“Safety hoist” inventor crossword clue
49 Down · WSJ Crossword, October 16, 2026 · 4 letters
Explanation
The answer to ““Safety hoist” inventor” is OTIS. It appears as 49 Down in the Wall Street Journal crossword of October 16, 2026, a Friday puzzle titled “On the Wrong Track” by Brad Wiegmann, and it fills 4 squares running top to bottom from row 8, column 6 of the 21×21 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 O and ends with S, and contains 2 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. Friday puzzles are the Journal’s contest crosswords with a hidden meta answer, so expect the rest of this grid to be pitched at the same level.
Past appearances
Clues in other WSJ puzzles with the answer OTIS:
- Elevator pioneerAug 9, 2026
- Redding in the Rock & Roll Hall of FameJun 18, 2026
- Company with products found in many storiesMay 15, 2026
- “Hoisting apparatus” patenteeMay 14, 2026