Rods in bike wheels

Latest answer — July 29, 2026

51 Down

They connect the hub to the rim and keep the wheel true 🚲

Scroll down for rest of crossword answers

WaPo Crossword

This clue's Wednesday, July 29, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Daytona 500 org.
  2. 7Poetic measure
  3. 11Hushed "Hey!"
  4. 15Musical interval
  5. 16Enunciate poorly
  6. 17Stratford-__-Avon
  7. 18*Book series with a character in red-and-white stripes
  8. 20Café or thé lightener
  9. 21"When pigs fly!"
  10. 22Gender-specific pronoun
  11. 23Florence of Florence and the Machine
  12. 25Stage award
  13. 26*"Olly olly oxen free" game
  14. 29More spent
  15. 31R&R provider for GIs
  16. 32Steamed bun
  17. 33Play-__: Fun Factory maker
  18. 34Tally
  19. 36Garment worn with a choli
  20. 37*Presentation tool that doubles as a cat toy
  21. 41Nautical call
  22. 43Decide (to)
  23. 44Ecol. monitor
  24. 45Gun, as an engine
  25. 46Actress Thurman
  26. 48"Spoon River Anthology" poet Edgar Lee __
  27. 52*Document in some pirate stories
  28. 56Radar image
  29. 57Proprietor
  30. 58Diarist Anaïs
  31. 59Orchestral pace
  32. 60Kristen of "Bridesmaids"
  33. 61"Gotcha!," and what can be said about the answers to the starred clues
  34. 64Cozy quarters
  35. 65Japanese noodle
  36. 66"That's a lie!"
  37. 67Put through the paces
  38. 68Petty quarrels
  39. 69Goes back to zero

Down

  1. 1"There, there"
  2. 2"Things Fall Apart" novelist Chinua
  3. 3Aspartame alternative
  4. 4Opportunity for students to consider their futures
  5. 5State definitively
  6. 6Hi-__ monitor
  7. 7"To repeat ... "
  8. 8"I'll take complete credit, thanks"
  9. 9Mess around a sty
  10. 10Cleveland team
  11. 11Drawer handles
  12. 12Long key
  13. 13"That's the word on the street"
  14. 14Demolition letters
  15. 19Sound like a fan
  16. 24Tokyo, long ago
  17. 26"lol"
  18. 27A5 and Q5 automaker
  19. 28Colorful carp
  20. 30Safari platform
  21. 34Mobile download
  22. 35Polka __
  23. 36Vehicle safety devices
  24. 37LGBTQ+ rights slogan
  25. 38Sound like fans
  26. 39Quarter-moon tide
  27. 40Covers with sheets?
  28. 41__ deco
  29. 42Princess Leia, e.g.
  30. 46Word before "force" or "the Force"
  31. 47Cooing sound
  32. 48Quite a few
  33. 49Blues guitarist __ James
  34. 50Remove, as knitted stitches
  35. 51Rods in bike wheels
  36. 53High anxiety
  37. 54Supply funding for
  38. 55Attitudes
  39. 59Song
  40. 60Wisdom partner
  41. 62Fuss
  42. 63Possessive word

The answer to “Rods in bike wheels” in the The Washington Post crossword is SPOKES — a 6-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Washington Post crossword on July 29, 2026, a Wednesday puzzle, at 51-Down. Below you'll find why that fill fits, every other answer we've recorded for this clue, and links into the puzzle it came from.

“Rods in bike wheels” answer

SPOKES (6 letters)

Reveal the solution one letter at a time with the tiles above if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Just want it outright? The answer is SPOKES.

Why the answer is SPOKES

They connect the hub to the rim and keep the wheel true 🚲

What does SPOKES mean?

Reading the plain dictionary sense of SPOKES is often the fastest way to see why it answers this clue.

(noun)

  • each of the bars or wire rods connecting the centre of a wheel to its outer edge

When else has “Rods in bike wheels” appeared?

The Washington Post reuses clues across dates, sometimes with a different answer depending on the grid. Here's where this exact clue has shown up, and what the answer was each time — handy when you're checking whether today's fill is the only one.

July 29, 2026 (most recent) → SPOKES. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Rods in bike wheels”?

The answer is SPOKES, a 6-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Washington Post crossword on July 29, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Rods in bike wheels”?

6 letters: SPOKES.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Washington Post crossword on July 29, 2026 (a Wednesday puzzle), at 51-Down.

Can “Rods in bike wheels” have a different answer?

Yes — The Washington Post sometimes reuses a clue with a different solution to fit the grid. The answers we've recorded for each date it appeared are listed above when available.

Where can I find the rest of this day's WaPo Crossword answers?

The full grid for July 29, 2026 is on the WaPo Crossword answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

The Washington Post Crossword is published by The Washington Post; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

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