“Hold tightly” crossword clue
Answer
C
L
E
N
C
H
••••••CLENCH
Reveal the answer to see why it works and where this clue has appeared before.CLENCH is the answer to the New York Times crossword clue “Hold tightly”. It was last seen in the puzzle of February 15, 2026, where it runs at 68 Down and fills 6 squares. It crosses 6 other entries in that grid — those are listed below and are the quickest way to confirm the letters you already have. This exact clue has run 2 times in NYT puzzles, first on February 15, 2026.
Crossing entries
Feb 15, 2026 grid66ATop-left PC key3 ltrs›73A"Things are only going to get worse" ... or a hint to answering the seven italicized clues in this puzzle22 ltrs›78AScience-and-nature magazine, familiarly6 ltrs›82AChemical element whose use led to the first known law against poisoning7 ltrs›90ASpeeds of slow-moving traffic6 ltrs›96APhoto-editing technique used to create a smooth transition8 ltrs›
Every appearance
2 puzzlesDatePuzzlePositionAnswer
Sep 24, 2026NYT Crossword23 Across•••••GRASPFeb 15, 2026NYT Crossword68 Down••••••CLENCHOther answers for this clue
Across all puzzles we index••••••CLENCH6 ltrs
•••••GRASP5 ltrs
Clues repeat across publications with different fills. If your grid needs a different length, one of these usually fits.
Back to the full Feb 15, 2026 answer list, or browse the puzzle archive.