What is the answer to the WSJ Crossword clue "Refinement" from July 16, 2026?

Crossword clue

“Refinement”

This clue appeared as 42-Across in the WSJ Crossword on Thursday, July 16, 2026. The answer has 5 letters.

Answer · 5 lettersFirst appearance

CLASS

Letters5

Starts withC

Ends withS

Vowels1

Where this clue has appeared

WSJ Crossword
Jul 16, 20265 letters→

About this clue

The clue “Refinement” ran in the WSJ Crossword on July 16, 2026 as 42-Across. Its answer is a 5-letter word that starts with C and ends with S, with only 1 vowel, so think abbreviations or consonant clusters.

See every answer from the puzzle on the WSJ Crossword page for July 16, 2026, or learn how clues like this work in our guide to crossword clue types.

More clues from this puzzle

1AMake a muffler, maybe4 letters 5AEnd-of-week whoop4 letters 9AStopper, and sometime popper4 letters 13ABolivian boy4 letters 14ADress hat that West Pointers call a “tarbucket”5 letters 15ASoubrette’s song4 letters 16AGrammy-winning 1997 Radiohead album10 letters 18ADo a checkout chore4 letters

FAQ

What is the answer to the “Refinement” clue?+

The answer is CLASS (5 letters), from the WSJ Crossword of July 16, 2026.

Where has this clue appeared?+

We have seen it 1 time in the WSJ Crossword.

How do I find other WSJ Crossword answers?+

Open the full list of answers for July 16, 2026, or browse every date on the WSJ Crossword hub.