“Able was I ___ I saw Elba” WSJ Crossword Clue

By Narcissa Kh / June 22, 2026

Crossword Answer

1 ? E

2 ? R

3 ? E

Hint

Interactive Solver for “Able was I ___ I saw Elba” Crossword Clue

Drag letters from the pool into “Your Answer”, then reorder them to match the solution.

Your Answer 3 Letter

Current guess: —

Letter Pool

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Hint 1

hint

Reveal Hint

Think of a word that connects two events in time, often used in poetic or archaic contexts.

Hint 2

meaning

Reveal Hint

??? means before in time.

Hint 3

explanation

Reveal Hint

The clue refers to a famous palindrome attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte: 'Able was I ??? I saw Elba.' The word '???' means 'before,' fitting the context of the sentence and completing the palindrome.

Hint 4

another clue

Reveal Hint

Before, to Shakespeare, Prior to, poshly, Bygone "before", Bard’s “before”, Old-fashioned word that's a homophone of 49-Across

WSJ Crossword June 22 2026 Answers

Tap a cell to show its letter

1 ? F
2 ? I
3 ? A
4 ? S
5 ? C
6 ? O
7 ? E
8 ? K
9 ? E
10 ? S
11 ? C
12 ? A
13 ? T
14 ? A
? K
? I
? T
? A
? S
15 ? S
? O
? X
16 ? I
? R
? M
? A
17 ? R
? E
? R
? U
? N
? S
18 ? C
? U
? P
19 ? A
? S
? O
? U
? P
20 ? S
? P
? O
? O
21 ? L
22 ? F
? O
? R
23 ? O
? L
? E
24 ? A
25 ? S
? T
? I
? N
26 ? A
27 ? H
? A
28 ? A
29 ? S
? N
? E
? R
30 ? B
? I
? R
? D
31 ? A
? P
? E
? X
32 ? R
? U
? S
? T
? S
33 ? E
? P
? I
? C
34 ? B
? U
? M
35 ? S
? A
? P
36 ? P
? U
37 ? P
? U
? P
? L
38 ? A
? T
? T
? E
39 ? R
40 ? P
? A
? T
41 ? I
? C
? E
42 ? R
? E
43 ? A
44 ? R
45 ? B
46 ? A
47 ? S
? I
? S
48 ? S
? N
? I
? P
49 ? C
? A
? G
? E
50 ? L
? E
? E
? D
? S
51 ? L
? E
? D
52 ? R
? O
? L
? E
? X
53 ? A
? R
? C
54 ? E
55 ? V
? E
56 ? S
57 ? P
? O
? U
? T
58 ? D
? O
? U
59 ? B
? L
? E
? U
60 ? P
61 ? U
? M
? P
? I
62 ? R
63 ? E
64 ? E
? B
? R
? O
65 ? E
? T
? A
66 ? P
? A
? L
? M
? E
? R
67 ? S
? E
? E
? D
68 ? S
? H
? Y
69 ? S
? N
? E
? E
? Z
? E

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“Able was I ___ I saw Elba” Crossword Clue

Clue Analysis

The clue ““Able was I ___ I saw Elba”” is a classic crossword staple, frequently appearing in puzzles like the WSJ crossword. For the puzzle dated June 22 2026, the definitive 3-letter answer is: ERE.

Expert Tip: When you’re stuck, try to analyze the structure of the clue itself. Is it a direct definition, a pun, a fill-in-the-blank, or a pop culture reference? Identifying the type of clue you’re dealing with is a key skill for improving your solving speed.

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Your Questions, Answered by Experts.

At Daze Puzzle, we understand that every clue is a puzzle within a larger puzzle. Our team of dedicated human experts and puzzle lovers solves these challenges daily to help you succeed. Below, we answer common questions about this specific clue.

A: The most common and recent 3-letter answer for "“Able was I ___ I saw Elba”" is ERE.

A: The clue refers to a famous palindrome attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte: 'Able was I ere I saw Elba.' The word 'ere' means 'before,' fitting the context of the sentence and completing the palindrome.

A: Ere means before in time.

A: Before, to Shakespeare, Prior to, poshly, Bygone "before", Bard’s “before”, Old-fashioned word that's a homophone of 49-Across

A: WSJ Crossword - August 12, 2025 - WSJ Crossword - June 01, 2026 - WSJ Crossword - June 22, 2026

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“Able was I ___ I saw Elba” WSJ Crossword Clue

Crossword Answer

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