Seattle Times Crossword Clue Solved: "Story Opener"

Crossword fans find the 4-letter answer to the tricky clue in the April 16, 2026 edition.

Apr. 16, 2026 at 10:05am

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An extremely abstracted, out-of-focus photograph of a newspaper page with a crossword puzzle, composed entirely of soft, warm pools of color and light, creating a blurred, dreamlike scene that captures the essence of solving a challenging crossword clue.The hazy, dreamlike quality of this crossword puzzle illustration evokes the mental challenge and sense of community that dedicated puzzlers experience.Seattle Today

The crossword puzzle in the April 16, 2026 edition of the Seattle Times featured the clue "Story opener", which had a 4-letter answer. After providing helpful hints about the definition and anagram of the answer, the article reveals the solution is the word "ONCE".

Why it matters

Crossword puzzles are a beloved daily ritual for many readers, providing a fun mental challenge and a sense of community as puzzlers work to solve the clues. This article helps crossword fans in the Seattle area successfully complete the Seattle Times puzzle by providing the answer to a tricky clue.

The details

The "Story opener" crossword clue was part of the Seattle Times New Crossword published on April 16, 2026. The 4-letter answer to the clue, which was defined as "(adverb) on one occasion at a previous time", is the word "ONCE". The article provides helpful hints to guide readers to the solution, including the definition of "opener" as "a person who unfastens or unwraps or opens" and the anagram "CONE".

  • The crossword puzzle was published in the Seattle Times on April 16, 2026.

The players

Seattle Times

A major daily newspaper serving the Seattle, Washington metropolitan area.

Christine Mielke

The author of the article providing the solution to the crossword clue.

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The takeaway

This article demonstrates the value of crossword puzzle guides and solutions, which can help dedicated puzzlers successfully complete challenging clues and finish the daily crossword.