Tough situations WSJ Crossword Clue

By Narcissa Kh / May 16, 2026

Crossword Answer

1 ? S

2 ? C

3 ? R

4 ? A

5 ? P

6 ? E

7 ? S

Hint

Interactive Solver for Tough situations Crossword Clue

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

Your Answer 7 Letter

Current guess: —

Letter Pool

Need a helpful nudge?

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

Hint 1

hint

Reveal Hint

Think about what you might find yourself in when you're in a bit of a pickle or need to wriggle out of a jam.

Hint 2

meaning

Reveal Hint

??????? are minor predicaments or difficult situations that are often tricky to navigate.

Hint 3

explanation

Reveal Hint

The word '???????' is often used to describe challenging or difficult situations that one might find themselves in, akin to being in a 'tight spot.' It can also imply minor accidents or predicaments that require some effort to resolve.

Hint 4

another clue

Reveal Hint

clears window of frost, say, minor boo-boos, Barely gets (by)

WSJ Crossword May 16 2026 Answers

Tap a cell to show its letter

1 ? S
2 ? T
3 ? O
4 ? W
5 ? M
6 ? A
7 ? D
8 ? A
9 ? M
10 ? C
11 ? U
12 ? P
13 ? S
14 ? A
15 ? C
16 ? L
17 ? S
18 ? O
? B
? O
? E
19 ? A
? B
? O
? V
? E
20 ? A
? T
? O
? P
21 ? S
? P
? R
? E
? E
22 ? F
? A
? H
? R
23 ? E
? N
? H
? E
? I
? T
24 ? S
? C
? A
? L
? E
25 ? C
? R
? A
? V
? E
26 ? A
? R
? S
? E
? N
? I
? O
27 ? D
? E
? A
? T
? H
28 ? C
29 ? R
? O
? O
? N
? E
? D
30 ? S
? T
? A
? R
31 ? S
32 ? F
? U
? N
33 ? C
? T
? I
? O
? N
? K
? E
? Y
34 ? W
35 ? A
36 ? F
? E
? R
37 ? S
? C
38 ? O
39 ? N
? E
? S
40 ? R
? E
? S
? T
? S
41 ? E
? X
? E
? T
? E
42 ? R
43 ? I
? P
? O
? S
44 ? K
? I
? R
? K
? E
45 ? F
46 ? U
47 ? N
48 ? D
? E
? M
49 ? E
? I
50 ? F
? F
? E
? L
51 ? I
? N
? N
52 ? I
? D
53 ? C
? A
? R
? D
54 ? S
? L
? A
55 ? P
56 ? F
? R
? I
? D
? A
57 ? Y
? N
? I
? G
58 ? H
? T
59 ? O
? L
? G
? A
60 ? L
? A
61 ? I
? L
? A
62 ? E
? S
? T
? E
? E
63 ? R
? U
? S
? E
? S
64 ? D
? E
? S
? C
? E
? N
65 ? D
66 ? C
? S
? T
67 ? S
? C
68 ? R
? A
? P
? E
? S
69 ? F
? I
? L
? T
? H
70 ? C
? A
71 ? N
? O
? N
72 ? T
? E
? S
? L
? A
73 ? I
? D
? E
? A
74 ? F
? O
? R
? C
? E
? O
75 ? F
76 ? E
77 ? V
? I
? L
78 ? E
? L
79 ? A
80 ? N
81 ? F
? I
? A
? S
82 ? C
? O
83 ? L
? I
? D
84 ? A
? L
? I
? C
? I
85 ? A
86 ? A
? S
? U
87 ? E
? N
? D
88 ? H
? O
89 ? L
? E
? S
90 ? L
? I
? M
? O
91 ? T
? E
92 ? H
? R
? A
? N
93 ? R
? A
? D
? O
? N
94 ? C
? A
? R
? O
? L
95 ? E
96 ? R
? O
? M
? P
? S
97 ? F
98 ? L
99 ? U
? O
? R
? I
? N
? E
100 ? G
? A
? S
101 ? A
? U
102 ? D
? I
? T
103 ? L
? A
? S
? T
? L
? E
? G
104 ? E
? L
? S
105 ? I
106 ? E
107 ? G
? O
? A
? T
108 ? E
109 ? E
110 ? S
111 ? U
? N
? I
? T
? E
112 ? F
113 ? A
? I
? L
? I
? N
? T
114 ? H
? E
? C
? L
? U
? T
? C
? H
115 ? B
? A
? N
? E
? S
116 ? O
? R
? C
? A
117 ? I
? N
? I
? N
? K
118 ? B
? A
? R
? E
119 ? S
? I
? G
? N
120 ? R
? I
? O
? S
121 ? T
? A
? P
? E
? S
122 ? S
? T
? U
? D

