"Secret" ingredient? Crossword Clue
Looking for the answer to “"Secret" ingredient?” from the Washington Post Sunday crossword of January 4, 2026? It has 5 letters. Flip the tiles one at a time, try a hint first, or look through the rest of that puzzle.
Crossword answer
WASHINGTON POST SUNDAY, JANUARY 4, 2026
Tap a tile to see one letter, or show the whole answer.
SAUCE is the answer to “"Secret" ingredient?”. It means to season with a flavorful liquid dressing.
Hints
Three clues to the answer, gentle first. Open one at a time.
Hint 1 Meaning
To season with a flavorful liquid dressing.
Hint 2 Anagram
Its letters, scrambled: AEUSC.
Hint 3 Another clue
It has also been clued as “See 17-Across”.
More clues from the Washington Post Sunday (January 4, 2026)
Across
- 1. Supervolcano stuff4 letters, starts with LLAVA
- 5. Minor quarrel4 letters, starts with SSPAT
- 9. Many Gmail attachments4 letters, starts with PPDFS
- 13. Some regatta trophies4 letters, starts with OOARS
- 17. Cools with cold cubes4 letters, starts with IICES
- 18. Tell it!4 letters, starts with TTALE
- 19. Be in store for5 letters, starts with AAWAIT
- 21. Not trapped anymore5 letters, starts with FFREED
- 23. "True Flabby Preludes (for a Dog)" composer (Pennsylvania)9 letters, starts with EERIKSATIE
- 25. Mosquito-borne illness (Colorado)11 letters, starts with DDENGUEFEVER
- 27. Perceived by touch or taste, e.g.7 letters, starts with SSENSATE
- 28. Yearns (for)5 letters, starts with LLONGS
- 29. Feeling when blowing a fuse3 letters, starts with IIRE
- 30. ___ Bulletin (magazine with brain games)5 letters, starts with MMENSA
- 33. Pipe full of hot air4 letters, starts with FFLUE
- 34. Bombs in the NFL, e.g.6 letters, starts with PPASSES
- 37. Businesses involved in the mass production of clothing, collectively (Indiana)15 letters, starts with GGARMENTINDUSTRY
- 43. Saxophonists' items5 letters, starts with RREEDS
- 44. Marian Anderson performance that is aptly hidden in her name4 letters, starts with AARIA
- 45. Hearty bar beverage5 letters, starts with SSTOUT
- 46. Produce, as a tone4 letters, starts with EEMIT
- 48. Change, as boundary lines6 letters, starts with RREDRAW
- 51. "No need to go on" (Oklahoma)10 letters, starts with EENOUGHSAID
- 55. Narrative progression3 letters, starts with AARC
- 58. Significant other3 letters, starts with BBAE
- 59. Those enforcing rules that Kings must live by4 letters, starts with RREFS
- 61. Turbine spinners6 letters, starts with RROTORS
- 62. Deadly contest4 letters, starts with DDUEL
- 63. "Secret" ingredient?5 letters, starts with SSAUCE
- 65. Steering wheels at sea5 letters, starts with HHELMS
- 66. HR booster6 letters, starts with CCARDIO
- 68. Documentary photographer who's considered a pioneer of South African resistance art (Nebraska)10 letters, starts with OOMARBADSHA
- 72. Critical moment (Michigan)10 letters, starts with FFLASHPOINT
- 74. Western justice figure6 letters, starts with LLAWMAN
- 75. "___ Kitchen" (cooking competition show)5 letters, starts with HHELLS
- 77. Big animal desired in a 1953 Gayla Peevey Christmas song, briefly5 letters, starts with HHIPPO
- 78. "How unfortunate"4 letters, starts with AALAS
- 79. Take badly?6 letters, starts with TTHIEVE
- 81. Strip, as a citrus layer4 letters, starts with PPEEL
- 82. Monounsaturated or polyunsaturated substance3 letters, starts with FFAT
