Holds back WSJ Crossword Clue

By Narcissa Kh / January 3, 2026

Crossword Answer

1 ? S

2 ? T

3 ? I

4 ? F

5 ? L

6 ? E

7 ? S

Hint

Interactive Solver for Holds back Crossword Clue

Drag letters from the pool into “Your Answer”, then reorder them to match the solution.

Your Answer 7 Letter

Current guess: —

Letter Pool

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Unlock the puzzle's secrets with Daze's progressive hints!

Hint 1

hint

Reveal Hint

Think of what happens when you try to keep a sneeze from escaping.

Hint 2

meaning

Reveal Hint

??????? means to suppress or restrain something from being expressed or occurring.

Hint 3

explanation

Reveal Hint

The word '???????' means to suppress or hold back something, such as an emotion or action. The clue 'Holds back' directly relates to this definition, as stifling involves restraining or preventing something from being expressed or occurring.

WSJ Crossword January 3 2026 Answers

Tap a cell to show its letter

1 ? R
2 ? E
3 ? S
4 ? E
5 ? A
6 ? T
7 ? P
8 ? A
9 ? R
10 ? E
11 ? N
12 ? T
13 ? S
14 ? T
15 ? E
16 ? A
17 ? A
18 ? C
19 ? T
20 ? E
? N
? L
? A
? C
? E
21 ? R
? I
? O
? L
? O
? B
? O
22 ? A
? L
? L
? P
? R
? O
23 ? U
? N
? I
? V
? E
? R
24 ? S
? A
? L
? D
? O
? N
? O
? R
25 ? R
? O
? E
? P
? E
? R
26 ? P
? O
? M
? E
27 ? M
? I
? D
28 ? P
? E
? N
29 ? S
? T
? I
? F
? L
? E
? S
30 ? P
? B
? J
31 ? T
? A
32 ? R
33 ? G
? E
? T
? D
34 ? A
? T
? E
? S
35 ? E
? L
? O
36 ? E
? L
? I
37 ? C
38 ? I
39 ? T
? S
40 ? O
? D
? D
? S
41 ? B
? I
? S
? E
42 ? C
? T
43 ? D
? E
? M
? O
? D
? E
44 ? A
? C
? A
45 ? B
? L
? T
46 ? H
? U
47 ? M
48 ? M
? E
? T
49 ? A
? P
? H
? Y
50 ? S
51 ? I
52 ? C
? A
? L
53 ? D
? O
? R
? A
54 ? G
55 ? S
56 ? C
57 ? U
? B
? A
58 ? T
? E
? E
59 ? I
? R
? E
60 ? H
? O
? R
? N
? I
? N
61 ? T
? A
? N
? S
62 ? F
? O
? X
63 ? G
? A
? B
64 ? S
65 ? U
? N
? D
? O
? N
? E
66 ? A
? M
? I
67 ? A
? M
? A
68 ? Z
69 ? O
? N
? Q
? U
? E
70 ? E
? N
71 ? V
? M
? I
72 ? M
? E
? T
73 ? A
74 ? L
? S
75 ? M
? O
? M
? S
76 ? R
? N
? S
77 ? S
? E
? A
? S
78 ? P
? R
? E
? S
? E
? T
79 ? O
? N
? O
80 ? L
? I
? U
81 ? E
? A
? R
? N
? S
82 ? S
? A
? D
? I
? E
83 ? D
84 ? O
? M
? I
? N
85 ? O
? E
? F
? F
86 ? E
? C
? T
87 ? S
? A
? D
88 ? R
? A
? W
89 ? P
? T
? S
90 ? M
? T
? E
91 ? T
92 ? N
93 ? A
94 ? R
? E
95 ? H
? I
? R
? E
96 ? R
97 ? H
? E
? A
98 ? G
? O
? O
? D
? W
? I
? N
99 ? R
100 ? A
? T
101 ? U
? B
? E
? R
102 ? W
? E
? A
? L
? T
103 ? H
? Y
104 ? E
? R
? N
105 ? E
? M
? I
106 ? G
? R
? E
? S
107 ? U
? P
? N
108 ? A
? M
109 ? P
110 ? N
? E
? V
? E
111 ? B
? A
? S
? E
? L
? Y
112 ? P
? R
? O
? G
113 ? R
114 ? E
? S
? S
? I
115 ? V
? E
? T
? A
? X
116 ? E
? N
? T
? R
? E
? E
117 ? I
? S
? S
? U
? E
? T
? O
118 ? S
? E
? R
? E
? N
? E
119 ? L
? A
? S
? E
? R
? S
120 ? S
? T
? E
? P
? S
? O
? N
121 ? A
? G
? O
? R
? A
? S

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Clue Analysis

The clue “Holds back” is a classic crossword staple, frequently appearing in puzzles like the WSJ crossword. For the puzzle dated January 3 2026, the definitive 7-letter answer is: STIFLES.

Expert Tip: When you’re stuck, try to analyze the structure of the clue itself. Is it a direct definition, a pun, a fill-in-the-blank, or a pop culture reference? Identifying the type of clue you’re dealing with is a key skill for improving your solving speed.

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Your Questions, Answered by Experts.

At Daze Puzzle, we understand that every clue is a puzzle within a larger puzzle. Our team of dedicated human experts and puzzle lovers solves these challenges daily to help you succeed. Below, we answer common questions about this specific clue.

A: The most common and recent 7-letter answer for "Holds back" is STIFLES.

A: The word 'stifles' means to suppress or hold back something, such as an emotion or action. The clue 'Holds back' directly relates to this definition, as stifling involves restraining or preventing something from being expressed or occurring.

A: This clue was last seen in the WSJ Crossword on January 03, 2026.

A: Stifles means to suppress or restrain something from being expressed or occurring.

Today's Crossword Answers

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Holds back WSJ Crossword Clue

Crossword Answer

Interactive Solver for Holds back Crossword Clue

Unlock the puzzle's secrets with Daze's progressive hints!

Hint 1

Hint 2

Hint 3

Across

Down

Clue Analysis

Your Questions, Answered by Experts.

Q1: What is the most likely answer for the crossword clue "Holds back"?

Q2: Why is "STIFLES" the answer to the clue "Holds back"?

Q3: In which puzzle was the clue "Holds back" last seen?

Q4: What does the word "STIFLES" mean in this context?

Today's Crossword Answers

Holds back WSJ Crossword Clue

Crossword Answer

Interactive Solver for Holds back Crossword Clue

Unlock the puzzle's secrets with Daze's progressive hints!

Hint 1

Hint 2

Hint 3

WSJ Crossword January 3 2026 Answers

Across

Down

Clue Analysis

Your Questions, Answered by Experts.

Q1: What is the most likely answer for the crossword clue "Holds back"?

Q2: Why is "STIFLES" the answer to the clue "Holds back"?

Q3: In which puzzle was the clue "Holds back" last seen?

Q4: What does the word "STIFLES" mean in this context?

Today's Crossword Answers

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