Across

Place in an overhead bin Crossword Clue

10A

Some sports trophies Crossword Clue

14A

Knee parts often examined by MRIs Crossword Clue

18A

High wind in a pit Crossword Clue

19A

Superior to Crossword Clue

20A

Perched upon Crossword Clue

21A

Bender for a spender Crossword Clue

22A

System of degrees Crossword Clue

25A

Want badly Crossword Clue

26A

TV Hall of fame Crossword Clue

27A

It’s numbered XIII in a tarot deck Crossword Clue

28A

Sang like Crosby Crossword Clue

30A

NHL team that plays in the same arena as the NBA’s Mavericks Crossword Clue

32A

One might control a PC’s volume or brightness Crossword Clue

34A

Mass-consumed item Crossword Clue

37A

Tea treats Crossword Clue

40A

Kicks back Crossword Clue

41A

New Hampshire prep school Crossword Clue

43A

Wall St. debuts Crossword Clue

44A

Jemima of “Girls” Crossword Clue

45A

What a buzzkill kills Crossword Clue

48A

JFK or AOC, e.g. Crossword Clue

49A

Designer of the internal structural framework for the Statue of Liberty Crossword Clue

52A

Security desk request Crossword Clue

54A

High-five sound Crossword Clue

56A

Prime time for a high school game Crossword Clue

59A

One of Chekhov’s “Three Sisters” Crossword Clue

60A

Ali who retired at 24-0 Crossword Clue

62A

Much-lauded Lauder Crossword Clue

63A

Sneaky tricks Crossword Clue

64A

Prepare for a touchdown Crossword Clue

66A

Minneapolis winter hrs. Crossword Clue

67A

Tough situations Crossword Clue

69A

Obscene material Crossword Clue

70A

Nikon rival Crossword Clue

72A

Electrical engineer Nikola Crossword Clue

73A

Piece of one’s mind? Crossword Clue

74A

Antagonistic presence in a fantasy novel Crossword Clue

78A

Panache Crossword Clue

81A

Complete disaster Crossword Clue

83A

Bento box part Crossword Clue

84A

Vikander of “The Danish Girl” Crossword Clue

86A

Sparky the Sun Devil’s sch. Crossword Clue

87A

Extremity Crossword Clue

88A

Course units Crossword Clue

90A

Roomy ride Crossword Clue

91A

Azadi Tower site Crossword Clue

93A

Household health hazard Crossword Clue

94A

King of pop Crossword Clue

96A

Lopsided victories Crossword Clue

97A

Lightest halogen Crossword Clue

101A

Book review? Crossword Clue

103A

Anchor’s run Crossword Clue

104A

Beast of Borden Crossword Clue

107A

Alternatives to mutton chops Crossword Clue

111A

Come together Crossword Clue

112A

Choke at a critical moment Crossword Clue

115A

Sources of ruin Crossword Clue

116A

Two-tone predator Crossword Clue

117A

How most manga is drawn Crossword Clue

118A

Like feet in yoga class Crossword Clue

119A

Converse manually Crossword Clue

120A

Some Kia sedans Crossword Clue

121A

Secures, as gift wrap Crossword Clue

122A

Poker variety Crossword Clue

Down

Remote location Crossword Clue

Lift for snowboarders Crossword Clue

Sounds of wonder Crossword Clue

“No more for us, thanks” Crossword Clue

Widespread fad Crossword Clue

Can’t stand at all Crossword Clue

Fawning mother Crossword Clue

Extremely eager Crossword Clue

Dole (out) Crossword Clue

10D

Nesting place for an elf owl Crossword Clue

11D

Many a Jazz fan Crossword Clue

12D

D.C. figure Crossword Clue

13D

Ghostly vision Crossword Clue

14D

Cooks’ cover-ups Crossword Clue

15D

Jack-in-the-box part Crossword Clue

16D

Bank security feature Crossword Clue

17D

Far from ritzy Crossword Clue

21D

Slid while seated Crossword Clue

23D

Menu choice Crossword Clue

24D

Jewelry stores? Crossword Clue

29D

Take a chance Crossword Clue

31D

Genre for “Project Hail Mary” Crossword Clue

33D

Shrinks in fear Crossword Clue

34D

Ties the knot Crossword Clue

35D

Jump on the ice Crossword Clue

36D

Stone part, often Crossword Clue

38D

Piece with a perspective Crossword Clue

39D

City famous for po’ boys Crossword Clue

42D

Biathlete’s need Crossword Clue

44D

Work with needles Crossword Clue

45D

Annoyance for firefighters Crossword Clue

46D

Suggests strongly Crossword Clue

47D

