Facile

Latest answer — August 27, 2026

28 Across

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Clue explained

PAT means facile, smooth, or readily accomplished, as in a pat answer or pat solution. It is an adjective in this clue.

Clue type:
Definition
A simple solution represented by a lightbulb idea.

WSJ Crossword

This clue's Thursday, August 27, 2026 appearance

Contest: The answer to this week’s contest crossword is a five-letter word.

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Or reveal one clue at a time with the Hint and Answer buttons below.

Across

  1. 1Long way to travel
  2. 5Satyr’s celebration
  3. 9Baseball card info
  4. 14“Put ___ in it” (“Hold that thought”)
  5. 15Medal recipient
  6. 16Alter, as a skirt
  7. 17Beverage brand begun in Toronto
  8. 19Defense strategy
  9. 20Person who goes over the line?
  10. 21Found hilarious, perhaps
  11. 23Flamenco cry
  12. 24Virus-tracking org.
  13. 25Simple seat
  14. 28Facile
  15. 30Where a sitcom airs
  16. 34Business trip need, often
  17. 36Commotion
  18. 37Trifling
  19. 38Tad’s dad
  20. 39Prepares for wrestling practice, say
  21. 42Sad state
  22. 43Animal on the zodiaco español
  23. 45Low USMC rank
  24. 46Reduced to shreds
  25. 48Caress in the shower
  26. 49Simple Magic 8 Ball answer
  27. 50Cures, in a way
  28. 51Anvil site
  29. 53Trident-shaped letter
  30. 54Like Charlemagne
  31. 59Postal scale units
  32. 63Solitary sort
  33. 64Creamy cheese
  34. 66Beginner’s course
  35. 67“Sorry to say...”
  36. 68Dopey dog of the comics
  37. 69Song of triumph
  38. 70Vessel that’s oared
  39. 71Have a bawl

Down

  1. 1Delicate trim
  2. 2Apple Pencil target
  3. 3Variety of 2-Down
  4. 4Carousing
  5. 5United hub
  6. 6Roulette bet
  7. 7“This is so frustrating!”
  8. 8Fluctuate
  9. 9Pottery piece
  10. 10Verizon, e.g.
  11. 11Ringed by
  12. 12Brass family member
  13. 13Roasting rod
  14. 18Whipped cream helping
  15. 22Behave badly
  16. 25Boards under beds
  17. 26Completely unacceptable
  18. 27Domingo’s domain
  19. 28Repair bill section
  20. 29Paid spots
  21. 31Banister post
  22. 32River swimmer
  23. 33Company higher-ups
  24. 35Ancient documents
  25. 40“___ been had!”
  26. 41Pogo, e.g.
  27. 44Post-1968, in the tennis world
  28. 47Colorful arc
  29. 52“Rubber Capital of the World”
  30. 53Art of verse
  31. 54Irreverently glib
  32. 55Novelist Jaffe
  33. 56Pay to play
  34. 57Horse mackerel
  35. 58Bright ring
  36. 60Hand over
  37. 61Lake south of Niagara Falls
  38. 62Flight unit
  39. 65Spoil

The answer to “Facile” in the Wall Street Journal crossword is PAT — a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the Wall Street Journal crossword on August 27, 2026, a Thursday puzzle, at 28-Across, and it has also run on 1 earlier date with the same answer. 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.

“Facile” answer

PAT (3 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 PAT.

What does PAT mean?

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

(verb)

  • touch quickly and gently with the flat of the hand

When else has “Facile” appeared?

Wall Street Journal 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.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Facile”?

The answer is PAT, a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the Wall Street Journal crossword on August 27, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Facile”?

3 letters: PAT.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the Wall Street Journal crossword on August 27, 2026 (a Thursday puzzle), at 28-Across. Earlier appearances: August 7, 2026 → PAT.

Can “Facile” have a different answer?

Yes — Wall Street Journal 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 WSJ answers?

The full grid for August 27, 2026 is on the WSJ answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

Wall Street Journal Crossword is published by The Wall Street Journal; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

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