Anxious about a background check? WSJ Crossword Clue

By Narcissa Kh / January 17, 2026

Crossword Answer

1 ? P

2 ? A

3 ? S

4 ? T

5 ? T

6 ? E

7 ? N

8 ? S

9 ? E

Hint

Interactive Solver for Anxious about a background check? Crossword Clue

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

Your Answer 9 Letter

Current guess: —

Letter Pool

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Hint 1

hint

Reveal Hint

Consider how you might feel when reflecting on prior events.

Hint 2

meaning

Reveal Hint

????????? is a grammatical term used to describe actions that have already happened.

Hint 3

explanation

Reveal Hint

The clue uses the word 'about' to indicate a play on words. 'Anxious' suggests 'tense,' and 'background check' refers to looking into someone's 'past.' Combining these gives '?????????,' a grammatical term.

WSJ Crossword January 17 2026 Answers

Tap a cell to show its letter

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

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Clue Analysis

The clue “Anxious about a background check?” is a classic crossword staple, frequently appearing in puzzles like the WSJ crossword. For the puzzle dated January 17 2026, the definitive 9-letter answer is: PASTTENSE.

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 9-letter answer for "Anxious about a background check?" is PASTTENSE.

A: The clue uses the word 'about' to indicate a play on words. 'Anxious' suggests 'tense,' and 'background check' refers to looking into someone's 'past.' Combining these gives 'past tense,' a grammatical term.

A: This clue was last seen in the WSJ Crossword on January 17, 2026.

A: Past tense is a grammatical term used to describe actions that have already happened.

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Anxious about a background check? WSJ Crossword Clue

Crossword Answer

Interactive Solver for Anxious about a background check? Crossword Clue

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

Hint 1

Hint 2

Hint 3

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Clue Analysis

Your Questions, Answered by Experts.

Q1: What is the most likely answer for the crossword clue "Anxious about a background check?"?

Q2: Why is "PASTTENSE" the answer to the clue "Anxious about a background check?"?

Q3: In which puzzle was the clue "Anxious about a background check?" last seen?

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

Today's Crossword Answers

Anxious about a background check? WSJ Crossword Clue

Crossword Answer

Interactive Solver for Anxious about a background check? Crossword Clue

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

Hint 1

Hint 2

Hint 3

WSJ Crossword January 17 2026 Answers

Across

Down

Clue Analysis

Your Questions, Answered by Experts.

Q1: What is the most likely answer for the crossword clue "Anxious about a background check?"?

Q2: Why is "PASTTENSE" the answer to the clue "Anxious about a background check?"?

Q3: In which puzzle was the clue "Anxious about a background check?" last seen?

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

Today's Crossword Answers

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