Anticipatory period

The answer to “Anticipatory period” in the The Washington Post crossword is EVE — a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Washington Post crossword on July 18, 2026, a Saturday puzzle, at 60-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.

“Anticipatory period” answer

EVE (3 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 EVE.

Why the answer is EVE

Think of the time just before a big celebration! 🎉

What does EVE mean?

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

When else has “Anticipatory period” 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.

July 18, 2026 (most recent) → EVE. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

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