Clue: Start of a word ladder (and the starting point of the journey)

Answer: TROY

Length: 4

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Similar Clues:

• TV theme composer Hagen (he's also the one whistling at the start of "The Andy Griffith Show") (EARLE with 5 letters)
• Post office activity, or a hint to this puzzle's theme (LETTERSORTING with 13 letters)
• Thesaurus offering: Abbr. (SYN with 3 letters)
• Thesaurus offering (abbr.) (SYN with 3 letters)
• Thesaurus offerings: Abbr. (SYNS with 4 letters)
• Like this answer, or a two-word description of this puzzle's theme (ACROSS with 6 letters)
• Song starting "My country, 'tis of thee" (AMERICA with 7 letters)
• Radius starting point: Abbr. (CTR with 3 letters)
• Big, and word that is found in all three theme answers (EPIC with 4 letters)
• Word to add to each theme answer that will make sense of its clue (FISH with 4 letters)