Just as you can use Clue Connectors to fill a gap between the definition and wordplay halves of a clue, these “Before” indicators can fill the gap between two separate cryptic elements.
Technically, these words are telling you to decode the clue in the order that it’s presented in, which is what you would do anyway. Therefore, as far as the cryptic nature of the clue is concerned, these indicators are really just filler. But they are useful (and valid) filler.
For example:
• Instead of “Want it church,” you can write:
Want it before church (4) [1]
• Instead of “Idiot return of open country,” you can write:
Idiot leads return of open country [2]
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NOTE: The verbs on this list in present tense (PRECEDES) also work as indicators in the past (PRECEDED) and present participle (IS PRECEDING) tenses.
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ABUTTING
ACCOMPANYING
ADJACENT TO
ADJOINING
ALONG WITH
AND
AND THEN
ANNOUNCES
ANTECEDES
ANTEDATES
AT THE VAN
AT THE VANGUARD
ATTACHED TO
BEFORE
BORDERING
BY
CLOSE TO
CLOSEST TO
CONNECTED TO
CONNECTING
CONTERMINOUS TO
CONTIGUOUS TO
ESCORTS
FLANKS
FLUSH TO
FLUSH WITH
FOREGOES
FRINGES
GUIDES
HEADS
HEADS UP
HERALDS
IMMEDIATE TO
IN ADVANCE
INTRODUCES
JOINED TO
JOINED WITH
JOINING
JUXTAPOSED
JUXTAPOSED WITH
LEADING TO
LEADS
LEFT OF
LINKED TO
NEAR
NEAR TO
NEARBY
NEAREST TO
NEIGHBORING
NEXT TO
NEXT-DOOR TO
NIGH
OVERLOOKS
OVERSEES
PILOTS
PRECEDES
PREDATES
PREEXISTS
IS SINISTER TO
SKIRTS
IS SUPERIOR TO
THEN
TO THE LEFT OF
TOUCHING
UNITED TO
USHERS
VERGES
VERGES ON
WEST OF
WITH
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[1] IT + CH
[2] ASS + YRIA (R)
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