Caustic cleaner WSJ Crossword Clue

By Narcissa Kh / December 16, 2025

Crossword Answer

1 ? L

2 ? Y

3 ? E

Hint

Interactive Solver for Caustic cleaner Crossword Clue

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

Your Answer 3 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 of a powerful substance that can clear the toughest blockages and is not to be handled lightly.

Hint 2

meaning

Reveal Hint

??? is a strongly alkaline solution, often sodium hydroxide, used in cleaning and soap making.

Hint 3

explanation

Reveal Hint

The clue 'Caustic cleaner' refers to a substance known for its strong, corrosive properties often used in cleaning. '???' is a common name for sodium hydroxide, which is a caustic substance used to clean drains and in soap making.

Hint 4

another clue

Reveal Hint

Cleaning substance with a dishonest-sounding name, Basic soapmaking ingredient, Caustic paint stripper, NaOH, Harsh cleaning agent

WSJ Crossword December 16 2025 Answers

Tap a cell to show its letter

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

Across

Small sluggers’ sport Crossword Clue

Boxer’s sound Crossword Clue

Torah teacher Crossword Clue

14A

Call for the Coast Guard Crossword Clue

15A

Poet’s preposition Crossword Clue

16A

Went too far, maybe Crossword Clue

17A

Itty bits Crossword Clue

18A

Size up from med. Crossword Clue

19A

Whimsically funny Crossword Clue

20A

Edible tree Crossword Clue

23A

Fair feature Crossword Clue

24A

Kind of yoga Crossword Clue

25A

Dandelion, e.g. Crossword Clue

26A

Sentence determiners, of a sort Crossword Clue

28A

Edible gelt Crossword Clue

34A

Like sandpaper Crossword Clue

35A

Heartless character Crossword Clue

38A

Duplicates, in a way Crossword Clue

42A

Neuter Crossword Clue

43A

Dimwit Crossword Clue

44A

Caustic cleaner Crossword Clue

45A

Fails to be Crossword Clue

46A

Edible fluff Crossword Clue

51A

Romantic predictors, at times Crossword Clue

57A

Upper levels of execs, or a phonetic hint to this puzzle’s theme Crossword Clue

59A

Shade Crossword Clue

60A

Rhyming homage Crossword Clue

61A

They may be dire Crossword Clue

62A

Roswell crashers, briefly Crossword Clue

63A

According to Crossword Clue

64A

Ethyl ending Crossword Clue

Down

Real estate unit Crossword Clue

Get into hot water, maybe Crossword Clue

Bejewel, say Crossword Clue

Restrict Crossword Clue

Team discourager Crossword Clue

Web-based service since 1993 Crossword Clue

Rowing race Crossword Clue

Sudden stream flooding Crossword Clue

New decor scheme Crossword Clue

10D

Tell tale thing? Crossword Clue

11D

What you might go for Crossword Clue

12D

Deceptively depict Crossword Clue

13D

Was stuck in traffic Crossword Clue

21D

Painful struggles Crossword Clue

22D

Insertion indicators Crossword Clue

26D

Loos Crossword Clue

28D

Pixar film set in the Land of the Dead Crossword Clue

29D

Juice with a kick Crossword Clue

30D

Bygone black-and-white Post cereal Crossword Clue

31D

Like some kickoffs Crossword Clue

32D

“Totally pumped!” Crossword Clue

33D

Palak paneer go-with Crossword Clue

34D

Ill-bred fellow Crossword Clue

36D

alternative Crossword Clue

39D

Need after a breakup, perhaps Crossword Clue

40D

“Atlas Shrugged” author Rand Crossword Clue

41D

Classic Father’s Day gift Crossword Clue

47D

Behavioral quirks Crossword Clue

48D

Mic check Crossword Clue

49D

Work without ___ (take risks) Crossword Clue

50D

Famed loch Crossword Clue

51D

Release, as a podcast episode Crossword Clue

52D

Congressional staff member Crossword Clue

54D

Coupe or compact Crossword Clue

55D

Kibitzer, for example Crossword Clue

58D

“Society’s Child” singer Janis Crossword Clue

Clue Analysis

The clue “Caustic cleaner” is a classic crossword staple, frequently appearing in puzzles like the WSJ crossword. For the puzzle dated December 16 2025, the definitive 3-letter answer is: LYE.

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 3-letter answer for "Caustic cleaner" is LYE.

A: The clue 'Caustic cleaner' refers to a substance known for its strong, corrosive properties often used in cleaning. 'Lye' is a common name for sodium hydroxide, which is a caustic substance used to clean drains and in soap making.

A: This clue was last seen in the WSJ Crossword on December 16, 2025.

A: Lye is a strongly alkaline solution, often sodium hydroxide, used in cleaning and soap making.

A: Cleaning substance with a dishonest-sounding name, Basic soapmaking ingredient, Caustic paint stripper, NaOH, Harsh cleaning agent

Today's Crossword Answers

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

Caustic cleaner WSJ Crossword Clue

Crossword Answer

Interactive Solver for Caustic cleaner Crossword Clue