Bygone toothpaste crossword clue
39 Down · WSJ Crossword, July 16, 2026 · 5 letters
Explanation
The answer to “Bygone toothpaste” is GLEEM. It appears as 39 Down in the Wall Street Journal crossword of July 16, 2026, a Thursday puzzle titled “Pitch In” by Mike Shenk, and it fills 5 squares running top to bottom from row 9, column 11 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 G and ends with M, and contains 2 vowels and 3 consonants. If you are working from the crossings, two or three confirmed letters from the Across entries should be enough to lock it in. Thursday puzzles lean harder on misdirection, so expect the rest of this grid to be pitched at the same level.
Past appearances
GLEEM has not appeared as an answer in any other WSJ puzzle in our index, which runs from May 2026 onward. It will be listed here the next time it turns up.