Second crossword clue

The most likely answers for the crossword clue “Second” are BACK, BETA or SOPH, with 4 letters. Below are 30 answers from 3 to 13 letters, best match first in each length, then what each top answer means and how to tell them apart.

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The best answers, explained

BIT 3 letters · noun

an indefinitely short time “in just a bit”

BACK 4 letters · verb

give support or one's approval to “I can't back this plan”

PRIME 5 letters · noun

the second canonical hour; about 6 a.m.

MOMENT 6 letters · noun

a particular point in time “the moment he arrived the party began”

INSTANT 7 letters · noun

a particular point in time

BIENNIAL 8 letters · adjective

occurring every second year “they met at biennial conventions”

IRREGULAR 9 letters · noun

merchandise that has imperfections; usually sold at a reduced price without the brand name

MEDIOCRITY 10 letters · noun

a person of second-rate ability or value

ENDORSEMENT 11 letters · noun

a speech seconding a motion

REINCARNATION 13 letters · noun

a second or new birth

Telling them apart

With 4 squares, BACK, BETA and SOPH all fit. The second letter tells them all apart: A → BACK · E → BETA · O → SOPH. Fill in that crossing answer first.

With 6 squares, MOMENT, MINUTE, SQUARE and ABOARD all fit. The second letter tells them all apart: O → MOMENT · I → MINUTE · Q → SQUARE · B → ABOARD. Fill in that crossing answer first.

With 7 squares, INSTANT, ENDORSE, ORDINAL, INDORSE and REBIRTH all fit. The first letter settles most of it: I → INSTANT, INDORSE · E → ENDORSE · O → ORDINAL · R → REBIRTH. Fill in that crossing answer first.

Other forms of this clue

Clues often use another form of the word, and the answer then takes the same form: “seconded” wants an answer that ends the same way.

What “second” means

• noun: 1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
• noun: an indefinitely short time
• noun: the fielding position of the player on a baseball team who is stationed near the second of the bases in the infield
• noun: a particular point in time

A clue usually points at one of these senses, so the right answer is the one that matches the sense the puzzle means: check it against the crossing words.

About these answers

We match the clue against our own thesaurus and dictionary (Open English WordNet): words that mean the same as SECOND, and words whose definition is SECOND. We don't copy answers from newspaper puzzles, so a clue that leans on trivia or wordplay may need the crossing letters instead.