Heavy rock group, and a punny descriptor of 17-, 34- and 41-Across crossword clue
59 Across · WSJ Crossword, August 10, 2026 · 9 letters
Explanation
The answer to “Heavy rock group, and a punny descriptor of 17-, 34- and 41-Across” is METALBAND. It appears as 59 Across in the Wall Street Journal crossword of August 10, 2026, a Monday puzzle titled “Playing Hard” by Braden Weaver, and it fills 9 squares running left to right from row 13, 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 M and ends with D, and contains 3 vowels and 6 consonants. If you are working from the crossings, two or three confirmed letters from the Down entries should be enough to lock it in. Monday puzzles are the most approachable of the week, so expect the rest of this grid to be pitched at the same level.
Past appearances
METALBAND 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.