‘Poetic “before”‘ NYT Mini Crossword answer and hints

Do you enjoy reading English poems? I love reading poetry, and if you do too, then today’s NYT Mini Crossword clue “Poetic ‘before'” should be a walk in the park. But if you’re struggling to find the answer, today’s hints will help.

Here’s the hints and answers for the NYT Mini Crossword on Aug. 30.

‘Poetic “before”‘ NYT Aug. 30 Mini Crossword hints and answer

• Hint 1: Famous poets like William Shakespeare, John Milton, Edmund Spenser, and Percy Bysshe Shelley used this word in their popular literature works. 
• Hint 2: The three-letter old-fashioned word is used mainly to enhance the rhythm, tone, and formality of poems.
• Hint 3: It starts with the letter “E.”
• Hint 4: The answer’s synonyms are “before” and “earlier”

Let’s spin the wheel now and reveal the answer. 

Did you see it coming? The answer to five down in the Aug. 30 New York Times Mini Crossword is “ERE.” According to Merriam-Webster, an ere is defined as “preceding in time,” which directly refers to the word “before” mentioned in the clue. The word “ere” was mostly used in poems by classic English poets to make phrases reflecting the passage of time. 

‘Poetic “before”‘ NYT Mini Crossword difficulty rating

The Poetic “before” clue in today’s NYT Mini Crossword made me work my poetic muscles, but the moment I figured out the letter while solving the crossword, I knew what it was. If you haven’t read the works of the poets I mentioned in the hints section, though, you might find it hard to guess the answer. For that reason, I’d give it a four out of five for difficulty.

NYT Mini Crossword (Aug. 30) answers

Across

• 1A Bicycle part that’s also a past-tense verb—SPOKEN
• 6A At no time—NEVER
• 7A “It’s just like riding a bike,” for one—ADAGE
• 8A They’re typically 2 or 3 on mini golf courses—PARS
• 9A Like a trickster—SLY

Down

• 1D Loses it—SNAPS
• 2D Bicycle part that sounds like a flower part—PEDAL
• 3D Egg-producing organ—OVARY
• 4D What breweries might creatively repurpose as seats—KEGS
• 5D Poetic “before”—ERE

How to play other word games like the NYT Mini Crossword

Do you enjoy solving word games like the NYT Mini Crossword? Next, try your knowledge with more crosswords at the LA Times and Washington Post. If you’re done with crosswords, try Strands and Spelling Bee—they’re both fun to play.