Play chords, in a way Crossword Clue
Looking for the answer to “Play chords, in a way” from the Washington Post Sunday crossword of July 12, 2026? It has 5 letters. Flip the tiles one at a time, try a hint first, or look through the rest of that puzzle.
Crossword answer
WASHINGTON POST SUNDAY, JULY 12, 2026
Tap a tile to see one letter, or show the whole answer.
STRUM is the answer to “Play chords, in a way”. It means to play a stringed instrument by running the fingers lightly across the strings.
Hints
Three clues to the answer, gentle first. Open one at a time.
Hint 1 Meaning
To play a stringed instrument by running the fingers lightly across the strings.
Hint 2 Anagram
Its letters, scrambled: TMRSU.
Hint 3 Another clue
It has also been clued as “Play casually, say”.
More clues from the Washington Post Sunday (July 12, 2026)
Across
- 1. Legal action6 letters, starts with AAPPEAL
- 7. Temple VIP4 letters, starts with LLAMA
- 11. Skate park fixture4 letters, starts with RRAMP
- 15. Engage in sycophancy4 letters, starts with FFAWN
- 19. Like so, informally6 letters, starts with TTHUSLY
- 20. Baltic feeder4 letters, starts with OODER
- 21. See 117 Across4 letters, starts with IIDLE
- 22. Noted mausoleum city4 letters, starts with AAGRA
- 23. Female horse handle? (Surprise! Did you expect a clue about a movie star?)11 letters, starts with MMARQUEENAME
- 25. Start of a conversation with Fox News analyst Hume? (Surprise! Did you expect a clue about a moniker?)9 letters, starts with SSOBRIQUET
- 27. Play chords, in a way5 letters, starts with SSTRUM
- 28. Newspaper with Société pages7 letters, starts with LLEMONDE
- 30. ___ Clown Posse ("Hokus Pokus" horrorcore group)6 letters, starts with IINSANE
- 31. Gather5 letters, starts with IINFER
- 33. Judge of 1990s news3 letters, starts with IITO
- 34. Pro ___4 letters, starts with BBONO
- 36. No. 39 on a table7 letters, starts with YYTTRIUM
- 39. Wedding VIPs' fight? (Surprise! Did you expect a clue about flowers?)13 letters, starts with BBRIDALBOUQUET
- 45. Lake by Euclid4 letters, starts with EERIE
- 46. Illustrative puzzle5 letters, starts with RREBUS
- 48. Columnist Collins4 letters, starts with GGAIL
- 49. "Alla ___" (classic Mozart rondo)5 letters, starts with TTURCA
- 50. Create fiction, say3 letters, starts with LLIE
- 51. Disadvantage5 letters, starts with MMINUS
- 52. "C'mon, help me out"6 letters, starts with BBEAPAL
- 54. Hunchback of fiction4 letters, starts with IIGOR
- 55. Minimum number of roles an actor can get? (Surprise! Did you expect a clue about hardwood?)12 letters, starts with PPARQUETFLOOR
- 58. Repulses7 letters, starts with SSICKENS
- 60. Exit6 letters, starts with EEGRESS
- 61. Non-democratic rule4 letters, starts with FFIAT
- 62. Ton of, casually5 letters, starts with LLOTTA
- 64. Makes use of "It," say?5 letters, starts with RREADS
- 65. Posted4 letters, starts with SSENT
- 66. Looping online images4 letters, starts with GGIFS
- 67. Heraklion's locale5 letters, starts with CCRETE
- 72. Influential faction5 letters, starts with EELITE
- 74. Bridges in pictures4 letters, starts with JJEFF
- 75. Game spots6 letters, starts with SSTADIA
- 76. Became belligerent7 letters, starts with BBATTLED
- 80. Field for analyzing an old medical show? (Surprise! Did you expect a clue about LGBT issues?)12 letters, starts with QQUEERSTUDIES
- 82. Moisturizing additive4 letters, starts with AALOE
- 83. Cleaning aid6 letters, starts with WWETRAG
- 86. App prototypes5 letters, starts with BBETAS
- 87. One-third of nove3 letters, starts with TTRE
- 88. Aotearoa people5 letters, starts with MMAORI
- 90. Ax4 letters, starts with BBOOT
- 91. Ibis, e.g.5 letters, starts with WWADER
- 92. "I like it!"4 letters, starts with CCOOL
- 93. Opposed to a Vegas worker? (Surprise! Did you expect a clue about selling heirlooms?)13 letters, starts with AANTIQUEDEALER
- 96. Puts another way7 letters, starts with RREWORDS
- 98. Proverbs preposition4 letters, starts with UUNTO
- 99. Civil War loser, for short3 letters, starts with RREB
- 100. He overthrew Fulgencio in the 1950s5 letters, starts with FFIDEL
- 101. Region greatly affected by climate change6 letters, starts with AARCTIC
- 105. Like some signatures7 letters, starts with DDIGITAL
- 107. ___ Maza (human protagonist of the 1990s cartoon "Gargoyles")5 letters, starts with EELISA
- 111. Valentine's alias, briefly? (Surprise! Did you expect a clue about a famous drummer?)9 letters, starts with QQUESTLOVE
- 114. "Are there breaks in this song?" (Surprise! Did you expect a clue about asking what someone wants from the market?)11 letters, starts with AANYREQUESTS
- 116. Negate, as a user would4 letters, starts with UUNDO
- 117. With 21 Across, member of the comedy troupe that made this puzzle's title famous4 letters, starts with EERIC
- 118. Citrus taste4 letters, starts with TTANG
- 119. Detach, as some ties6 letters, starts with UUNCLIP
- 120. Improves, in a way4 letters, starts with AAGES
- 121. Strive for4 letters, starts with SSEEK
