO |
| 98A | Taxi rtes. | Cab routes, abbreviated | STS |
| 99A | Fathering | Becoming a parent | SIRING |
| 101A | Nocturnal flier | A nighttime animal | OWL |
| 103A | Like llamas | Related to the camel family | CAMELID |
| 105A | Magnificence | Splendor | SPLENDOR |
| 107A | Nepal neighbor | A neighboring country | INDIA |
| 109A | Future frogs | Amphibians before adulthood | TADPOLES |
| 112A | Speeder from Moynihan Train Hall | A fast train | ACELA |
| 115A | The lawless Wild West, e.g. | A disorderly place or time | FRONTIER |
| 119A | Father of Horus | Egyptian god | OSIRIS |
| 120A | By far | To a great degree | EASILY |
| 123A | 18th-century Russian ruler | Russian empress | CATHERINE |
| 125A | Capital on Luzon | Philippine capital | MANILA |
| 126A | One having the write stuff? | Someone who writes | EDITOR |
| 127A | Religious recluse | A person living apart from society | HERMIT |
| 128A | Hit-or-miss | Not consistent | SPOTTY |
| 129A | Faltering condition | A state of instability | DOTAGE |
| 130A | Less stressed | More relaxed | SERENER |
Down answers
| No. | Clue | Hint | Answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1D | Poetry event | A gathering for verse | SHOW |
| 2D | 60 minutos | One hour in Spanish | HORA |
| 3D | Rugby ball shape | Oval-shaped | OVAL |
| 4D | Kane’s portrayer | Actor Christian | BALE |
| 5D | Ascetics of ancient Palestine | An ancient Jewish sect | ESSENES |
| 6D | Food writer Drummond | Ree Drummond | REE |
| 7D | Stop running | Come to a halt | CEASE |
| 8D | Cioppino bit | A seafood ingredient | CLAM |
| 9D | Kilauea spew | Molten rock | LAVA |
| 10D | Sung show | A musical production | OPERA |
| 11D | Take advantage of | Make use of | USE |
| 12D | Dojo degree | Martial arts rank | DAN |
| 13D | Pantry purpose | Food storage | STORAGE |
| 14D | Affectedly stylish | Overly fashionable | ARTY |
| 15D | German city on the border of Belgium and the Netherlands | A city in western Germany | AACHEN |
| 16D | Whiskey choice | A type of whiskey | RYE |
| 17D | Ceviche juice | Citrus juice | LIME |
| 18D | Guests’ guesses, in brief | Estimated arrival times | ETAS |
| 19D | Cozy places | Comfortable spots | NESTS |
| 28D | Egyptian symbol of sovereignty | A royal emblem | CROOK |
| 30D | Empathetic words | A sympathetic response | I FEEL YOU |
| 32D | Blondie drummer Burke | Musician Clem | BURKE |
| 34D | Lopez of Latin pop | Singer Jennifer | J.LO |
| 35D | Payer of a flat rate | Someone paying a fixed fee | SUBSCRIBER |
| 36D | Having millions of views, maybe | Popular online | VIRAL |
| 37D | Send | Dispatch | |
| 38D | Avoid, in a way | Evade | DODGE |
| 40D | Range brand | Appliance manufacturer | GE |
| 41D | Limestone landscapes | Rocky terrain | KARSTS |
| 43D | Knicks owner James | Team owner James | DOLAN |
| 44D | Pulitzer-winning critic Roger | Film critic Ebert | EBERT |
| 45D | Diet of ___ | Assembly that put Martin Luther on trial | WORMS |
| 48D | Sushi condiment | Green Japanese paste | WASABI |
| 50D | Second chance in the courtroom | Another trial | RETRIAL |
| 51D | Days on earth | Lifespan | YEARS |
| 53D | Prepare for planting, perhaps | Work the soil | TILL |
| 55D | Sandwich made with ham, pork, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard | Cuban sandwich | CUBANO |
| 57D | Waiting aid | Something that helps pass time | PAGER |
| 58D | Island in Greece’s Saronic Gulf | Greek island | AEGINA |
| 60D | Way in | An entrance | ACCESS |
| 62D | Subject for planning | Something arranged in advance | AGENDA |
| 67D | Singer Smith of the Chantels | Lead singer Arlene | SMITH |
| 69D | Menu choice for the goof-prone | A dish that’s easy to eat | SOUP |
| 71D | Attended | Was present at | WENT TO |
| 73D | Inventors of a sort | People who create new things | IDEAS |
| 74D | Helpful advice | A useful tip | TIP |
| 75D | Sales figure | A business metric | TOTAL |
| 76D | Punish, in a way | Impose a penalty | FINE |
| 78D | Theoretical physicist George | Physicist George | GAMOW |
| 80D | Nick of “Lorenzo’s Oil” | Actor Nolte | NOLTE |
| 81D | Child in the kitchen | A young helper | TOT |
| 82D | Fiery felony | A crime involving deliberate burning | ARSON |
| 85D | Menace to Aussie livestock | A wild animal | DINGO |
| 88D | Cliffside debris | Loose rock | TALUS |
| 90D | Bufotoxin secreter | An amphibian | TOAD |
| 94D | Oil source for oil paints | A plant used for oil | LINSEED |
| 96D | Brandy glass | A rounded glass | SNIFTER |
| 99D | Like bratty Brits | Informal description of misbehaving children | NAUGHTY |
| 100D | “That’s for sure!” | An emphatic agreement | AMEN |
| 102D | Start for rappers Wayne, Kim and Yachty | A shared nickname prefix | LIL |
| 104D | “Is that a challenge?” | A confrontational response | OH YEAH? |
| 105D | Mast extension | A sail-supporting spar | TOPMAST |
| 106D | Yogurt-based condiment | A cucumber-yogurt sauce | RAITA |
| 108D | Scruffs | The backs of necks | NAPS |
| 109D | Big gobblers | Large birds | TURKEYS |
| 110D | Pronto, in a memo | An abbreviation for immediately | ASAP |
| 111D | Bedrock pet | A cartoon dinosaur | DINO |
| 113D | Plumbing problem | A blocked drain | CLOG |
| 114D | Surname of a literary heroine | A famous fictional surname | EYRE |
| 116D | “Here ___ heavenly Paradises dwell” | A line from Paradise Lost | ALL |
| 117D | Informal evening | A relaxed night | NIGHT IN |
| 118D | Rewards program level | A membership tier | GOLD |
| 121D | Hoopla | A commotion | ADO |
| 122D | Join the jury | Serve in court | SIT |
| 124D | Before, in ballades | An old-fashioned word for before | ERE |
WSJ Crossword theme for October 9, 2026
The puzzle is titled “Under the Weather.” The supplied clue sheet and completed grid show a mix of weather-related vocabulary and general knowledge. However, the exact theme mechanism is not explicitly explained in the clue sheet, so it is best not to claim a specific wordplay rule without confirming it from the constructor’s notes or a reliable puzzle review.
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