Hired muscle WSJ Crossword Clue

By Narcissa Kh / July 8, 2026

Crossword Answer

1 ? G

2 ? O

3 ? O

4 ? N

5 ? S

Hint

Interactive Solver for Hired muscle 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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Hint 1

hint

Reveal Hint

Think of the henchmen in classic gangster films, often seen in the background.

Hint 2

meaning

Reveal Hint

????? are people hired to intimidate or harm others, often used as enforcers.

Hint 3

explanation

Reveal Hint

The term 'hired muscle' refers to individuals who are employed to intimidate or use force. '?????' is a slang term for such enforcers, often depicted in media as thuggish or brutish individuals working for someone else.

Hint 4

another clue

Reveal Hint

Hired thugs

WSJ Crossword July 8 2026 Answers

Tap a cell to show its letter

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

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Clue Analysis

The clue “Hired muscle” is a classic crossword staple, frequently appearing in puzzles like the WSJ crossword. For the puzzle dated July 8 2026, the definitive 5-letter answer is: GOONS.

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 "Hired muscle" is GOONS.

A: The term 'hired muscle' refers to individuals who are employed to intimidate or use force. 'Goons' is a slang term for such enforcers, often depicted in media as thuggish or brutish individuals working for someone else.

A: This clue was last seen in the WSJ Crossword on July 08, 2026.

A: Goons are people hired to intimidate or harm others, often used as enforcers.

A: Hired thugs

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Hired muscle WSJ Crossword Clue

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