The crossword clue “refrain” has several very common answers, depending on the letter count and meaning (either “hold back” or “repeated part of a song”).

Most common answers

  • 4 letters: STOP (to cease or hold back).
  • 5 letters: ABSTAIN is 7 letters, but some grids use DITTY (when “refrain” is treated loosely as a short song) or PAUSE in some lists of synonyms.
  • 6 letters: CHORUS , DESIST.
  • 7 letters: ABSTAIN , FORBEAR.
  • 8 letters: HOLDBACK.

If your clue is “refrain (song part)”, the best fit is usually CHORUS.

If your clue is “refrain (hold back)”, answers like STOP , DESIST , ABSTAIN , FORBEAR , or HOLDBACK are most common, with the pattern and crossing letters deciding which one fits.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.