Intensify act of punishment, losing power to capture hearts

Latest answer — August 17, 2026

11 Across

Scroll down for rest of crossword answers

Clue explained

ENHANCE means “intensify”. It comes from PENANCE, an act of punishment, losing P (“power”) and taking H, the heart of punisHment, inside the remainder.

Clue type:
Definition
A before-and-after comparison illustrating an enhanced image.

Times Cryptic Crossword

This clue's Monday, August 17, 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. 1Hint about desire, dropping head in mischievous way
  2. 5Source of wisdom, core of work by expert absorbing learner
  3. 10Jostling on a train, up to its full capacity level
  4. 11Intensify act of punishment, losing power to capture hearts
  5. 12Love getting into story about soldier
  6. 13Possibly rib hero, reportedly very lazy
  7. 15Church seen in profitable aspect
  8. 18Crooked request we rejected
  9. 20Examination endlessly clean and minute
  10. 23Outrage going round about habit?
  11. 25Kip in small cabin unknown in middle of freeze
  12. 26Actors, mostly isolated by good playwright holding party, have lasting influence
  13. 27Lack thread to spin
  14. 28Twit’s taken aback by poet’s name for fish

Down

  1. 1Part of foot I note and measure
  2. 2Implement persuasive proposal aimed at kids primarily
  3. 3Odd stone assortment
  4. 4Nimble and cheerful, dismissing opener
  5. 6Copy of criticism
  6. 7Fragment containing right sound of bird
  7. 8Unabridged condition in statement I retyped
  8. 9Stupid person nearly damaged water pumps?
  9. 14Ban I had, climbing tree
  10. 16Fraud with offer for candidate
  11. 17Poor weapon stops having weight evenly distributed
  12. 19Call for conflict and speak wildly
  13. 21Temper from thug one maddened
  14. 22River delta far south of Maine
  15. 24Italian food in former time first-class
  16. 25Spot quote in speech

The answer to “Intensify act of punishment, losing power to capture hearts” in the The Times Cryptic crossword is ENHANCE — a 7-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Times Cryptic crossword on August 17, 2026, a Monday puzzle, at 11-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.

“Intensify act of punishment, losing power to capture hearts” answer

ENHANCE (7 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 ENHANCE.

What does ENHANCE mean?

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

(verb)

  • intensify, increase, or further improve the quality, value, or extent of

When else has “Intensify act of punishment, losing power to capture hearts” appeared?

The Times Cryptic 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.

August 17, 2026 (most recent) → ENHANCE. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Intensify act of punishment, losing power to capture hearts”?

The answer is ENHANCE, a 7-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Times Cryptic crossword on August 17, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Intensify act of punishment, losing power to capture hearts”?

7 letters: ENHANCE.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Times Cryptic crossword on August 17, 2026 (a Monday puzzle), at 11-Across.

Can “Intensify act of punishment, losing power to capture hearts” have a different answer?

Yes — The Times Cryptic 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 Times Cryptic answers?

The full grid for August 17, 2026 is on the Times Cryptic answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

The Times Cryptic Crossword is published by The 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.