Artist’s rendering of the Indy finish flag? crossword clue
69 Across · WSJ Crossword, November 13, 2026 · 15 letters
Explanation
The answer to “Artist’s rendering of the Indy finish flag?” is CHECKEREDPASTEL. It appears as 69 Across in the Wall Street Journal crossword of November 13, 2026, a Friday puzzle titled “Elaboration” by Mike Shenk, and it fills 15 squares running left to right from row 11, column 4 of the 21×21 grid.
The question mark at the end of the clue signals wordplay: the surface reading is a misdirection, and the answer fits a punning or figurative sense of the words. The entry begins with C and ends with L, and contains 5 vowels and 10 consonants. If you are working from the crossings, two or three confirmed letters from the Down entries should be enough to lock it in. Friday puzzles are the Journal’s contest crosswords with a hidden meta answer, so expect the rest of this grid to be pitched at the same level.
Past appearances
CHECKEREDPASTEL has not appeared as an answer in any other WSJ puzzle in our index, which runs from May 2026 onward. It will be listed here the next time it turns up.