Home›May 21, 2026›39 Across

Big brute crossword clue

39 Across · WSJ Crossword, May 21, 2026 · 3 letters

Answer

APE

APE (3 letters)

Explanation

The answer to “Big brute” is APE. It appears as 39 Across in the Wall Street Journal crossword of May 21, 2026, a Thursday puzzle titled “I Could Go Either Way” by Jeff Stillman, and it fills 3 squares running left to right from row 8, column 7 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 A and ends with E, and contains 2 vowels and 1 consonant. If you are working from the crossings, two or three confirmed letters from the Down entries should be enough to lock it in. Thursday puzzles lean harder on misdirection, so expect the rest of this grid to be pitched at the same level.

Past appearances

Clues in other WSJ puzzles with the answer APE:

Bonobo, e.g.Jul 31, 2026
One who might thrive in a banana republic?Jul 20, 2026
Bonobo, e.g.Jul 1, 2026
LoutJun 3, 2026

Other clues from this puzzle

1ACol.’s subordinate

4ADecide that you will

9A“Groovy!”

14ACharacter voiced by Hank Azaria until 2017

15A“Black Doves” star Knightley

16AName that replaced Jersey Standard in 1972

17ALay the criticism on thick

19AAvignon’s western edge

20AFixes, as shoelaces

21AAction that might precede a brawl

23ALitmus reddener

24AOpportunity to retire?

27ASo-called “Island of the Gods”

28AFacing the sky, perhaps

32AFort Worth sch.

34AOnline chats, for short

36AInstrument named from the Persian for “three string”

37A“So long!”

40ADoctor’s orders

41AComplete range

42ACavs, on a scoreboard

43APocatello sch.

44AFood Network’s “Essence of ___”

46ATahoe runner

48AL.A. clock setting

51AIn shorter supply

53ARiboflavin, alternatively

54ARussian opposition leader Navalny

56ASkin care product derived from bird fat

58AGraph gradient

59ACourt worker’s machine

61AEye-defying works

62ABritney’s duet partner on “Hold Me Closer”

63ARef. with more than 500,000 entries

64ABygone birds

65ATombstone name

66A“For the people who serve” org.

1DStrong cotton fabric

3DWithout a moment to spare

4D“The Grapes of Wrath” figure

5DPlace for a pawdicure

6DUruguayan uncle

7DBelieve without reservation

8DThey may be minced

9DBad trait for a poker player

10DBoomers with bell-bottoms in the back of the closet, maybe

11DNeural transmitter

12DAsian secret society

13DBit of binary code

22DFourth qtr. followers

25DHipbone-related

27DGreyhound boarding needs

29D“Isn’t my place to decide,” or, spoken aloud, a component of 3-, 7-, 9- and 27-Down

30DBaseballer with a W on his cap

31DHesitant sounds

33DSwing teacher

35DWorrisome note on a quiz

37DEpoch division

38DSpillway site

45D“___ Mañanitas” (traditional Mexican birthday song)

47DSchoolyard comeback

49DTakes the wrong way

50DEl Greco Museum setting

53DOn the other hand

54DPurina brand

55DBridge engineer’s calculation

57DBlanc, par exemple

60DCharacter from Euripides

Full answers and explanations for May 21, 2026 ›