Summer noisemakers crossword clue
32 Across · WSJ Crossword, June 18, 2026 · 7 letters
Explanation
The answer to “Summer noisemakers” is CICADAS. It appears as 32 Across in the Wall Street Journal crossword of June 18, 2026, a Thursday puzzle titled “Not a Straight Answer” by Ella Dershowitz, and it fills 7 squares running left to right from row 7, column 4 of the 15×15 grid.
A plural clue takes a plural answer, which is why the entry ends in S. The entry begins with C and ends with S, and contains 3 vowels 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. Thursday puzzles lean harder on misdirection, so expect the rest of this grid to be pitched at the same level.
Past appearances
CICADAS 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.