Top-ranked player in a tournament Crossword Clue

Last Seen in:

Here is the answer for the crossword clue Top-ranked player in a tournament last seen in New York Times puzzle. We have found 40 possible answers for this clue in our database. Among them, one solution stands out with a 98% match which has a length of 9 letters. We think the likely answer to this clue is FIRSTSEED.

Today's Mini Crossword

Like NYT Mini, but free. Forever. No playwall.

See results below advertisement

Crossword Answer For Top-ranked player in a tournament:

You can click on thetiles to reveal letter by letter before uncovering the full solution.

advertisement

40 Potential Answers:

RankAnswerLengthSourceDate
98% FIRSTSEED Top-ranked player in a tournament (9) New York Times Aug 7, 2006
4% SEED Tournament ranking (4) Wall Street Journal Jan 12, 2026
3% RATE Assign a ranking to (4) Commuter Jan 10, 2026
3% NOISELESS Top tennis player essentially wasn't this! (9) The Telegraph Toughie Jan 9, 2026
3% CONTENDER Tournament participant (9) (9) Puzzler Jan 8, 2026
3% DEMOTE Reduce in rank (6) Newsday Dec 31, 2025
3% EARL Rank of nobility (4) The Telegraph Cross Atlantic Dec 31, 2025
3% SEAMAN Navy rank (6) Thomas Joseph Dec 27, 2025
3% OSAKA First Asian player to hold the top rank in tennis singles (5) The Atlantic Dec 26, 2025
3% ENS USN rank (3) Thomas Joseph Dec 26, 2025

Last appeared together with the following clues in New York Times puzzle

Top-ranked player in a tournament Crossword Clue
Stay up-to-date with our updates!
Explore your favorite daily puzzles and get quick tips, find missing answers to complete your crossword.
CW alt logo

Fresh Clues From Recent Puzzles

Your Crossword Clues FAQ Guide

In a tournament, the "first seed" refers to the top-ranked player. They are seeded first based on their ranking. This term comes from the practice of organizing players in a bracket or draw based on their skill level.