Avoid a trial crossword clue
9 Down · WSJ Crossword, October 20, 2026 · 6 letters
Explanation
The answer to “Avoid a trial” is SETTLE. It appears as 9 Down in the Wall Street Journal crossword of October 20, 2026, a Tuesday puzzle titled “Small Change” by Gene Leganza & Theresa Brady, and it fills 6 squares running top to bottom from row 1, column 10 of the 15×15 grid.
The clue is a straightforward definition, so the answer is a direct synonym or a factual match for the words as written. The entry begins with S and ends with E, and contains 2 vowels and 4 consonants. If you are working from the crossings, two or three confirmed letters from the Across entries should be enough to lock it in. Tuesday puzzles stay approachable with light wordplay, so expect the rest of this grid to be pitched at the same level.
Past appearances
SETTLE 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.