Start the kitty

The answer

ANTE

4 letters. See every clue for this answer on the ANTE answer page.

Used 17 times across 11 distinct years; most recently in 2021; first recorded in 2004. It appears in 6 publications in the xd corpus. Frequency and last-seen figures come from the xd crossword corpus only.

Other clues for ANTE

Every other clue in this collection answered by ANTE, most used first.

• Poker payment - used 242 times, most recently in 2026
• Pay to play - used 214 times, most recently in 2026
• Poker stake - used 172 times, most recently in 2026
• Pot starter - used 158 times, most recently in 2026
• Feed the kitty - used 132 times, most recently in 2026
• Chip in - used 95 times, most recently in 2026
• Poker pot starter - used 92 times, most recently in 2026
• Stake - used 88 times, most recently in 2025
• Initial stake - used 82 times, most recently in 2026
• Poker buy-in - used 71 times, most recently in 2026
• Initial chip - used 63 times, most recently in 2026
• Pay (up) - used 59 times, most recently in 2026
• Initial poker payment - used 58 times, most recently in 2026
• Start the pot - used 57 times, most recently in 2026
• Part of A.M. - used 52 times, most recently in 2026
• Status quo ___. - used 45 times, most recently in 2019
• Initial poker stake - used 44 times, most recently in 2026
• Penny ___ - used 43 times, most recently in 2026
• Poker hand starter - used 42 times, most recently in 2026
• Pot builder - used 40 times, most recently in 2025
• Chip in a chip - used 39 times, most recently in 2023
• Stud fee? - used 38 times, most recently in 2020
• Start a pot - used 37 times, most recently in 2026
• Pay for a hand - used 36 times, most recently in 2026
• Pony up - used 31 times, most recently in 2026
• Start a poker pot - used 31 times, most recently in 2026
• Starting stake - used 31 times, most recently in 2025
• Get the pot going - used 29 times, most recently in 2021
• Poker term - used 29 times, most recently in 2022
• Poker starter - used 28 times, most recently in 2026
• Price to play - used 28 times, most recently in 2025
• Chip in chips - used 26 times, most recently in 2021
• ___ meridiem - used 26 times, most recently in 2023
• Opening stake - used 25 times, most recently in 2025
• Poker fee - used 24 times, most recently in 2025
• Poker player's payment - used 23 times, most recently in 2026
• ___ bellum. - used 22 times, most recently in 1985
• Kitty feed - used 22 times, most recently in 2026
• Before: Prefix. - used 21 times, most recently in 2026
• Cost of cards - used 21 times, most recently in 2026
• Feed the pot - used 21 times, most recently in 2016
• Get in the game - used 21 times, most recently in 2026
• Penny, perhaps - used 21 times, most recently in 2023
• First chip in the poker pot - used 20 times, most recently in 2026
• Kick in - used 20 times, most recently in 2026
• Stake at the beginning of a poker hand - used 20 times, most recently in 2026
• Penny-__ (small-time) - used 19 times, most recently in 2026
• Pre-deal payment - used 19 times, most recently in 2024
• Get in on the deal - used 18 times, most recently in 2022
• Poker pay-in - used 18 times, most recently in 2022
• The "a" in a.m. - used 18 times, most recently in 2026
• Cost of a hand - used 17 times, most recently in 2026
• Kitty starter - used 17 times, most recently in 2021
• Poker ritual - used 17 times, most recently in 2025
• Stud stake - used 17 times, most recently in 2018
• Player's payment - used 16 times, most recently in 2025
• Poker pot payment - used 16 times, most recently in 2026
• Up the ___ - used 16 times, most recently in 2026
• Before: pref. - used 15 times, most recently in 2023
• Play money? - used 15 times, most recently in 2026
• Pot grower? - used 15 times, most recently in 2025
• Put up - used 15 times, most recently in 2016
• Part of a pot - used 14 times, most recently in 2025
• Pay for a poker hand - used 14 times, most recently in 2025
• Poker cost - used 14 times, most recently in 2025
• Dealer's request - used 13 times, most recently in 2024
• Initial stake in a poker game - used 13 times, most recently in 2026
• Opening bet - used 13 times, most recently in 2025
• Penny-__ poker - used 13 times, most recently in 2024
• Poker price - used 13 times, most recently in 2025
• Blue chip, perhaps - used 12 times, most recently in 2017
• Card-game starter - used 12 times, most recently in 2006
• Dealer's demand - used 12 times, most recently in 2024
• Hand cost - used 12 times, most recently in 2024
• Poker game starter - used 12 times, most recently in 2025
• Pot payment - used 12 times, most recently in 2024
• Start the poker pot - used 12 times, most recently in 2025
• Starting poker stake - used 12 times, most recently in 2025
• Sweeten the pot - used 12 times, most recently in 2006
• Upfront stake - used 12 times, most recently in 2026
• Before: Lat. - used 11 times, most recently in 2015
• It may be upped - used 11 times, most recently in 2021
• Kitty contribution - used 11 times, most recently in 2024
• Opening chip - used 11 times, most recently in 2023
• Poker pot money - used 11 times, most recently in 2026
• Pot part - used 11 times, most recently in 2023
• Prefix with chamber - used 11 times, most recently in 2026
