Graph gradient crossword clue
58 Across · WSJ Crossword, May 21, 2026 · 5 letters
Explanation
The answer to “Graph gradient” is SLOPE. It appears as 58 Across in the Wall Street Journal crossword of May 21, 2026, a Thursday puzzle titled “I Could Go Either Way” by Jeff Stillman, and it fills 5 squares running left to right from row 13, 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 S and ends with E, and contains 2 vowels and 3 consonants. If you are working from the crossings, two or three confirmed letters from the Down 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
SLOPE 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.