Earlier

Latest answer — September 02, 2026

13 Across

Scroll down for rest of crossword answers

Clue explained

AGO is an adverb meaning “earlier” or “before now,” as in “three years ago.” Its placement normally follows the time period it modifies.

Clue type:
Definition
A calendar showing a date in the past.

WSJ Crossword

This clue's Wednesday, September 02, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Its business is picking up
  2. 4Alienware’s parent company
  3. 8Lose a shadow, say
  4. 13Earlier
  5. 14Islander who speaks Unangam Tunuu
  6. 16Solitude seeker
  7. 17Ones for whom two rites make a wrong
  8. 19Wolverine’s kin
  9. 20It might be airtight
  10. 21Anchor position
  11. 23Eyed creepily
  12. 25Old gathering places
  13. 29Second, for one
  14. 31Adams or Fillmore
  15. 32Rate of motion
  16. 35Mob enforcers
  17. 37Guernsey greeting
  18. 38Volunteer sitter, sometimes
  19. 39Welcome gift in Waikiki
  20. 40Bank
  21. 41DMV document
  22. 42Name on “Wicked” posters
  23. 45Yard sale proviso
  24. 46Immodest display
  25. 48Ethane’s lack
  26. 50Coastline curves
  27. 51Bona fide
  28. 55Variety, for one
  29. 59Letter between Sierra and Uniform
  30. 60Starting squad
  31. 63Be a major success, and something found five times in this puzzle
  32. 65One of New Zealand’s official languages
  33. 66Sensitivity training target
  34. 67Took in
  35. 68Patriot plays
  36. 69Carpenter’s collection
  37. 70Empty talk

Down

  1. 1Scheming set
  2. 2Quick-thinking
  3. 3Spade player, familiarly
  4. 4Satanic child in “The Omen”
  5. 5Country music’s ___ Young Band
  6. 6Reduced amount
  7. 7Bouzouki, e.g.
  8. 8Fizz ingredient
  9. 9Show-off
  10. 10Crumb carrier
  11. 11Neckline shape
  12. 12Throw wildly, say
  13. 15Wanders in an airport, for short
  14. 18Curt
  15. 22“That’ll do, pig” pig
  16. 24Really enjoy
  17. 26Aykroyd and Murray’s “Ghostbusters” co-star
  18. 27Mayo with a kick
  19. 28Vegas noisemakers
  20. 30Bulb output, sometimes
  21. 31Acid variety
  22. 32“The Alienist” author Carr
  23. 33Plumber with a green hat
  24. 34Under an assumed name, informally
  25. 36Teacher’s org.
  26. 40Wine cask deposit
  27. 42NASA moon program
  28. 43Small hill
  29. 44Nabokov novel
  30. 47Foil
  31. 49Some a cappella groups
  32. 52Prepare to put away, as groceries
  33. 53Stress
  34. 54Secluded seating
  35. 56“The Americans” org.
  36. 57Clark’s co-worker
  37. 58Practice for posers
  38. 60Fender attachment
  39. 61Letter between sigma and upsilon
  40. 62Significant stretch
  41. 64Promise

The answer to “Earlier” in the Wall Street Journal crossword is AGO — a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the Wall Street Journal crossword on September 2, 2026, a Wednesday puzzle, at 13-Across. 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” 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.

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” 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 2, 2026 (most recent) → AGO. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Earlier”?

The answer is AGO, a 3-letter word. It most recently appeared in the Wall Street Journal crossword on September 2, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Earlier”?

3 letters: AGO.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the Wall Street Journal crossword on September 2, 2026 (a Wednesday puzzle), at 13-Across.

Can “Earlier” 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 2, 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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