Spade and Marlowe, for short WSJ Crossword Clue

By Narcissa Kh /

Crossword Answer

1 ? P
2 ? I
3 ? S
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Interactive Solver for Spade and Marlowe, for short Crossword Clue

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

Your Answer 3 Letter
    Current guess:
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      Hint 1

      hint
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      Think of what Sam and Philip do for a living, condensed into two letters and an apostrophe.

      Hint 2

      meaning
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      ??? is short for private investigators, individuals hired to conduct private investigations.

      Hint 3

      explanation
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      The clue refers to famous fictional detectives Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe. The abbreviation '???' stands for 'Private Investigators,' which both characters are.

      Hint 4

      another clue
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      Magnum and Spade, for short, Detectives, for short

      Clue Analysis

      The clue “Spade and Marlowe, for short” is a classic crossword staple, frequently appearing in puzzles like the WSJ crossword. For the puzzle dated January 3 2026, the definitive 3-letter answer is: PIS.

      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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      Spade and Marlowe, for short Crossword Clue