Crossword clue

“Early ancestor”

This clue appeared as 9-Down in the NYT Crossword on Thursday, January 22, 2026. The answer has 6 letters.

Answer · 6 lettersFirst appearance
APEMAN
Letters6
Starts withA
Ends withN
Vowels3

Where this clue has appeared

NYT Crossword
Jan 22, 20266 letters→

About this clue

The clue “Early ancestor” ran in the NYT Crossword on January 22, 2026 as 9-Down. Its answer is a 6-letter word that starts with A and ends with N, with 3 vowels, which often points to a phrase, a name or a borrowed word.

See every answer from the puzzle on the NYT Crossword page for January 22, 2026, or learn how clues like this work in our guide to crossword clue types.

More clues from this puzzle

1APurchase of ice cream or cream ale4 letters5ACognac label letters4 letters9AEscapade5 letters14AGoddess depicted with cow's horns4 letters15A"Hey, look who's here!"4 letters16AFilm without much wardrobe, informally5 letters17AWatch sound4 letters18AHappens10 letters

FAQ

What is the answer to the “Early ancestor” clue?+

The answer is APEMAN (6 letters), from the NYT Crossword of January 22, 2026.

Where has this clue appeared?+

We have seen it 1 time in the NYT Crossword.

How do I find other NYT Crossword answers?+

Open the full list of answers for January 22, 2026, or browse every date on the NYT Crossword hub.