See a houndstooth pattern in random samplings? crossword clue
62 Across · WSJ Crossword, May 20, 2026 · 10 letters
Explanation
The answer to “See a houndstooth pattern in random samplings?” is SPOTCHECKS. It appears as 62 Across in the Wall Street Journal crossword of May 20, 2026, a Wednesday puzzle titled “Look Both Ways” by Gary Larson, and it fills 10 squares running left to right from row 13, column 6 of the 15×15 grid.
The question mark at the end of the clue signals wordplay: the surface reading is a misdirection, and the answer fits a punning or figurative sense of the words. The entry begins with S and ends with S, and contains 2 vowels and 8 consonants. If you are working from the crossings, two or three confirmed letters from the Down entries should be enough to lock it in. Wednesday puzzles sit mid-week on the difficulty curve, so expect the rest of this grid to be pitched at the same level.
Past appearances
SPOTCHECKS 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.