Down payment (7) Crossword Clue
Answer: ADVANCE (7 letters)
The answer to the crossword clue "Down payment" with 7 letters is "ADVANCE".Advance refers to an initial payment made toward the total cost of something, often in the context of a purchase or contract. It is typically paid upfront to secure the deal or show commitment, with the balance paid later, such as an advance on a house, rent, or salary.
Why “Advance” Fits
The clue asks for a single noun (7 letters) meaning “down payment.” The answer, ADVANCE, fits exactly:
- Down payment: Advance is commonly used to mean money paid beforehand, especially a part of the total sum due—such as an advance on rent, salary, or a purchase—so it directly matches the idea of a “down payment.”
- Direct match: With seven letters, advance fits the enumeration (7) perfectly and is the standard financial term for money paid in front.
“Advance” is widely used in finance, employment, and everyday transactions:
Meaning and usage:
- As a noun, an advance is money paid before the balance is due: an advance on a book contract, an advance on wages, an advance on a purchase.
- It overlaps strongly with “deposit” or “down payment” in many real-world contexts, especially when securing something in advance.
Examples:
- “They paid an advance before moving into the flat.”
- “The author received an advance against future royalties.”
- “An advance is required to confirm your booking.”
In quick crosswords, clues like “Down payment (7)”:
- Use a simple financial definition and expect a familiar, all-purpose money term.
- Alternatives such as “deposit” (7) also fit the pattern, but advance is especially strong where the sense is “money paid before the rest,” and cross letters decide between them.
- Because “advance” is a very common synonym for an early or partial payment and matches the length, it is a natural, clean answer for this clue.
