WSJ Crossword Answers Today – March 4, 2026 – Two Out of Three Guide

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WSJ Crossword Answers Today – March 4, 2026 – Two Out of Three Guide

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wsj crossword 8

Table of Contents

Today’s WSJ Crossword Puzzle Overview

Today’s WSJ Crossword, titled “Two Out of Three” by David Alfred Bywaters, presents a clever homophone theme. The grid features a standard 15×15 layout with a moderate density of black squares. Solvers will find a mix of straightforward clues and punny theme entries.

WSJ Interactive Grid
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1B
2A
3N
4F
5F
6W
7A
8S
9H
10A
11C
12M
13E
14A
C
E
L
A
15O
T
T
O
16L
A
I
R
17B
E
A
U
B
18O
W
B
O
W
19G
I
N
A
20A
S
T
O
21H
E
A
P
22S
O
R
T
S
23R
24O
S
E
R
O
25W
S
R
O
S
E
26C
27A
28S
I
N
O
29V
A
N
E
30A
L
O
N
E
31P
32I
E
R
33B
34I
35O
36B
O
R
E
D
37B
O
A
R
D
38B
39O
A
R
D
40S
E
E
41E
L
M
S
42I
T
S
M
E
43G
44A
L
L
45B
E
H
E
A
D
46F
47A
48I
R
F
A
I
49R
50F
A
R
E
51I
N
S
E
T
52N
E
A
R
53R
54I
55C
56H
57N
I
N
E
58D
A
M
N
D
59A
M
D
A
M
60A
M
O
K
61O
T
I
C
62S
A
L
V
O
63L
E
T
S
64S
E
X
Y
65K
N
E
E
S
1.Canada’s first national park
BANFF
6.Divest of dirt
WASH
10.Zenith
ACME
14.Service that can reach 160 miles per hour
ACELA
15.Good name for a car mechanic
OTTO
16.Digs that might be dug
LAIR
17.Ribbon for a boyfriend’s archery set?
BEAUBOWBOW
19.Torres of Fox’s “Memory of a Killer”
GINA
20.In connection with
ASTO
21.Disorderly accumulation
HEAP
22.Puts in piles, maybe
SORTS
23.Flowers grew, in a carefully laid-out garden?
ROSEROWSROSE
26.Slot spot
CASINO
29.Wind-powered device
VANE
30.Without helpers
ALONE
31.Moorage structure
PIER
33.Life in brief?
BIO
36.Weary lumber industry regulators?
BOREDBOARDBOARD
40.“Didn’t I warn you?”
SEE
41.National Mall sights
ELMS
42.Self-identifying cry
ITSME
43.Audacity
GALL
45.Decapitate
BEHEAD
46.Passable funnel cakes or cotton candy?
FAIRFAIRFARE
51.Map detail
INSET
52.Close by
NEAR
53.Bad for your diet, probably
RICH
57.Low card in pinochle
NINE
58.“That accursed mother of a beaver!”?
DAMNDAMDAM
60.Bad way to run
AMOK
61.Of the ear
OTIC
62.Verbal attack
SALVO
63.Response to “Shall we?”
LETS
64.Really hot
SEXY
65.Strike zone’s lower boundary
KNEES

🧠 Grid Strategy & Intersection Analysis

Breaking into this grid requires a systematic approach. Start by scanning for short, definitive clues, especially those with proper nouns or common abbreviations.

* **Corner Entry Points**: The top-left (1A, 1D) and top-right (6A, 10A, 11D, 12D, 13D) corners offer good starting points. Look for clues like “Canada’s first national park” (1A: BANFF) or “Zenith” (10A: ACME).
* **Leverage Shorter Fill**: Answers like 20A (ASTO), 21A (HEAP), and 22A (SORTS) can quickly open up sections. Similarly, 1D (BABA) and 2D (ACES) provide immediate letters.
* **Mid-Grid Access**: The central horizontal theme answer (36A) is long and crosses many down clues. Solving some of its intersecting downs will be key to unlocking this section.
* **Theme Confirmation**: Once you identify one theme answer, the pattern of repeated homophones will help confirm others. This makes subsequent theme entries easier to deduce.

📖 Theme Breakdown & Crosswordese

The theme, “Two Out of Three,” is a playful misdirection. The actual theme involves phrases where three homophones are repeated, clued with puns.

* **17A: BEAU BOW BOW** (Ribbon for a boyfriend’s archery set?) – Sounds like “bow-wow-wow.”
* **36A: BORED BOARD BOARD** (Weary lumber industry regulators?) – Sounds like “bored, bored, bored.”
* **46A: FAIR FAIR FARE** (Passable funnel cakes or cotton candy?) – Sounds like “fair, fair, fair.”
* **58A: DAMN DAM DAM** (“That accursed mother of a beaver!”?) – Sounds like “damn, damn, damn.”

This type of wordplay is a signature of David Alfred Bywaters. Keep an ear out for sound-alike phrases when tackling the longer clues.

**Crosswordese to Note:**
* **ACELA (14A)**: A common train service in crosswords.
* **OTTO (15A)**: A frequent name, often clued as a palindrome or a famous person.
* **GINA (19A)**: A common female name in puzzles.
* **ELMS (41A)**: A classic tree in crossword grids.
* **OTIC (61A)**: Pertaining to the ear, a common anatomical term.

✅ Today’s Top Answers (Top 20 Only)

Clue Answer Direction
1A: Canada’s first national park BANFF Across
6A: Divest of dirt WASH Across
10A: Zenith ACME Across
17A: Ribbon for a boyfriend’s archery set? BEAUBOWBOW Across
36A: Weary lumber industry regulators? BOREDBOARDBOARD Across
46A: Passable funnel cakes or cotton candy? FAIRFAIRFARE Across
51A: Map detail INSET Across
58A: “That accursed mother of a beaver!”? DAMNDAMDAM Across
64A: Really hot SEXY Across
65A: Strike zone’s lower boundary KNEES Across
1D: Rum-soaked sponge cake BABA Down
2D: High cards in pinochle ACES Down
4D: F in chemistry? FLUORINE Down
10D: Vice president with an Emmy and a Nobel Peace Prize GORE Down
11D: Site of the 72-acre Al-Azhar Park CAIRO Down
26D: Urban fleet CABS Down
33D: Vile EVIL Down
43D: Socrates and Sophocles, e.g. GREEKS Down
47D: “The Summer Hikaru Died” genre MANGA Down
55D: Troglodyte’s home CAVE Down

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the theme of today’s WSJ Crossword?

    Today’s theme, ‘Two Out of Three,’ features four multi-word phrases where three homophones are repeated. Each phrase is clued with a pun, such as ‘BEAU BOW BOW’ for a ribbon on an archery set.

  • Who is the constructor of the March 4, 2026 WSJ Crossword?

    The constructor for this puzzle is David Alfred Bywaters. He is known for his clever wordplay and often incorporates homophone themes into his crosswords.

  • How can I improve my WSJ Crossword solving speed?

    To improve speed, focus on common crosswordese, learn common abbreviations, and practice identifying theme types quickly. Solving regularly helps you recognize constructor patterns and common clueing styles.


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