Earlier than now

Latest answer — September 14, 2026

2 Down

This time marker points to a moment before the present. ⏮️

Scroll down for rest of crossword answers

WSJ Crossword

This clue's Monday, September 14, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Bearded Smurf
  2. 5Some Cubans
  3. 11Mama’s boy
  4. 14Farming prefix
  5. 15Outfit for an infant
  6. 16Debate side
  7. 17Many a modern business session (or a hasty tryst?)
  8. 19Emmy winner Holbrook
  9. 20Honeyed drinks
  10. 21Solution in an IV drip
  11. 23Share one’s thoughts (or what may develop after 17-Across?)
  12. 27Citi Field player
  13. 28Boston’s Liberty Tree, e.g.
  14. 29Former flames
  15. 30Texas city named for a Ukrainian city
  16. 34Poetic feet
  17. 37Political partner (or a possible product of 17- and 23-Across?)
  18. 40Anvil sound
  19. 41Is penitent
  20. 44Catcher’s wear
  21. 47End for spy, kiss or nanny
  22. 49Dog doc
  23. 50Next of kin (or possible outcome of 17-, 23- and 37-Across?)
  24. 56Headline
  25. 57Wide valleys
  26. 58Do the wrong thing
  27. 59Event where the romance in 17-, 23-, 37- and 50-Across may start?
  28. 64SoFi Stadium footballer
  29. 65Turn sour, as milk
  30. 66Post-shower attire
  31. 67Planetarium depiction
  32. 68Declares
  33. 69At some previous point

Down

  1. 1Nobel-winning poet Octavio
  2. 2Earlier than now
  3. 3Supplier of forgotten lines, for stage actors
  4. 4Person drawing a bead
  5. 5New Yale students of 1969
  6. 6Actually existing
  7. 7Acquire
  8. 8“___ live and breathe!”
  9. 9Free of suds
  10. 10George of “The Goldbergs”
  11. 11Big cat of Africa?
  12. 12Grand Marnier flavoring
  13. 13Phrase tacked on for emphasis
  14. 18Astronaut Jemison
  15. 22Deceives
  16. 23Angsty music genre
  17. 24Checked, on a form
  18. 25Target, as with a water balloon
  19. 26Online periodical, for short
  20. 31Chump
  21. 32“Live from New York!” letters
  22. 33“Blonde” Oscar nominee de Armas
  23. 35UFC sport
  24. 36Cricket stick
  25. 38Cuzco resident
  26. 39Conjure up
  27. 42Elusive swimmer
  28. 43Epitome of a mess
  29. 44Stingy sorts
  30. 45Lake Shore Limited operator
  31. 46Obsequious
  32. 48Stick one’s nose in
  33. 51Parts of spines and brakes
  34. 52Suggestions
  35. 53Begins to disappear
  36. 54Copying
  37. 55D.C. commuter choice
  38. 60Period
  39. 61Summer setting in NYC
  40. 62Airer of 32-Down
  41. 63“Fancy that!”

The answer to “Earlier than now” in the Wall Street Journal crossword is AGO — a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the Wall Street Journal crossword on September 14, 2026, a Monday puzzle, at 2-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.

“Earlier than now” answer

AGO (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 AGO.

Why the answer is AGO

This time marker points to a moment before the present. ⏮️

What does AGO mean?

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

(adverb)

  • before the present; earlier (used with a measurement of time)

When else has “Earlier than now” appeared?

Wall Street Journal 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 14, 2026 (most recent) → AGO. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Earlier than now”?

The answer is AGO, a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the Wall Street Journal crossword on September 14, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Earlier than now”?

3 letters: AGO.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the Wall Street Journal crossword on September 14, 2026 (a Monday puzzle), at 2-Down.

Can “Earlier than now” have a different answer?

Yes — Wall Street Journal 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 WSJ answers?

The full grid for September 14, 2026 is on the WSJ answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

Wall Street Journal Crossword is published by The Wall Street Journal; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

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