WSJ Crossword May 26, 2026 Answers and Explanations
The Wall Street Journal crossword for May 26, 2026, “Counter Offers,” is a Tuesday puzzle by Mike Shenk with 74 clues on a 15×15 grid. Tuesday puzzles stay approachable but start to introduce light wordplay in the theme entries, so keep an eye on the title for a hint. The longest entry is HORSESENSE at 10 letters.
Every answer is listed below in grid order, Across first and then Down, with a short explanation of how the entry sits in the grid. Use the Definition link under any entry to pull the dictionary meaning of the answer word, or click the clue to open its own page with past appearances and neighboring clues.
Across
1 Across is PAD, a 3-letter entry that runs left to right starting in row 1, column 1. It begins with P and ends with D, with 1 vowel among its 3 letters.
4 Across is FROSH, a 5-letter entry that runs left to right starting in row 1, column 5. It begins with F and ends with H, with 1 vowel among its 5 letters.
9 Across is SNAPE, a 5-letter entry that runs left to right starting in row 1, column 11. It begins with S and ends with E, with 2 vowels among its 5 letters.
14 Across is ABE, a 3-letter entry that runs left to right starting in row 2, column 1. It begins with A and ends with E, with 2 vowels among its 3 letters.
15 Across is RODEO, a 5-letter entry that runs left to right starting in row 2, column 5. It begins with R and ends with O, with 3 vowels among its 5 letters.
16 Across is TOPIC, a 5-letter entry that runs left to right starting in row 2, column 11. It begins with T and ends with C, with 2 vowels among its 5 letters.
17 Across is PUFFADDER, a 9-letter entry that runs left to right starting in row 3, column 1. It begins with P and ends with R, with 3 vowels among its 9 letters.
19 Across is AMONG, a 5-letter entry that runs left to right starting in row 3, column 11. It begins with A and ends with G, with 2 vowels among its 5 letters.
20 Across is ATTIMES, a 7-letter entry that runs left to right starting in row 4, column 1. It begins with A and ends with S, with 3 vowels among its 7 letters.
21 Across is SERAPES, a 7-letter entry that runs left to right starting in row 4, column 9. It begins with S and ends with S, with 3 vowels among its 7 letters. A plural clue takes a plural answer, which is why the entry ends in S.
23 Across is ZEN, a 3-letter entry that runs left to right starting in row 5, column 4. It begins with Z and ends with N, with 1 vowel among its 3 letters.
24 Across is ELBA, a 4-letter entry that runs left to right starting in row 5, column 9. It begins with E and ends with A, with 2 vowels among its 4 letters.
25 Across is BAEZ, a 4-letter entry that runs left to right starting in row 6, column 1. It begins with B and ends with Z, with 2 vowels among its 4 letters.
28 Across is THISSUMMER, a 10-letter entry that runs left to right starting in row 6, column 6. It begins with T and ends with R, with 3 vowels among its 10 letters.
34 Across is ELVES, a 5-letter entry that runs left to right starting in row 7, column 1. It begins with E and ends with S, with 2 vowels among its 5 letters.
36 Across is ANEAR, a 5-letter entry that runs left to right starting in row 7, column 7. It begins with A and ends with R, with 3 vowels among its 5 letters.
37 Across is OLE, a 3-letter entry that runs left to right starting in row 7, column 13. It begins with O and ends with E, with 2 vowels among its 3 letters.
38 Across is ROAST, a 5-letter entry that runs left to right starting in row 8, column 1. It begins with R and ends with T, with 2 vowels among its 5 letters.
39 Across is VAN, a 3-letter entry that runs left to right starting in row 8, column 7. It begins with V and ends with N, with 1 vowel among its 3 letters.
40 Across is SHORN, a 5-letter entry that runs left to right starting in row 8, column 11. It begins with S and ends with N, with 1 vowel among its 5 letters. A clue phrased this way asks for the category that the example belongs to.
42 Across is END, a 3-letter entry that runs left to right starting in row 9, column 1. It begins with E and ends with D, with 1 vowel among its 3 letters.
43 Across is REELS, a 5-letter entry that runs left to right starting in row 9, column 5. It begins with R and ends with S, with 2 vowels among its 5 letters. A plural clue takes a plural answer, which is why the entry ends in S.
45 Across is TAROT, a 5-letter entry that runs left to right starting in row 9, column 11. It begins with T and ends with T, with 2 vowels among its 5 letters.
46 Across is TEETOTALER, a 10-letter entry that runs left to right starting in row 10, column 1. It begins with T and ends with R, with 5 vowels among its 10 letters.
