Clue for a detective Crossword Clue

We have the 4-letter answer for Clue for a detective crossword clue, last seen in the WSJ Crossword January 17, 2026 puzzle. Sometimes we all need some help finding the answer!

Clue for a detective Crossword Answer

→89.

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Helpful Hints

(verb)
1. be in charge of
2. take somebody somewhere
(noun)
1. the introductory section of a story
2. a jumper that consists of a short piece of wire

Hint 2: Clue Definitions

DETECTIVE (noun)
1. a police officer who investigates crimes
2. an investigator engaged or employed in obtaining information not easily available to the public
CLUE (noun)
1. a slight indication
2. evidence that helps to solve a problem
CLUE (verb)
1. roll into a ball

Hint 3: Anagram

Unscramble the letters below to solve for today's answer.
DALE

More WSJ Crossword (1/17/2026) Answers

Across

1. Artificially engineered plants, for short

5. Just beat

9. Bears quarterback Williams

14. Responsibility

19. Go on and on

20. Circular focus

21. “Shrine of Texas Liberty”

22. First full month of Major League Baseball’s season

23. Not docked

24. Furious with Big Tobacco?

26. Flora and fauna

27. Apparition

29. Component of an annoying cloud

30. Bamboozled

31. Like parking garage rates, sometimes

32. Layer of Charmin, e.g.

33. Like Ramadan

36. Acknowledge

37. Appropriate farewell for a chef?

39. Concealed from the cops, say

42. Intimate intimacy with the rich and famous

45. Shrewdness

46. Response to the Little Red Hen

47. Place for buds to hang

50. Milano of “Charmed”

51. Opposed to

52. Digits with dashes, for short

53. Blasé about one’s stamina?

55. Braking sound

58. Anatomic pouch

59. Oregon city near the Columbia River’s mouth

60. Famous last words?

62. Invited

64. Ostentatious

65. Exam whose primary question is “Better or worse?”

67. Tiny amounts

71. High country

74. Make over

75. Relieve

77. Roll of bills

80. What a trash talker may do after a victory

82. Suffering from seasonal affective disorder?

84. Oscar winner Guinness

86. Indian bread

87. Moocher or quick learner

90. Big furniture retailer

91. Strait-laced

92. “Spamalot” creator

94. Airplane seat features

96. Tennis icon Arthur

97. Dazzling images

101. Branch offices?

103. In shape

104. Tom Canty, in a Twain novel

105. Members of the nobility

107. Potpie bits

109. Tablet that weighs less than 11 ounces

111. Line to the audience

112. Sympathetic about other people’s hopes and dreams?

115. Organic fuel

116. Physics Nobelist Bohr

117. Become apparent

118. Junk, say

119. Prefix with plasm or parasite

120. West Pointer

121. Pool contents?

122. Friendly state

123. Campus VIP

All Answers

Down

1. Italian brandy

2. Potato choice

3. Distinguishing feature of the villain in “The Fugitive”

4. Bummed out about one’s social status?

5. English assignment

6. Blocks

7. Latch (onto)

8. Comics shriek

9. Shrewd

10. Simple pond plant

11. Christine of "Chicago Hope"

12. Broody music

13. Spam generator, perhaps

14. Wicked cool

15. Fodder for pollsters

16. Upset over anemic bloodwork results?

17. Dark time in the ad world

18. Pleased as punch

25. Dome homes

28. Bye!

30. Having a bad trip, maybe

32. Tabbouleh component

34. Have a real talent for

35. Foamy cupfuls

37. Rosalind's cousin in "As You Like It"

38. Tranquil scene

40. Sicilian volcano

41. Tiddlywink, e.g.

43. When said twice, a Polynesian food fish

44. Anxious about a background check?

45. Field for Mars

47. First word of “A Visit From St. Nicholas”

48. One might be well-made

49. A big fan of

54. Official town gossip?

56. Tipped off

57. Bank job

61. Hatcher of TV

63. Enthusiastic about extra-strong cocktails?

65. Snob

66. Diva, often

68. Yarn

69. Orinoco flow?

70. Bit of finch food

72. Orchid and thistle, e.g.

73. Cancels, as a mission

75. Longhorn rival

76. Get rid of

77. Make like an unhappy baby

78. __-Seltzer

79. Burned out on philosophy?

81. Kaine who ran with Hillary Clinton

83. Ruler unit

85. It usually comes with a kit

88. Put in a good word for

93. Laundry unit

95. “Ready Player One” writer Cline

98. For each

99. Soprano Scotto

100. Neptune’s largest moon

102. 1992 Olympics host

103. Mythological trio

104. Present time?

105. Judge's seat

106. Where the Indus and Irtysh flow

108. It may follow something

109. Pop star

110. Ring out

112. Funny bit

113. Rock metal?

114. Wizards’ org.

All Answers