Bothersome crossword clue
38 Across · WSJ Crossword, August 11, 2026 · 5 letters
Explanation
The answer to “Bothersome” is PESKY. It appears as 38 Across in the Wall Street Journal crossword of August 11, 2026, a Tuesday puzzle titled “Imagine Dragons” by Steve Jopek, and it fills 5 squares running left to right from row 8, column 6 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 P and ends with Y, and contains 1 vowel and 4 consonants. If you are working from the crossings, two or three confirmed letters from the Down 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
PESKY 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.