Novel framework

Latest answer — August 31, 2026

18 Down

Scroll down for rest of crossword answers

Clue explained

A novel’s plot is its framework of events and actions—the narrative structure that supports the story.

Clue type:
Definition
A simple diagram showing the rising and falling structure of a novel’s plot

WSJ Crossword

This clue's Monday, August 31, 2026 appearance

Tap a square to reveal a letter.

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

Across

  1. 1Black-and-white
  2. 7It might be a lot
  3. 11Budget limit
  4. 14Camden Yards ballplayer
  5. 15Bird on Canadian coins
  6. 16Spanish cheer
  7. 17Groundskeeper?
  8. 19Migration formation
  9. 20Bulletin board fastener
  10. 21Stately tree
  11. 22Deplete
  12. 24Opposite of NNW
  13. 25Ventricles?
  14. 28Historian’s study
  15. 29Stop in the Sahara
  16. 30Sweepstakes form
  17. 33German cry
  18. 34Nutrient-rich soil
  19. 37Basemen?
  20. 41Minor mistake
  21. 42Relig. group with elders
  22. 43Gas between neon and krypton on the periodic table
  23. 44Believer in spiritual unity
  24. 46Breaches
  25. 48Long iron?
  26. 51One of the Bobbsey twins
  27. 54Sheet material
  28. 55Word with drum or plug
  29. 56Tiniest bit
  30. 57Copying, on menus
  31. 58Persona non grata at a casino, demonstrated by this puzzle’s theme
  32. 62“That’s Not All Folks!” memoirist Blanc
  33. 63A matter of degrees?
  34. 64Lacking sufficient hemoglobin
  35. 65Workplaces for some M.D.s
  36. 66Nabisco treat
  37. 67Doughnut units

Down

  1. 1Lacquer layers
  2. 2Black-and-white swimmers
  3. 3Rook or bishop
  4. 4Diner staffer
  5. 5TV character from Melmac
  6. 6Patches anew
  7. 7Siege site of 1836
  8. 8Fish and chips fish
  9. 9Lobster eggs
  10. 10Occurs next
  11. 11Jimi Hendrix’s “All Along the Watchtower,” for one
  12. 12Alaskan islander
  13. 13Colorful Easter treats
  14. 18Novel framework
  15. 23Cruiser’s complement
  16. 25Diggs of “Rent”
  17. 26Center points
  18. 27“Real funny”
  19. 28Whip up
  20. 30UFO pilots
  21. 31Rangers’ org.
  22. 32Courts of justice
  23. 33Paid spots
  24. 35Furor
  25. 36Yahoo! alternative
  26. 38“Frozen” snowman
  27. 39Acct.-protection org.
  28. 40Tourists’ aids
  29. 45Big boss
  30. 46Green dip, informally
  31. 47Traveling the world, perhaps
  32. 48Olympics symbol
  33. 49Crude carrier
  34. 50Brought about
  35. 51Claim of innocence
  36. 52Skipped the restaurant
  37. 53Dealer catchers
  38. 56“Mockingbird” singer Foxx
  39. 59___ Lingus
  40. 60Issa of “Insecure”
  41. 61Dos preceder

The answer to “Novel framework” in the Wall Street Journal crossword is PLOT — a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the Wall Street Journal crossword on August 31, 2026, a Monday puzzle, at 18-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.

“Novel framework” answer

PLOT (4 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 PLOT.

What does PLOT mean?

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

(noun)

  • a plan made in secret by a group of people to do something illegal or harmful
  • the main events of a play, novel, film, or similar work, devised and presented by the writer as an interrelated sequence
  • a small piece of ground marked out for a purpose such as building or gardening

When else has “Novel framework” 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.

August 31, 2026 (most recent) → PLOT. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Novel framework”?

The answer is PLOT, a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the Wall Street Journal crossword on August 31, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Novel framework”?

4 letters: PLOT.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the Wall Street Journal crossword on August 31, 2026 (a Monday puzzle), at 18-Down.

Can “Novel framework” 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 31, 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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