Slanted type, for short crossword clue
53 Down · WSJ Crossword, August 6, 2026 · 4 letters
Explanation
The answer to “Slanted type, for short” is ITAL. It appears as 53 Down in the Wall Street Journal crossword of August 6, 2026, a Thursday puzzle titled “Of Vital Importance” by Matt Gaffney, and it fills 4 squares running top to bottom from row 12, column 8 of the 15×15 grid.
The shortening cue in the clue tells you to expect an abbreviation or initials rather than a full word. The entry begins with I and ends with L, 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. Thursday puzzles lean harder on misdirection, so expect the rest of this grid to be pitched at the same level.
Past appearances
ITAL 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.