Crossword Challenge Puzzle 40 Clues and Answers
Crossword Challenge Puzzle 40 is an 8×10 board with 30 clues, and every one of them is answered below.
Short answers dominate here: 9 of 30 fit in one or two squares. 5 clues are pictures, and 4 of those ask you to fill the gaps in a word printed on the image; 3 clues want only the initials of the clue words; 4 want just the first letter of a single word; 3 clues are fill-ins, and 2 of them need only the missing letters. The longest answer runs 9 letters and belongs to “James bond's work”.
Start at the edges. The first letters of the 7 answers hanging from the top row spell the answer to “Whole-hearted”, and the first letters of the 9 answers along the left edge spell the answer to “James bond's work”. Solve one of those two and every edge clue starts with a known letter.
Hints and answers, clue by clue
Clues look the way they do in the game. Tap Hint for a nudge or Answer to see the letters. The fully solved grid is below the hints.
Top row
These sit along the top edge and every answer runs down.
JAMES BOND'S WORK
1James bond's work
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
E _ _ I _ _ A _ _. The sixth square is also part of “Without clothes”.
ESPIONAGE
br-
22
Top row 2/7 · 3 letters · down
The image carries “br-”. Name the picture and keep only the letters hidden behind the dashes, beginning with A.
ACE
SMALL BROOK
3Small brook
Top row 3/7 · 4 letters · down
Fits R _ _ _. The third square is also part of “Animal's hide”.
RILL
NOT
4Not
Top row 4/7 · 1 letter · down
Just the opening letter of Not.
N
-ster
55
Top row 5/7 · 2 letters · down
Say what the picture shows. “-ster” is printed on it, and the dashes are the letters you type. Starts with E.
EA
SPORTS RESULT
6Sports result
Top row 6/7 · 5 letters · down
Begins with S. “Filthy money” crosses it at the fourth square.
SCORE
FAIRLY WELL
7Fairly well
Top row 7/7 · 9 letters · down
Fits T _ _ E _ _ B _ _. The sixth square is also part of “Add”.
TOLERABLY
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
WHOLE-HEARTED
8Whole-hearted
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
E _ _ N _ _ T. Solving the picture clue in the top row first gives you its fifth letter.
EARNEST
-ssors
9Scissors
Left column 2/9 · 3 letters · across
Picture word minus “ssors” gives the answer. First letter: S.
SCI
ANIMAL'S HIDE
10Animal's hide
Left column 3/9 · 4 letters · across
Begins with P. Solving “Small brook” first gives you its third letter.
PELT
ION
11Ion
Left column 4/9 · 1 letter · across
Just the opening letter of Ion.
I
-tober
1212
Left column 5/9 · 2 letters · across
The image carries “-tober”. Name the picture and keep only the letters hidden behind the dashes, beginning with O.
OC
WITHOUT CLOTHES
13Without clothes
Left column 6/9 · 5 letters · across
Fits N _ _ E _. The fourth square is also part of “Straw, basically”.
NAKED
"___ YOU SLEEPING?"
14"___ YOU SLEEPING?"
Left column 7/9 · 3 letters · across
Which word finishes “___ YOU SLEEPING?”? It fits A _ _.
ARE
15Picture clue
Left column 8/9 · 4 letters · across
Look at the picture and fit it to G _ _ _. The third square is also part of “Seaweed”.
GOLD
HOLLOWLY
16Hollowly
Left column 9/9 · 7 letters · across
Begins with E. Solving “Idiom” first gives you its fifth letter.
EMPTILY
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
___RN
17___RN
Row 3, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Rebuild the word in “___RN” and enter only the missing part, starting with A.
ACO
STRAW, BASICALLY
18Straw, basically
Row 3, col 5 · 4 letters · down
Begins with T. Check the third letter against “Cape settler”.
TUBE
OPEN LIBRARY
19Open library
Row 4, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Abbreviate “Open library” to its initials.
OL
CIPHER TEXT
20Cipher text
Row 4, col 6 · 4 letters · down
Starts with C; pattern C _ _ _. Check the third letter against “Without clothes”.
CODE
FILTHY MONEY
21Filthy money
Row 5, col 3 · 5 letters · across
L _ _ R _. “Sports result” crosses it at the fourth square.
LUCRE
POOL SHOT
22Pool shot
Row 5, col 3 · 5 letters · down
Starts with C; pattern C _ _ O _. The fourth square is also part of the picture clue in the left column.
CAROM
CAPE SETTLER
23Cape settler
Row 6, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Begins with B. Its third letter is shared with “Sports result”.
BOER
SEAWEED
24Seaweed
Row 6, col 4 · 4 letters · down
K _ _ _. Solving the picture clue in the left column first gives you its third letter.
KELP
ADD
25Add
Row 7, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Just the opening letter of Add.
A
BE ILL
26Be ill
Row 7, col 7 · 3 letters · down
Begins with A. The third square is also part of “Hollowly”.
AIL
EMERALD ASH BORER
27Emerald ash borer
Row 8, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Initials: the first letter of each word in “Emerald ash borer”.
EAB
DOWN-TOWN
28Down-town
Row 8, col 5 · 2 letters · down
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 2 squares.
DT
CIV__
29CIV__
Row 9, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Only the hidden letters of “CIV__” go in the grid. First one: I.
IL
IDIOM
30Idiom
Row 9, col 6 · 1 letter · down
Idiom starts with the answer.
I
Crossword Challenge Level 40 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
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Puzzle 40 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 40 with us. Puzzle 41 is next, with 30 clues on a 8×10 board.