• Prelude to a deal - used 11 times, most recently in 2018
• Stake in the game - used 11 times, most recently in 2013
• A chip, maybe - used 10 times, most recently in 2020
• Add to the pot - used 10 times, most recently in 2019
• It's just for openers - used 10 times, most recently in 2016
• Part of AM - used 10 times, most recently in 2023
• Pay to play poker - used 10 times, most recently in 2025
• Put in the pot - used 10 times, most recently in 2013
• Chamber opening? - used 9 times, most recently in 2025
• "Deal me in" indicator - used 9 times, most recently in 2016
• First of the pot - used 9 times, most recently in 2000
• Fork over, with "up" - used 9 times, most recently in 2014
• Get in on a deal - used 9 times, most recently in 2017
• Kitty food. - used 9 times, most recently in 2025
• Opening wager - used 9 times, most recently in 2025
• Opposite of post- - used 9 times, most recently in 2025
• Penny-___ (trivial) - used 9 times, most recently in 2026
• Poker contribution - used 9 times, most recently in 2026
• Poker opener - used 9 times, most recently in 2024
• Poker table payment - used 9 times, most recently in 2026
• Price for a hand - used 9 times, most recently in 2023
• Prime the pot - used 9 times, most recently in 2024
• Start to date? - used 9 times, most recently in 2008
• Upping the ___ - used 9 times, most recently in 2026
• World Poker Tour contribution - used 9 times, most recently in 2013
• Add to the kitty - used 8 times, most recently in 2021
• Bet - used 8 times, most recently in 1998
• Chip in a pot - used 8 times, most recently in 2020
• Cost to play - used 8 times, most recently in 2021
• First chip in the pot - used 8 times, most recently in 2026
• Front money - used 8 times, most recently in 2024
• Opening poker bet - used 8 times, most recently in 2026
• Pay one's part. - used 8 times, most recently in 1961
• Pay one's share. - used 8 times, most recently in 1982
• Player's fee - used 8 times, most recently in 2023
• Poker pot builder - used 8 times, most recently in 2025
• Pot addition - used 8 times, most recently in 2022
• Pot sweetener - used 8 times, most recently in 2012
• Up the ___ (raise the stakes) - used 8 times, most recently in 2026
• Card-game stake - used 7 times, most recently in 2018
• Card player's stake - used 7 times, most recently in 2012
• Entry fee - used 7 times, most recently in 2025
• Gambler's stake - used 7 times, most recently in 2019
• "I'm in" indicator - used 7 times, most recently in 2017
• In front of: Prefix. - used 7 times, most recently in 1966
• Initial payment - used 7 times, most recently in 2017
• Pay in - used 7 times, most recently in 2026
• Pay, with "up" - used 7 times, most recently in 2004
• Poker bet - used 7 times, most recently in 2020
• Poker pot - used 7 times, most recently in 2002
• Post opposite - used 7 times, most recently in 2014
• Pot filler - used 7 times, most recently in 2007
• Pot money - used 7 times, most recently in 2015
• Pre-deal chip - used 7 times, most recently in 2017
• Pre-deal ritual - used 7 times, most recently in 2013
• Prefix with bellum - used 7 times, most recently in 2014
• Start a hand - used 7 times, most recently in 2012
• The "a" of a.m. - used 7 times, most recently in 2026
• Up-front money - used 7 times, most recently in 2012
• You'll get a hand for it - used 7 times, most recently in 2020
• Amount to be raised? - used 6 times, most recently in 2015
• Buy a hand - used 6 times, most recently in 2022
• Cough up for a kitty - used 6 times, most recently in 2014
• Forced bet - used 6 times, most recently in 2025
• Hold 'em fee - used 6 times, most recently in 2017
• Hold 'em ritual - used 6 times, most recently in 2024
• Join the game, in a way - used 6 times, most recently in 2019
• Kick in for a hand - used 6 times, most recently in 2011
• Money before a poker hand - used 6 times, most recently in 2026
• Penny follower - used 6 times, most recently in 2009
• Penny-___ (rinky-dink) - used 6 times, most recently in 2026
• Poker entry fee - used 6 times, most recently in 2022
• Poker money - used 6 times, most recently in 2022
• Pot component - used 6 times, most recently in 2022
• Pot entrance fee - used 6 times, most recently in 2007
• Pot toss-in - used 6 times, most recently in 2024
• Pre- - used 6 times, most recently in 2014
• Prefix meaning "before" - used 6 times, most recently in 2026
• Required bet in poker - used 6 times, most recently in 2024
• Starter chips - used 6 times, most recently in 2010
• Texas Hold 'em fee - used 6 times, most recently in 2019
• The first chip, usually - used 6 times, most recently in 2009
• Up-front payment - used 6 times, most recently in 2025
• Upfront money - used 6 times, most recently in 2010
• You have to be upfront with it - used 6 times, most recently in 2014

Related clues

Clues in this collection of the same answer length that share a word with this clue, or match its answer pattern when no word is shared. Most used first.

• Up to the task - ABLE, used 397 times
• In the thick of - AMID, used 377 times
• On the briny - ASEA, used 364 times
• From the top - ANEW, used 355 times
• Spill the beans - BLAB, used 313 times
• Away from the wind - ALEE, used 282 times

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