Enter a clue or pattern or both:
The Clue
Main-event warm-up (6 letter answer)
The Answer
PRELIM
Tags
Notes
The answer PRELIM is rarely seen, appearing only about once every 1100 puzzles.
Related Clues
Qualifier
Early round
Heat, for short
Heat, of a sort
Bout before the biggie
Early game in a tournament
Qualifying round, informally
Heat, informally
Event before the main event
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