Pretentious manner

Latest answer — July 20, 2026

53 Across

Think about someone who likes to show off a bit! 🎭

Scroll down for rest of crossword answers

WSJ Crossword

This clue's Monday, July 20, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Extra NHL periods
  2. 4Hand-formed rock?
  3. 8Remove from the will
  4. 14Royal heir, often
  5. 15Blows away
  6. 16Clarke of “Game of Thrones”
  7. 17Transmitter of Rocky Mountain spotted fever
  8. 19Number of feet between baseball bases
  9. 20Very, very old
  10. 21Common car freshener scent
  11. 22Gallagher of Oasis
  12. 23Film used in lieu of a missing Tupperware lid
  13. 28Show
  14. 31Skinny 30-Down
  15. 32Green org. since the 1970s
  16. 33“The Little Mermaid” king
  17. 35Gave up
  18. 37Foes of clear-cutting
  19. 39Consigliere’s organization
  20. 41“Pass”
  21. 42In the spirit of
  22. 43Gas station store
  23. 45Volcano of Mordor, in “LOTR”
  24. 49Pooch who follows you from room to room
  25. 52Tim McGraw hit “The Cowboy ___”
  26. 53Pretentious manner
  27. 54Conference programs
  28. 57Is under no obligation to
  29. 60“Star Trek” group, or a punny description of 17-, 23-, 37- and 49-Across
  30. 61It’s issued by an Amer. embassy
  31. 62Friend
  32. 63Diner dessert
  33. 64Four-alarmers, say
  34. 65Wise mentor he is
  35. 66Tee preceder

Down

  1. 1Warren Commission subject
  2. 2Canadian coin with a polar bear on the reverse
  3. 3Moviegoer’s nonpareil
  4. 4Destiny
  5. 5“That’s game!”
  6. 6Religious offshoots
  7. 7Chastising sound
  8. 8Refutation
  9. 9“You got the wrong guy!”
  10. 10Tough connective tissue
  11. 11Soccer stadium cheer
  12. 12Comic’s asset
  13. 13Dissenter’s vote
  14. 181950s New York Philharmonic conductor Mitropoulos
  15. 21They go into power outlets
  16. 24Gonna soon
  17. 25Wine list heading
  18. 26One who might thrive in a banana republic?
  19. 27Athlete’s protector
  20. 29Hair conditioner kin
  21. 30Neckwear item
  22. 34Helping for a glutton, maybe
  23. 36Losing ground, literally
  24. 37Big name in nonstick pans
  25. 38Shapely leg, in old slang
  26. 39Dallas baller
  27. 40Pub serving
  28. 44They come from the heart
  29. 46Strung out, say
  30. 47Sultan Haitham’s subjects
  31. 48Predicaments
  32. 50Port of southwest Spain
  33. 51Pico de ___
  34. 55Coat expensively
  35. 56“Orinoco Flow” singer
  36. 57Crux of the matter
  37. 58Night sch. course
  38. 59Longoria of “Desperate Housewives”
  39. 60Sister company of Zales

The answer to “Pretentious manner” in the Wall Street Journal crossword is AIRS — a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the Wall Street Journal crossword on July 20, 2026, a Monday puzzle, at 53-Across. 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.

“Pretentious manner” answer

AIRS (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 AIRS.

Why the answer is AIRS

Think about someone who likes to show off a bit! 🎭

What does AIRS mean?

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

(noun)

  • the invisible gaseous substance surrounding the earth, a mixture mainly of oxygen and nitrogen
  • an impression of a quality or manner given by someone or something
  • a tune or short melodious song

When else has “Pretentious manner” 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.

July 20, 2026 (most recent) → AIRS. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Pretentious manner”?

The answer is AIRS, a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the Wall Street Journal crossword on July 20, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Pretentious manner”?

4 letters: AIRS.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the Wall Street Journal crossword on July 20, 2026 (a Monday puzzle), at 53-Across.

Can “Pretentious manner” 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 July 20, 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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