Since

ASOF

["Here’s a helpful hint for the clue **\"Since\"** with the answer **\"ASOF\"**:\n\n*\"This phrase, often seen in financial reports, starts with 'A' and means 'from a particular time onward.'\"*\n\nThis hint guides the solver toward the idea of a time-related phrase and its common abbreviation without directly giving away \"ASOF.\" It also subtly reinforces the connection to \"since\" by emphasizing the temporal aspect."]

The clue **"Since"** leads to the answer **"ASOF"** through a straightforward abbreviation commonly used in business and legal contexts. - **"Since"** can indicate a starting point in time, and **"as of"** is a prepositional phrase that means "from a specified time onward." - **"ASOF"** is a concise, often stylized way of writing "as of," particularly in financial or formal documents. The connection relies on recognizing that "since" and "as of" are synonymous in this context, and "ASOF" is the abbreviated form of the latter. There’s no complex wordplay or pun here—just a direct abbreviation substitution.