"____ it -->

Latest answer — September 17, 2026

1 Across

Scroll down for rest of crossword answers

Clue explained

KEEP begins the quoted idiom “keep it under your hat,” meaning to keep something secret. The arrow shows that the quotation continues in the clue for YOUR.

Clue type:
Phrase or idiom
An illustration of a person symbolically hiding a secret under a hat.

USA Today Quick Crossword

This clue's Thursday, September 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. 1"____ it -->
  2. 5Jones or James
  3. 6--> under ____ hat!"
  4. 7Irritation fit

Down

  1. 1"Florida" or "piano" ending
  2. 2U.K. school
  3. 3Small case
  4. 4Kit piece

The answer to “"____ it -->” in the USA Today Quick Cross crossword is KEEP — a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the USA Today Quick Cross crossword on September 17, 2026 at 1-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.

“"____ it -->” answer

KEEP (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 KEEP.

What does KEEP mean?

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

(verb)

  • have or retain possession of
  • cause to continue in a specified condition, position, course, etc.
  • provide for the sustenance of (someone)

When else has “"____ it -->” appeared?

USA Today Quick Cross 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 17, 2026 (most recent) → KEEP. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “"____ it -->”?

The answer is KEEP, a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the USA Today Quick Cross crossword on September 17, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “"____ it -->”?

4 letters: KEEP.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the USA Today Quick Cross crossword on September 17, 2026, at 1-Across.

Can “"____ it -->” have a different answer?

Yes — USA Today Quick Cross 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 USA Today Quick answers?

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

USA Today Quick Cross is published by USA Today; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

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