Pained reaction WSJ Crossword Clue

By Narcissa Kh / December 29, 2025

Crossword Answer

1 ? W

2 ? I

3 ? N

4 ? C

5 ? E

Hint

Interactive Solver for Pained reaction Crossword Clue

Drag letters from the pool into “Your Answer”, then reorder them to match the solution.

Your Answer 5 Letter

Current guess: —

Letter Pool

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Unlock the puzzle's secrets with Daze's progressive hints!

Hint 1

hint

Reveal Hint

When discomfort visits, your face might flinch without a word.

Hint 2

meaning

Reveal Hint

????? means to make a slight involuntary grimace or shrinking movement in anticipation of pain or distress.

Hint 3

explanation

Reveal Hint

The clue 'Pained reaction' describes a facial expression or movement made in response to pain or discomfort. '?????' fits this description as it involves a slight grimace or shrinking movement.

Hint 4

another clue

Reveal Hint

Cringe in pain, CIENW, React to a cringey joke

WSJ Crossword December 29 2025 Answers

Tap a cell to show its letter

1 ? A
2 ? L
3 ? A
4 ? S
5 ? T
6 ? S
7 ? K
8 ? M
9 ? I
10 ? N
11 ? T
12 ? S
13 ? C
? O
? R
? E
14 ? W
? I
? P
? E
15 ? U
? B
? O
? A
? T
16 ? E
? X
? C
? A
17 ? L
? I
? B
? U
? R
18 ? G
? E
? R
? M
? Y
19 ? O
? S
? I
? R
? I
20 ? S
21 ? R
? A
? I
? L
22 ? W
23 ? I
24 ? N
25 ? G
? S
? P
? A
? N
26 ? I
27 ? N
? I
? D
? L
? E
28 ? I
? D
? O
? L
? S
29 ? B
? R
? E
? A
30 ? N
? A
? N
? O
31 ? D
32 ? E
33 ? G
? R
? E
? E
34 ? V
35 ? I
36 ? C
37 ? C
? H
? O
? P
38 ? P
? E
? D
? S
? A
? N
? D
39 ? W
? I
? C
? H
40 ? E
? O
? S
41 ? O
? C
? E
? A
? N
? S
42 ? A
? S
? I
? A
43 ? I
? N
? O
? N
44 ? L
? I
? T
? E
? R
45 ? G
46 ? R
47 ? U
? N
? G
? Y
48 ? R
49 ? O
50 ? B
? O
? T
? A
? R
? M
51 ? R
? E
? N
? T
52 ? S
53 ? H
? E
? H
? E
? R
54 ? A
? C
? T
? O
55 ? R
56 ? T
? A
? B
? L
? E
57 ? F
58 ? L
59 ? I
60 ? P
61 ? M
? A
? I
? N
? E
62 ? T
? R
? O
? T
63 ? R
? I
? P
? E
64 ? S
? P
? E
? E
? D
65 ? P
? S
? Y
66 ? Y
? E
? A
? R

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Clue Analysis

The clue “Pained reaction” is a classic crossword staple, frequently appearing in puzzles like the WSJ crossword. For the puzzle dated December 29 2025, the definitive 5-letter answer is: WINCE.

Expert Tip: When you’re stuck, try to analyze the structure of the clue itself. Is it a direct definition, a pun, a fill-in-the-blank, or a pop culture reference? Identifying the type of clue you’re dealing with is a key skill for improving your solving speed.

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Your Questions, Answered by Experts.

At Daze Puzzle, we understand that every clue is a puzzle within a larger puzzle. Our team of dedicated human experts and puzzle lovers solves these challenges daily to help you succeed. Below, we answer common questions about this specific clue.

A: The most common and recent 5-letter answer for "Pained reaction" is WINCE.

A: The clue 'Pained reaction' describes a facial expression or movement made in response to pain or discomfort. 'Wince' fits this description as it involves a slight grimace or shrinking movement.

A: Wince means to make a slight involuntary grimace or shrinking movement in anticipation of pain or distress.

A: Cringe in pain, CIENW, React to a cringey joke

A: WSJ Crossword - July 29, 2025 - WSJ Crossword - December 29, 2025

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Pained reaction WSJ Crossword Clue

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