Holds forth

Latest answer — September 20, 2026

19 Down

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Clue explained

To hold forth is to speak at length, often in a somewhat expansive or opinionated way. SPEAKS is the third-person singular present-tense form required by the clue’s wording.

Clue type:
Definition
A person delivering an extended speech at a podium.

WaPo Crossword

This clue's Sunday, September 20, 2026 appearance

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Or reveal one clue at a time with the Hint and Answer buttons below.

Across

  1. 1Course most look forward to
  2. 8Imposing construction
  3. 15Supports
  4. 20Unmasks
  5. 21Brunch cocktails
  6. 22Not cool
  7. 23"In the name of that rice wine we drank ages ago"?
  8. 25"Goosebumps" series writer
  9. 26Remove adverbs and add punctuation, maybe
  10. 27PlayStation maker
  11. 28__ Reader
  12. 29Actress Swinton
  13. 30Inventor Handler played by Rhea Perlman in "Barbie"
  14. 31"__ we good?"
  15. 32Vexation
  16. 33Church perches
  17. 36Moose kin
  18. 37NNW opposite
  19. 38Bird that makes its home in trash receptacles?
  20. 41Coastal inlets
  21. 42Insta post
  22. 43Male turkey
  23. 44One of Paul's letters to the Ephesians?
  24. 46Herbal infusion from Peru
  25. 50Rationalist's belief
  26. 53Places to perch
  27. 56Estate units
  28. 57Sgt., e.g.
  29. 59Shoe designer Jimmy
  30. 61Pamper
  31. 62Many August babies
  32. 63Business run by a bunch of hens?
  33. 66IM pioneer
  34. 67Top card in a Broadway straight
  35. 68Chinese brew
  36. 69Frying need
  37. 70Pts. that often result in dances
  38. 71U.K. network
  39. 72Mattel game
  40. 73Swiped refills for a mechanical pencil?
  41. 76Julia of "The Addams Family"
  42. 78Simplified language
  43. 80Wows
  44. 81Not just most
  45. 82Worth a second bite
  46. 83Competed in the Figawi, say
  47. 84Prefix with net or com, but not org
  48. 86"OK, got it"
  49. 88Tempts
  50. 91Fuel additive brand
  51. 93Young fellow
  52. 94[Clears throat]
  53. 96One who is always pointing at shooting stars?
  54. 100Take advantage of a bear market, perhaps
  55. 103Stomach
  56. 104"What You Need" band
  57. 105Kanga's kid
  58. 106Badger
  59. 107Figure in Norse mythology?
  60. 108Lies for, maybe
  61. 110Forget about
  62. 112Supermodel Banks
  63. 113Incantation syllables
  64. 114Fish with a big net
  65. 115Anesthetic for a noted Italian chemist?
  66. 118New employee
  67. 119Wright of "Black Panther"
  68. 120Italian football powerhouse
  69. 121Strong point
  70. 122Rival one loves to hate
  71. 123Sneaks

Down

  1. 1Yields (to)
  2. 2Book that tells the story of Moses
  3. 3Soft drink with a seasonal Winter Spiced Cranberry flavor
  4. 4Quaint truth
  5. 5Subj. for a non-native speaker
  6. 6Manicotti topping
  7. 7Abbr. on a weather map
  8. 8Posthumous award for Chadwick Boseman
  9. 9Run out of power
  10. 10"Positive"
  11. 11Jodie with two Best Actress Oscars
  12. 12"Love __ Open Door": "Frozen" song
  13. 13Treat on a stick
  14. 14Jargon suffix
  15. 15Hits 22, perhaps
  16. 16Not in favor of
  17. 17Musical instrument made off the coast of South America?
  18. 18With gentleness
  19. 19Holds forth
  20. 24Not up to the task
  21. 32Online "I can relate"
  22. 34Chargeable cars, briefly
  23. 35Goofballs
  24. 38Morse clicks
  25. 39"We have that in common"
  26. 40"KPop __ Hunters"
  27. 41Italy's shape
  28. 42Bel __ cheese
  29. 45Circuit
  30. 46Ore. neighbor
  31. 47Micronesia's region
  32. 48Rips caused by large reptiles?
  33. 49Dried poblano
  34. 51Most disgusting
  35. 52Seashore souvenir
  36. 54Absolutely adorable
  37. 551975 TV debut, familiarly
  38. 58"Queen of Funk" Khan
  39. 60In base eight
  40. 64"Hallelujah" songwriter Leonard
  41. 65"It's strange ... "
  42. 68Denounce
  43. 71Challah feature
  44. 72FedEx competitor
  45. 73Part of a pricing plan
  46. 74Strong string
  47. 75Soil
  48. 77Soap ingredient
  49. 79In the doldrums
  50. 82Bygone ruler
  51. 85Canadian fuel giant
  52. 87Class
  53. 89"On the Basis of __": Ginsburg biopic
  54. 90"We're done"
  55. 92Miyazaki film about a goldfish who longs to be human
  56. 94Kathryn's "WandaVision" role
  57. 95Fatal flaw in classic myths
  58. 97Beginning
  59. 98Turn
  60. 99Polish capital
  61. 100__ bath
  62. 101Hard to believe
  63. 102Aches (for)
  64. 104Archipelago unit
  65. 107"Groundhog Day" director Harold
  66. 109Overly precious
  67. 111Bit of dust
  68. 112Printer part
  69. 115Fuzzy 1980s sitcom character
  70. 116Low-lit
  71. 117Actress Thurman

The answer to “Holds forth” in the The Washington Post crossword is SPEAKS — a 6-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Washington Post crossword on September 20, 2026, a Sunday puzzle, 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.

“Holds forth” answer

SPEAKS (6 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 SPEAKS.

What does SPEAKS mean?

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

(verb)

  • say something in order to convey information or to express a feeling
  • (of behaviour, an object, etc.) serve as evidence for something
  • (of a musical instrument or other object) make a sound when functioning

When else has “Holds forth” appeared?

The Washington Post 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 20, 2026 (most recent) → SPEAKS. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Holds forth”?

The answer is SPEAKS, a 6-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Washington Post crossword on September 20, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Holds forth”?

6 letters: SPEAKS.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Washington Post crossword on September 20, 2026 (a Sunday puzzle), at 19-Down.

Can “Holds forth” have a different answer?

Yes — The Washington Post 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 WaPo Crossword answers?

The full grid for September 20, 2026 is on the WaPo Crossword answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

The Washington Post Crossword is published by The Washington Post; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

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