Painful rebukes crossword clue
53 Across · WSJ Crossword, June 13, 2026 · 5 letters
Explanation
The answer to “Painful rebukes” is SLAPS. It appears as 53 Across in the Wall Street Journal crossword of June 13, 2026, a Saturday puzzle titled “Her Remixes” by Alex Bajcz, and it fills 5 squares running left to right from row 8, column 17 of the 21×21 grid.
A plural clue takes a plural answer, which is why the entry ends in S. The entry begins with S and ends with S, 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. This weekend puzzle uses the largest grid of the week, so expect the rest of this grid to be pitched at the same level.
Past appearances
SLAPS 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.