Crossword clue
“Defeat decisively”
This clue appeared as 9-Down in the NYT Crossword on Wednesday, January 14, 2026. The answer has 5 letters.
Answer · 5 lettersFirst appearance
CRUSHLetters5
Starts withC
Ends withH
Vowels1
Where this clue has appeared
About this clue
The clue “Defeat decisively” ran in the NYT Crossword on January 14, 2026 as 9-Down. Its answer is a 5-letter word that starts with C and ends with H, with only 1 vowel, so think abbreviations or consonant clusters.
See every answer from the puzzle on the NYT Crossword page for January 14, 2026, or learn how clues like this work in our guide to crossword clue types.
More clues from this puzzle
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FAQ
What is the answer to the “Defeat decisively” clue?+
The answer is CRUSH (5 letters), from the NYT Crossword of January 14, 2026.
Where has this clue appeared?+
We have seen it 1 time in the NYT Crossword.
How do I find other NYT Crossword answers?+
Open the full list of answers for January 14, 2026, or browse every date on the NYT Crossword hub.