Staff leaders crossword clue
42 Down · WSJ Crossword, July 16, 2026 · 5 letters
Answer
CLEFS
CLEFS (5 letters)
Explanation
The answer to “Staff leaders” is CLEFS. It appears as 42 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 10, column 10 of the 15×15 grid.
A plural clue takes a plural answer, which is why the entry ends in S. The entry begins with C and ends with S, and contains 1 vowel 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
Clues in other WSJ puzzles with the answer CLEFS:
- Symbols on musical staffsJun 12, 2026
Other clues from this puzzle
13ABolivian boy
24AKnuckleheads
32A“My man!”
42ARefinement
27DSome winds
28DYens
30DMake a gain
34DGranted
48DRacket
51DConverse