Home›September 16, 2026›32 Down

Befuddled crossword clue

32 Down · WSJ Crossword, September 16, 2026 · 5 letters

Answer

ATSEA

ATSEA (5 letters)

Explanation

The answer to “Befuddled” is ATSEA. It appears as 32 Down in the Wall Street Journal crossword of September 16, 2026, a Wednesday puzzle titled “Things Are Looking Up” by Jackson Musker, and it fills 5 squares running top to bottom from row 7, column 1 of the 15×15 grid.

The clue is a straightforward definition, so the answer is a direct synonym or a factual match for the words as written. The entry begins with A and ends with A, and contains 3 vowels and 2 consonants. If you are working from the crossings, two or three confirmed letters from the Across entries should be enough to lock it in. Wednesday puzzles sit mid-week on the difficulty curve, so expect the rest of this grid to be pitched at the same level.

Past appearances

Clues in other WSJ puzzles with the answer ATSEA:

BewilderedAug 18, 2026
Completely confusedJul 6, 2026
Cruising, perhapsJul 1, 2026

Other clues from this puzzle

1AFull of guile

9AMiles per hour, e.g.

14A1973 French Open champ Nastase

15AOpenly state

16AEgg producer

17ACelebrated Southern chef Lewis

18A“State Fair” setting

19ARing around a watch face

20AMagnet for controversy

23ASought-after

24AAnimated greetings, often

28APlayfully pick on

29AEight, to Augustus

31ADeposit in some banks

32AImportant acid type

37ABrother of Jackie, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael

38AHaving a faraway dreamy look

39ACampbell of “Scream”

40ARainbow-colored treats

43AAcademic extension

44AFlight records

45AClose-mouthed

46A2022 World Series champs

48AOvercome, as an upsetting experience

52ASpy satellites, and a hint to 20-, 35- and 40-Across, given their second halves

58AAmmonia feature

60ABolt with speed

61AExclusion anxiety, briefly

62AGendered suffix

63AWhat you might go out with

65AHockey fake-out

1DCatch flies, say

2D“My Girl,” e.g.

3DPlaces for peds

4D“So you’ve said”

7DPromgoer’s purchase

8DGala giveaway

9DTitular 1987 cyborg

10DVegan cosmetics brand

11DWhirling Looney Tunes character, for short

12DSeething state

13DOlive with a skinny shape

22DTake another crack at

25DRing borders

27DFrench Open champ of 1990, 1991 and 1992

29DSome native Nebraskans

30DRecycling bin items

33DPays attention to

34DWords after slug, spit or sweat

35D“My Girl,” e.g.

36DLike an aerial view

38DCause of hundreds of collisions in Alaska annually

41DSickly sweet

42DNamesake of baseball’s postseason MVP award

45DChevy subcompacts discontinued in 2001

47DSticky stuff

48DGarden figure

50DReal stinker

51DMelville’s first novel

53DRemote location, perhaps

55DSine ___ non

56DCharger standard

57DHelp for some breakdown sufferers

Full answers and explanations for September 16, 2026 ›