49 Across is KEYS, a 4-letter entry that runs left to right starting in row 10, column 12. It begins with K and ends with S, with 1 vowel among its 4 letters.
50 Across is ALAN, a 4-letter entry that runs left to right starting in row 11, column 4. It begins with A and ends with N, with 2 vowels among its 4 letters.
51 Across is ADE, a 3-letter entry that runs left to right starting in row 11, column 10. It begins with A and ends with E, with 2 vowels among its 3 letters.
53 Across is BRAILLE, a 7-letter entry that runs left to right starting in row 12, column 1. It begins with B and ends with E, with 3 vowels among its 7 letters. The question mark signals wordplay, so read the clue as a pun rather than literally.
56 Across is SCREWIT, a 7-letter entry that runs left to right starting in row 12, column 9. It begins with S and ends with T, with 2 vowels among its 7 letters.
60 Across is EAGLE, a 5-letter entry that runs left to right starting in row 13, column 1. It begins with E and ends with E, with 3 vowels among its 5 letters.
61 Across is DOTHEMATH, a 9-letter entry that runs left to right starting in row 13, column 7. It begins with D and ends with H, with 3 vowels among its 9 letters.
63 Across is ERROR, a 5-letter entry that runs left to right starting in row 14, column 1. It begins with E and ends with R, with 2 vowels among its 5 letters.
64 Across is GRIEG, a 5-letter entry that runs left to right starting in row 14, column 7. It begins with G and ends with G, with 2 vowels among its 5 letters.
65 Across is GEO, a 3-letter entry that runs left to right starting in row 14, column 13. It begins with G and ends with O, with 2 vowels among its 3 letters.
66 Across is FEARS, a 5-letter entry that runs left to right starting in row 15, column 1. It begins with F and ends with S, with 2 vowels among its 5 letters.
67 Across is EARLS, a 5-letter entry that runs left to right starting in row 15, column 7. It begins with E and ends with S, with 2 vowels among its 5 letters. A plural clue takes a plural answer, which is why the entry ends in S.
68 Across is EMU, a 3-letter entry that runs left to right starting in row 15, column 13. It begins with E and ends with U, with 2 vowels among its 3 letters.
Down
1 Down is PAPA, a 4-letter entry that runs top to bottom starting in row 1, column 1. It begins with P and ends with A, with 2 vowels among its 4 letters.
2 Down is ABUT, a 4-letter entry that runs top to bottom starting in row 1, column 2. It begins with A and ends with T, with 2 vowels among its 4 letters.
3 Down is DEFT, a 4-letter entry that runs top to bottom starting in row 1, column 3. It begins with D and ends with T, with 1 vowel among its 4 letters.
4 Down is FRAME, a 5-letter entry that runs top to bottom starting in row 1, column 5. It begins with F and ends with E, with 2 vowels among its 5 letters. The question mark signals wordplay, so read the clue as a pun rather than literally.
5 Down is RODENT, a 6-letter entry that runs top to bottom starting in row 1, column 6. It begins with R and ends with T, with 2 vowels among its 6 letters.
6 Down is ODDS, a 4-letter entry that runs top to bottom starting in row 1, column 7. It begins with O and ends with S, with 1 vowel among its 4 letters. A plural clue takes a plural answer, which is why the entry ends in S.
7 Down is SEE, a 3-letter entry that runs top to bottom starting in row 1, column 8. It begins with S and ends with E, with 2 vowels among its 3 letters.
8 Down is HORSESENSE, a 10-letter entry that runs top to bottom starting in row 1, column 9. It begins with H and ends with E, with 4 vowels among its 10 letters.
9 Down is STARBURST, a 9-letter entry that runs top to bottom starting in row 1, column 11. It begins with S and ends with T, with 2 vowels among its 9 letters.
10 Down is NOMAAM, a 6-letter entry that runs top to bottom starting in row 1, column 12. It begins with N and ends with M, with 3 vowels among its 6 letters.
11 Down is APOP, a 4-letter entry that runs top to bottom starting in row 1, column 13. It begins with A and ends with P, with 2 vowels among its 4 letters.
12 Down is PINE, a 4-letter entry that runs top to bottom starting in row 1, column 14. It begins with P and ends with E, with 2 vowels among its 4 letters.
13 Down is ECGS, a 4-letter entry that runs top to bottom starting in row 1, column 15. It begins with E and ends with S, with 1 vowel among its 4 letters. The shortening cue in the clue tells you to expect an abbreviation or initials.
