Rub together forcefully, as teeth

Latest answer — September 19, 2026

19 Down

Scroll down for rest of crossword answers

Clue explained

As a verb, GRIT means to rub or grind together forcefully, as when someone grits their teeth. The clue uses the inflected verb form rather than the noun meaning perseverance.

Clue type:
Word form
A close-up of a person clenching and grinding their teeth.

NYT Midi Crossword

This clue's Saturday, September 19, 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. 1Red-hot volcanic flow
  2. 5Rendered speechless, say
  3. 9"Ready and willing!"
  4. 10Romance
  5. 11Read with 22-Across, September 19 observance whose celebrants might shout "Shiver me timbers!"
  6. 13Roth who directed "Hostel"
  7. 14Rear ___
  8. 15"Runny" breakfast food
  9. 17"r u serious?? wow!!"
  10. 20Red, blue or green
  11. 22Read with 11-Across
  12. 26Royal ruler of Kuwait or Qatar
  13. 27Right-___ up
  14. 28Rim attachments
  15. 29Railroad station

Down

  1. 1Reading subject, informally
  2. 2Reddit Q&A; session
  3. 3Repulsive
  4. 4Rolling it may cause a sprain
  5. 5"Rumble in the Jungle" boxing champ Muhammad
  6. 6Rose from a nap, say
  7. 7Roulette alternative to "odd"
  8. 8"Ringer" or "center" preceder
  9. 12Ray of ___
  10. 16Rough estimate
  11. 17"Ready for business" store sign
  12. 18Role for one dressed in a black-and-white striped shirt
  13. 19Rub together forcefully, as teeth
  14. 21Revise, as an article
  15. 23Rowdy cries on 11-/22-Across ... or the letters that start all of the clues in this puzzle
  16. 24Ruckus
  17. 25"Right you are!"

The answer to “Rub together forcefully, as teeth” in the New York Times Midi crossword is GRIT — a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times Midi crossword on September 19, 2026 at 19-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.

“Rub together forcefully, as teeth” answer

GRIT (4 letters)

Use the reveal tiles above to uncover the solution one letter at a time if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Prefer the full answer straight away? It's GRIT.

What does GRIT mean?

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

(noun)

  • small loose particles of stone or sand
  • courage and resolve; strength of character

When else has “Rub together forcefully, as teeth” appeared?

New York Times Midi 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.

September 19, 2026 (most recent) → GRIT. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Rub together forcefully, as teeth”?

The answer is GRIT, a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times Midi crossword on September 19, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Rub together forcefully, as teeth”?

4 letters: GRIT.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times Midi crossword on September 19, 2026, at 19-Down.

Can “Rub together forcefully, as teeth” have a different answer?

Yes — New York Times Midi 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 today's NYT Midi answers?

Every clue and answer from that day's puzzle is linked above, and the full grid is on the NYT Midi answers page.

New York Times Midi Crossword is published by The New York Times; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

Crossword Clues

Looking up a clue? Jump into today's answers and clue help from top puzzles.