Force from above crossword clue
40 Down · WSJ Crossword, September 17, 2026 · 8 letters
Explanation
The answer to “Force from above” is AIRPOWER. It appears as 40 Down in the Wall Street Journal crossword of September 17, 2026, a Thursday puzzle titled “Whatever Works” by Matt Gaffney, and it fills 8 squares running top to bottom from row 8, column 12 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 R, and contains 4 vowels and 4 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
AIRPOWER 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.