Leak-preventing docs Crossword Clue

50D

Dave of “Now You See Me” Crossword Clue

51D

Tech sch. Crossword Clue

53D

Anniversary celebrant Crossword Clue

55D

Many trattoria dishes Crossword Clue

57D

Binary question type Crossword Clue

58D

Like newsrooms close to press time Crossword Clue

61D

I, in Innsbruck Crossword Clue

63D

Dorm supervisors Crossword Clue

64D

Totally ruined Crossword Clue

65D

Love of music Crossword Clue

66D

Like intramural sports, often Crossword Clue

68D

Kindled again Crossword Clue

69D

Instrument in a military band Crossword Clue

71D

CBS series since 2003 Crossword Clue

74D

Fan of fine cuisine Crossword Clue

75D

“Point taken” Crossword Clue

76D

Muppet with an orange nose Crossword Clue

77D

Cello’s cousin Crossword Clue

79D

“Right away!” Crossword Clue

80D

Creatures of habit? Crossword Clue

82D

2023 crown recipient Crossword Clue

85D

Like drone shots Crossword Clue

89D

Deeply desire Crossword Clue

90D

Yogurt-based drink Crossword Clue

92D

Spa fixtures Crossword Clue

93D

Way past ripe Crossword Clue

94D

Opera’s “La Divina” Crossword Clue

95D

City 60 miles south of Salem Crossword Clue

97D

Bungles Crossword Clue

98D

Beach house feature Crossword Clue

99D

Putting into practice Crossword Clue

100D

State Farm competitor Crossword Clue

102D

Cruise ship stops Crossword Clue

105D

Monogram pt. Crossword Clue

106D

Volcano on Sicily Crossword Clue

108D

Coup d’___ Crossword Clue

109D

Pale creamy shade Crossword Clue

110D

Lose Crossword Clue

113D

R&B singer Lennox Crossword Clue

114D

Femur terminus Crossword Clue

Clue Analysis

The clue “Tough situations” is a classic crossword staple, frequently appearing in puzzles like the WSJ crossword. For the puzzle dated May 16 2026, the definitive 7-letter answer is: SCRAPES.

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.

Finished the WSJ Puzzle? Check out this link for future puzzles:

WSJ Crossword Answers

Play the Official Game

Play Online in Wall Street Journal

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 7-letter answer for "Tough situations" is SCRAPES.

A: The word 'scrapes' is often used to describe challenging or difficult situations that one might find themselves in, akin to being in a 'tight spot.' It can also imply minor accidents or predicaments that require some effort to resolve.

A: This clue was last seen in the WSJ Crossword on May 16, 2026.

A: Scrapes are minor predicaments or difficult situations that are often tricky to navigate.

A: clears window of frost, say, minor boo-boos, Barely gets (by)

Today's Crossword Answers

Want more help on other popular crossword puzzles? Try it now!

Tough situations WSJ Crossword Clue

Crossword Answer

Interactive Solver for Tough situations Crossword Clue

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

Hint 1

Hint 2

Hint 3

Hint 4

Across

Down

Clue Analysis

Your Questions, Answered by Experts.

Q1: What is the most likely answer for the crossword clue "Tough situations"?

Q2: Why is "SCRAPES" the answer to the clue "Tough situations"?

Q3: In which puzzle was the clue "Tough situations" last seen?

Q4: What does the word "SCRAPES" mean in this context?

Q5: What are some other crossword clues that share the same answer?

Today's Crossword Answers

Tough situations WSJ Crossword Clue

Crossword Answer

Interactive Solver for Tough situations Crossword Clue

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

Hint 1

Hint 2

Hint 3

Hint 4

WSJ Crossword May 16 2026 Answers

Across

Down

Clue Analysis

Your Questions, Answered by Experts.

Q1: What is the most likely answer for the crossword clue "Tough situations"?

Q2: Why is "SCRAPES" the answer to the clue "Tough situations"?

Q3: In which puzzle was the clue "Tough situations" last seen?

Q4: What does the word "SCRAPES" mean in this context?

Q5: What are some other crossword clues that share the same answer?

Today's Crossword Answers

Crossword Clue Solver