Play a mean guitar crossword clue
81 Down · WSJ Crossword, June 6, 2026 · 5 letters
Explanation
The answer to “Play a mean guitar” is SHRED. It appears as 81 Down in the Wall Street Journal crossword of June 6, 2026, a Saturday puzzle titled “Double Duty” by Vasu Seralathan, and it fills 5 squares running top to bottom from row 13, column 7 of the 21×21 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 D, and contains 1 vowel 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. 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
SHRED 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.