Enter a clue or pattern or both:
The Clue
Early round (6 letter answer)
The Answer
PRELIM
Tags
Notes
The answer PRELIM is rarely seen, appearing only about once every 1100 puzzles.
Related Clues
Qualifier
Heat, for short
Heat, of a sort
Bout before the biggie
Early game in a tournament
Qualifying round, informally
Event before the main event
Main-event warm-up
Definition
PRELIM as a noun:
1. (preliminary, prelim) = a minor match preceding the main event
2. (preliminary examination, preliminary exam, prelim) = an examination taken by graduate students to determine their fitness to continue