18 Down is FIZZES, a 6-letter entry that runs top to bottom starting in row 3, column 4. It begins with F and ends with S, with 2 vowels among its 6 letters. A plural clue takes a plural answer, which is why the entry ends in S.
22 Down is ELSA, a 4-letter entry that runs top to bottom starting in row 4, column 10. It begins with E and ends with A, with 2 vowels among its 4 letters.
25 Down is BERET, a 5-letter entry that runs top to bottom starting in row 6, column 1. It begins with B and ends with T, with 2 vowels among its 5 letters.
26 Down is ALONE, a 5-letter entry that runs top to bottom starting in row 6, column 2. It begins with A and ends with E, with 3 vowels among its 5 letters.
27 Down is EVADE, a 5-letter entry that runs top to bottom starting in row 6, column 3. It begins with E and ends with E, with 3 vowels among its 5 letters.
29 Down is HAVEANEDGE, a 10-letter entry that runs top to bottom starting in row 6, column 7. It begins with H and ends with E, with 5 vowels among its 10 letters.
30 Down is INALL, a 5-letter entry that runs top to bottom starting in row 6, column 8. It begins with I and ends with L, with 2 vowels among its 5 letters.
31 Down is MOORE, a 5-letter entry that runs top to bottom starting in row 6, column 13. It begins with M and ends with E, with 3 vowels among its 5 letters.
32 Down is ELROY, a 5-letter entry that runs top to bottom starting in row 6, column 14. It begins with E and ends with Y, with 2 vowels among its 5 letters.
33 Down is RENTS, a 5-letter entry that runs top to bottom starting in row 6, column 15. It begins with R and ends with S, with 1 vowel among its 5 letters.
35 Down is STROLLERS, a 9-letter entry that runs top to bottom starting in row 7, column 5. It begins with S and ends with S, with 2 vowels among its 9 letters. A plural clue takes a plural answer, which is why the entry ends in S.
41 Down is HAKEEM, a 6-letter entry that runs top to bottom starting in row 8, column 12. It begins with H and ends with M, with 3 vowels among its 6 letters.
44 Down is ETAL, a 4-letter entry that runs top to bottom starting in row 9, column 6. It begins with E and ends with L, with 2 vowels among its 4 letters. The shortening cue in the clue tells you to expect an abbreviation or initials.
47 Down is TAILOR, a 6-letter entry that runs top to bottom starting in row 10, column 4. It begins with T and ends with R, with 3 vowels among its 6 letters.
48 Down is RACHEL, a 6-letter entry that runs top to bottom starting in row 10, column 10. It begins with R and ends with L, with 2 vowels among its 6 letters.
52 Down is DREGS, a 5-letter entry that runs top to bottom starting in row 11, column 11. It begins with D and ends with S, with 1 vowel among its 5 letters.
53 Down is BEEF, a 4-letter entry that runs top to bottom starting in row 12, column 1. It begins with B and ends with F, with 2 vowels among its 4 letters.
54 Down is RARE, a 4-letter entry that runs top to bottom starting in row 12, column 2. It begins with R and ends with E, with 2 vowels among its 4 letters.
55 Down is AGRA, a 4-letter entry that runs top to bottom starting in row 12, column 3. It begins with A and ends with A, with 2 vowels among its 4 letters.
56 Down is STIR, a 4-letter entry that runs top to bottom starting in row 12, column 9. It begins with S and ends with R, with 1 vowel among its 4 letters.
57 Down is WAGE, a 4-letter entry that runs top to bottom starting in row 12, column 13. It begins with W and ends with E, with 2 vowels among its 4 letters.
58 Down is ITEM, a 4-letter entry that runs top to bottom starting in row 12, column 14. It begins with I and ends with M, with 2 vowels among its 4 letters.
59 Down is THOU, a 4-letter entry that runs top to bottom starting in row 12, column 15. It begins with T and ends with U, with 2 vowels among its 4 letters.
62 Down is ORA, a 3-letter entry that runs top to bottom starting in row 13, column 8. It begins with O and ends with A, with 2 vowels among its 3 letters.
About this puzzle
This Tuesday grid contains 37 Across and 37 Down entries, with 36 black squares. Tuesday puzzles stay approachable but start to introduce light wordplay in the theme entries, so keep an eye on the title for a hint.
Prefer to solve it yourself first? The homepage lists every clue for the latest puzzle without answers, and the archive covers every WSJ crossword in our index by date. The official puzzle is published on the WSJ Puzzles page.