- 122. Vowel-rich treat4 letters, starts with OOREO
- 123. Perfume compounds6 letters, starts with EESTERS
Down
- 1. 20s sources4 letters, starts with AATMS
- 2. "Great," in 1990s hip-hop lyrics4 letters, starts with PPHAT
- 3. Sound from a sphynx4 letters, starts with PPURR
- 4. GQ alternative7 letters, starts with EESQUIRE
- 5. Group of donors, often6 letters, starts with AALUMNI
- 6. Soap component3 letters, starts with LLYE
- 7. Social butterfly's antithesis5 letters, starts with LLONER
- 8. West once on TV4 letters, starts with AADAM
- 9. Politico's stories7 letters, starts with MMEMOIRS
- 10. Coy response6 letters, starts with AARENTI
- 11. "All ___"4 letters, starts with RRISE
- 12. Trouble3 letters, starts with AADO
- 13. Org. with workers who regularly have strikes?3 letters, starts with MMLB
- 14. Former White House press secretary Dana6 letters, starts with PPERINO
- 15. Browsing resources4 letters, starts with FFAQS
- 16. Taqueria beverage4 letters, starts with AAGUA
- 17. Small passerine bird4 letters, starts with WWREN
- 18. Sabermetrician Silver4 letters, starts with NNATE
- 24. 36 Across, e.g.7 letters, starts with EELEMENT
- 26. Like some desk baskets5 letters, starts with IINOUT
- 29. Giant rival6 letters, starts with DDODGER
- 32. Vengeful beings in Aeschylus's plays6 letters, starts with FFURIES
- 34. Radar observation4 letters, starts with BBLIP
- 35. Ukrainian subdivisions7 letters, starts with OOBLASTS
- 36. Modern restaurant critic6 letters, starts with YYELPER
- 37. Prioritization system6 letters, starts with TTRIAGE
- 38. ___ del Fuego6 letters, starts with TTIERRA
- 39. Peter Pan, e.g.7 letters, starts with BBUSLINE
- 40. Org. offering jumps3 letters, starts with AAAA
- 41. Strawberry ___ (old Nestlé drink)4 letters, starts with QQUIK
- 42. Press4 letters, starts with UURGE
- 43. Bus. major's course4 letters, starts with EECON
- 44. Smears4 letters, starts with TTARS
- 47. Golden Corral offering6 letters, starts with BBUFFET
- 51. Bit of a shellfish dish6 letters, starts with MMUSSEL
- 52. Web-crawling program3 letters, starts with BBOT
- 53. Kindle content, briefly3 letters, starts with LLIT
- 56. Logical letters3 letters, starts with QQED
- 57. Muesli tidbit3 letters, starts with OOAT
- 59. Sonoran succulent6 letters, starts with CCACTUS
- 62. Health meter, in video game terminology7 letters, starts with LLIFEBAR
- 63. "The Handmaid's Tale" protagonist6 letters, starts with OOFFRED
- 65. Auxiliary action7 letters, starts with SSIDEBET
- 66. "Isn't that interesting!"3 letters, starts with GGEE
- 68. "Great," to a 1980s surfer3 letters, starts with RRAD
- 69. One who will correct you if you're wrong6 letters, starts with EEDITOR
- 70. Steering system piece, and an anagram of 69 Down6 letters, starts with TTIEROD
- 71. Supporters of the arts?6 letters, starts with EEASELS
- 73. Abolitionist Elizabeth Van ___3 letters, starts with LLEW
- 74. Bluegrass instrument3 letters, starts with JJUG
- 75. Betrayed fascination6 letters, starts with SSTARED
- 76. LSU rival4 letters, starts with BBAMA
- 77. Tudyk who voiced K-2SO in "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story"4 letters, starts with AALAN
- 78. Be a whistle-blower?4 letters, starts with TTOOT
- 79. Polo of "The Fosters"4 letters, starts with TTERI
- 80. Subject of the House of Thani6 letters, starts with QQATARI
- 81. Completely clean7 letters, starts with SSTERILE
- 84. Flap4 letters, starts with TTODO
- 85. Garnish on some rolls3 letters, starts with RROE
- 89. Announcement when the job is done?5 letters, starts with IIQUIT
- 91. Streamed course7 letters, starts with WWEBINAR
- 92. Gather7 letters, starts with CCOLLECT
- 94. Some wedding guests6 letters, starts with UUNCLES
- 95. Smoothly, on a score6 letters, starts with LLEGATO
- 97. Tykes, informally6 letters, starts with WWEEUNS
- 100. FX series inspired by a Coen brothers film5 letters, starts with FFARGO
- 101. Pool hue4 letters, starts with AAQUA
- 102. Hierarchical level4 letters, starts with RRUNG
- 103. Grant4 letters, starts with CCEDE
- 104. Possessive on takeout menus4 letters, starts with TTSOS
- 105. Queens setting?4 letters, starts with DDECK
- 106. Actress Daly with six Emmys4 letters, starts with TTYNE
- 108. Honeymoon spot, maybe4 letters, starts with IISLE
- 109. Cake mix instruction4 letters, starts with SSTIR
- 110. Egyptian dangers4 letters, starts with AASPS
- 112. Metallurgy material3 letters, starts with OORE
- 113. Contend3 letters, starts with VVIE
- 115. Word of Spanish inquisition that maybe you didn't expect to see in this puzzle's theme entries3 letters, starts with QQUE
Fresh clues from recent puzzles
Questions
What is the answer to “Play chords, in a way”?
STRUM, 5 letters: to play a stringed instrument by running the fingers lightly across the strings.
When was “Play chords, in a way” last seen in a crossword?
In the Washington Post Sunday crossword of July 12, 2026.
How many letters does the answer have?
5 letters, starting with S.