- 85. Be up in the air?3 letters, starts with FFLY
- 86. 2010 sci-fi sequel involving a virtual reality world called the Grid (California)10 letters, starts with TTRONLEGACY
- 89. Creature featured on Catster6 letters, starts with FFELINE
- 91. Former senator Evan4 letters, starts with BBAYH
- 92. Take to task5 letters, starts with SSCOLD
- 94. Resort near Snowbird4 letters, starts with AALTA
- 95. Sober and serious5 letters, starts with SSTAID
- 98. "... but this might not be the case" (Utah)15 letters, starts with OORSOITWOULDSEEM
- 104. Martin who won an Oscar for his portrayal of Bela Lugosi in "Ed Wood"6 letters, starts with LLANDAU
- 106. Monopoly deed figure4 letters, starts with RRENT
- 107. Contemptuous smile5 letters, starts with SSNEER
- 108. "wow this is gr8!"3 letters, starts with OOMG
- 109. Edgar ___, FBI special agent played by Rob Brown on "Blindspot"5 letters, starts with RREADE
- 111. "Don't worry about it"7 letters, starts with TTHATSOK
- 116. Dish featuring a bag of chips often filled with ground beef, cheese, beans, salsa and sour cream (Texas)11 letters, starts with WWALKINGTACO
- 120. Currently out (Alaska)9 letters, starts with NNOTATHOME
- 122. Reason for a winter weather advisory5 letters, starts with SSLEET
- 123. "Don't just sit there!"5 letters, starts with GGETUP
- 124. Cake-baking appliance4 letters, starts with OOVEN
- 125. "Tell it!"4 letters, starts with AAMEN
- 126. "And so ..."4 letters, starts with EERGO
- 127. Co. division4 letters, starts with DDEPT
- 128. Go through a kiddie pool4 letters, starts with WWADE
- 129. "Jack and Jill ___ up the hill ..."4 letters, starts with WWENT
Down
- 1. Deceitful declarations4 letters, starts with LLIES
- 2. Section of a field4 letters, starts with AACRE
- 3. Circulatory system tube4 letters, starts with VVEIN
- 4. Shows curiosity4 letters, starts with AASKS
- 5. College of ___ Island (East Coast Conference school)6 letters, starts with SSTATEN
- 6. Inventors' safeguards7 letters, starts with PPATENTS
- 7. "Champions aren't made in gyms" writer Muhammad3 letters, starts with AALI
- 8. Piece of concert merch3 letters, starts with TTEE
- 9. Knee or shoulder cover3 letters, starts with PPAD
- 10. Resides (in)6 letters, starts with DDWELLS
- 11. Disperse during a search6 letters, starts with FFANOUT
- 12. Endorser with a pen6 letters, starts with SSIGNER
- 13. Missing the mark3 letters, starts with OOFF
- 14. "All systems ___ go"3 letters, starts with AARE
- 15. Update, as a blog post6 letters, starts with RREVISE
- 16. Blow a fuse6 letters, starts with SSEERED
- 20. A real jerk3 letters, starts with TTUG
- 22. Apparel often featured on "Project Runway"5 letters, starts with DDRESS
- 24. ___-sex marriage4 letters, starts with SSAME
- 26. Power that Karen in "Mean Girls" thought she might have (but she thought it had an N at the end, which made it a sports network)3 letters, starts with EESP
- 31. Chrome destinations5 letters, starts with SSITES
- 32. In a bit, in a poem4 letters, starts with AANON
- 33. It's gonna happen6 letters, starts with FFUTURE
- 35. Like a rainless terrain4 letters, starts with AARID
- 36. Tennis match segment3 letters, starts with SSET
- 37. Attire4 letters, starts with GGARB
- 38. Surface calculation4 letters, starts with AAREA
- 39. Heads off into the sunset, as in a western9 letters, starts with RRIDESAWAY
