Crossword Clue: Film set before the original
Here's the answer to the Film set before the original crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: PREQUEL
PREQUEL solves the clue "Film set before the original". Spanning 7 letters (3 vowels, 4 consonants), it begins at P and ends at L. Like most crossword fill, it lives at the intersection of two words, so a single confirmed crossing letter frequently reveals the whole entry.
Origin & meaning
A prequel is a film whose story takes place before that of an existing work. The 'Star Wars' prequel trilogy, beginning in 1999, chronicled events preceding the original films.
Common usage
Prequel turns up often in crosswords because of that letter mix. Words like PREQUEL interlock cleanly with longer entries, so constructors reach for them to make a grid fit together without awkward clashes. Given a 7-square slot and a crossing letter or two, it's usually quick to confirm.
Crossword trivia
At 7 letters, PREQUEL shows up in daily mini and themed puzzles far more than longer, obscure words. It's the kind of entry worth memorizing — the more common short words you know cold, the faster you solve.
Stuck on this clue?
If this clue won't come, leave it and fill the answers that cross it. Once a couple of PREQUEL's letters are locked by neighboring words, the entry tends to reveal itself. Crossings beat staring at a clue every time.
This clue in different puzzles
Setters vary how they clue PREQUEL — sometimes with a straight dictionary definition, sometimes with wordplay, a pun, or a fill-in-the-blank — but the answer itself stays the same. Learning to spot the answer behind the disguise is a core crossword skill.
Example sentences
- "I second-guessed it, but the crossing answers confirmed PREQUEL was right."
- "I had the crossing letters, so writing PREQUEL into the grid took no time at all."
- "Prequel is the kind of answer that clicks the moment you spot one letter."