Crossword Clue: Time ___
Here's the answer to the Time ___ crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: ZONE
The answer to "Time ___" is ZONE. Zone runs 4 letters — 2 vowels and 2 consonants — opening with Z and closing on E. In a grid it fills a 4-square slot whose letters are each shared with a crossing word, so the intersections do a lot of the heavy lifting when the clue itself is tough.
Origin & meaning
Time zones divide the globe into standard-time regions. Its scarce Z helps constructors fill tricky crossings.
Common usage
You'll see ZONE in grids regularly — its 4-letter, 2 vowels shape is exactly what setters need to bridge trickier entries. When one intersecting letter is already in place, especially the Z or E, ZONE tends to fall fast.
Crossword trivia
Short answers like ZONE are the connective tissue of a crossword. You'll meet ZONE again and again, and recognizing it instantly is one of the quiet skills that separates fast solvers from slow ones.
Stuck on this clue?
The fastest way past a stubborn clue like this one is the grid itself: pencil in the easy crossing answers first, and ZONE will often be the only word that fits the letters you already have.
This clue in different puzzles
The clue "Time ___" is just one way to arrive at ZONE. Across different puzzles and editors you may see the same answer clued as "Region". Recognizing that a single answer can wear many clues is one of the fastest ways to level up as a solver.
Example sentences
- "Once the Z was confirmed by the crossing word, ZONE was the only entry that fit."
- "A 4-letter slot and a clue like 'Time ___'? That's ZONE nine times out of ten."
- "I second-guessed it, but the crossing answers confirmed ZONE was right."