- 40. Damage the surface of3 letters, starts with MMAR
- 41. Green owl mascot of a language-learning app3 letters, starts with DDUO
- 42. 2026, e.g.4 letters, starts with YYEAR
- 47. Rapscallion's deeds8 letters, starts with MMISCHIEF
- 49. Island setting of Arikok National Park5 letters, starts with AARUBA
- 50. "Let's give it a shot and see what happens"8 letters, starts with WWECANTRY
- 52. Goes for a drive?5 letters, starts with GGOLFS
- 53. Comp sci major's code4 letters, starts with HHTML
- 54. McGwire's slugging rival in 1998 and 19994 letters, starts with SSOSA
- 55. Voice Memos recording, e.g.9 letters, starts with AAUDIOFILE
- 56. "Seabiscuit" director?4 letters, starts with RREIN
- 57. Coagulate4 letters, starts with CCLOT
- 60. Given lunch or dinner3 letters, starts with FFED
- 62. Little bit of liquid4 letters, starts with DDROP
- 64. Limbs providing hugs4 letters, starts with AARMS
- 65. Divide into two equal portions5 letters, starts with HHALVE
- 67. Fruit that tempted Atalanta5 letters, starts with AAPPLE
- 68. "Frozen" friend of Anna4 letters, starts with OOLAF
- 69. Santa's venue, often4 letters, starts with MMALL
- 70. It's over a foot4 letters, starts with SSHIN
- 71. It's part of a foot4 letters, starts with HHEEL
- 73. ___-Hulk (member of Marvel's Lady Liberators)3 letters, starts with SSHE
- 76. Moves on foot quickly6 letters, starts with LLEGSIT
- 80. Snack that sounds like it would be Santa's favorite treat4 letters, starts with HHOHO
- 81. Orange marker in the corner of an end zone5 letters, starts with PPYLON
- 83. Payment before a deal4 letters, starts with AANTE
- 84. Tournament group4 letters, starts with TTEAM
- 86. Cry after a magic trick4 letters, starts with TTADA
- 87. Have a part to play3 letters, starts with AACT
- 88. Ranch beasts4 letters, starts with CCOWS
- 90. "Viva ___ Vegas"3 letters, starts with LLAS
- 91. Offer made on eBay3 letters, starts with BBID
- 93. Shared a number?7 letters, starts with DDUETTED
- 95. Lowers one's speed5 letters, starts with SSLOWS
- 96. Husk-wrapped dish6 letters, starts with TTAMALE
- 97. Fishhook user6 letters, starts with AANGLER
- 99. Like "It"6 letters, starts with RRRATED
- 100. Calm before a procedure, say6 letters, starts with SSEDATE
- 101. Eight fluid ounces6 letters, starts with OONECUP
- 102. "Shutter Island" author Dennis6 letters, starts with LLEHANE
- 103. "Dash it all!"4 letters, starts with DDRAT
- 105. Mantel receptacle3 letters, starts with UURN
- 110. "Deviled" food item3 letters, starts with EEGG
- 112. Soften in the spring4 letters, starts with TTHAW
- 113. "___ Like It Hot"4 letters, starts with SSOME
- 114. What a diviner may interpret4 letters, starts with OOMEN
- 115. Clark of "Smallville"4 letters, starts with KKENT
- 117. Beer bash barrel3 letters, starts with KKEG
- 118. "Trial of the Century" judge Lance3 letters, starts with IITO
- 119. Make a selection3 letters, starts with OOPT
- 120. "How do you like me ___?!"3 letters, starts with NNOW
- 121. Fertility lab donations3 letters, starts with OOVA
Fresh clues from recent puzzles
Questions
What is the answer to “"Secret" ingredient?”?
SAUCE, 5 letters: to season with a flavorful liquid dressing.
When was “"Secret" ingredient?” last seen in a crossword?
In the Washington Post Sunday crossword of January 4, 2026.
How many letters does the answer have?
5 letters, starting with S.