The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word EARLIER
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More clues leading to the result EARLIER
- Before hearing story, tip for narrator
- Organ that is held in each hand, further back
- Before noble, one queen
- Listener wants story — prime bit of romance from a previous era?
- Former member of the Lords? That is right
- Foregoing a title that is meeting resistance
- Boatman placed between noble and royal persons previously
- Nobleman starts to introduce essential reforms sooner
- From longer ago, more reminiscent of a certain nobleman?
- Before being more noble?
Buddy explains!

The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does EARLIER mean?
EARLIER adjective- At a time in advance of the usual or expected event.
- Arriving a time before expected; sooner than on time.
- Near the start or beginning.
- Having begun to occur; in its early stages.
- Of a star or class of stars, hotter than the sun.
- At a time before expected; sooner than usual.
- Soon; in good time; seasonably.