Speaks for, briefly crossword clue
5 Across · WSJ Crossword, September 4, 2026 · 4 letters
Explanation
The answer to “Speaks for, briefly” is REPS. It appears as 5 Across in the Wall Street Journal crossword of September 4, 2026, a Friday puzzle titled “AI Slop” by Christopher Youngs, and it fills 4 squares running left to right from row 1, column 6 of the 21×21 grid.
The shortening cue in the clue tells you to expect an abbreviation or initials rather than a full word. The entry begins with R and ends with S, and contains 1 vowel and 3 consonants. If you are working from the crossings, two or three confirmed letters from the Down entries should be enough to lock it in. Friday puzzles are the Journal’s contest crosswords with a hidden meta answer, so expect the rest of this grid to be pitched at the same level.
Past appearances
REPS 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.