Crossword Challenge Puzzle 52 Clues and Answers
Stuck somewhere in Crossword Challenge Puzzle 52? All 30 clues on this 8×10 grid are solved below, one card per clue.
Short answers dominate here: 8 of 30 fit in one or two squares. 5 clues are pictures; 4 clues want only the initials of the clue words; 2 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 “French pastry”.
Start at the edges. The first letters of the 7 answers hanging from the top row spell the answer to “Egg source”, and the first letters of the 9 answers along the left edge spell the answer to “French pastry”. 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.
1French pastry
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
Both the picture and the text “FRENCH PASTRY” point to the same word. It begins with C.
CROISSANT
HOUSTON URBAN UNIT
2Houston urban unit
Top row 2/7 · 3 letters · down
Take one letter from each word of the clue, in order.
HUU
INCLUDING ABBR.
3Including abbr.
Top row 3/7 · 4 letters · down
Starts with I; pattern I _ _ _. The third square is also part of “Sound of hurt”.
INCL
_LOCK
4_LOCK
Top row 4/7 · 1 letter · down
Fill the gap in “_LOCK”, but leave out the letters already shown. Starts with C.
C
KNOT ABBR.
5Knot abbr.
Top row 5/7 · 2 letters · down
Begins with K. The second square is also part of “Even score”.
KT
64×2
Top row 6/7 · 5 letters · down
What is shown in the image? Shape: E _ _ H _. Its fourth letter is shared with “Oblivion”.
EIGHT
GLACIAL SNOWS
7Glacial snows
Top row 7/7 · 5 letters · down
Begins with N. The fourth square is also part of “Oblivion”.
NEVES
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
8Egg source
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
Use the text “EGG SOURCE” if the picture is unclear. First letter C.
CHICKEN
9Jog
Left column 2/9 · 3 letters · across
Use the text “JOG” if the picture is unclear. First letter R.
RUN
SOUND OF HURT
10Sound of hurt
Left column 3/9 · 4 letters · across
Begins with O. Solving “Including abbr.” first gives you its third letter.
OUCH
IMAGE
11Image
Left column 4/9 · 1 letter · across
Only one square: take the initial of Image.
I
SOUTH-WEST
12South-west
Left column 5/9 · 2 letters · across
Take one letter from each word of the clue, in order.
SW
BLACK FUR
13Black fur
Left column 6/9 · 5 letters · across
S _ _ L _. The fourth square is also part of “Fiery place”.
SABLE
DINED
14Dined
Left column 7/9 · 3 letters · across
Begins with A. The third square is also part of “Male sweetie”.
ATE
NIGH
15Nigh
Left column 8/9 · 4 letters · across
Shape: N _ _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Male sweetie”.
NEAR
16Jazz band staple
Left column 9/9 · 7 letters · across
Both the picture and the text “JAZZ BAND STAPLE” point to the same word. It begins with T.
TRUMPET
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
EVEN SCORE
17Even score
Row 3, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Fits T _ _. Solving “Glacial snows” first gives you its third letter.
TIE
FIERY PLACE
18Fiery place
Row 3, col 5 · 4 letters · down
Shape: H _ _ _. Check the third letter against “Many”.
HELL
GOOD VIBES
19Good vibes
Row 4, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Initials: the first letter of each word in “Good vibes”.
GV
DIGITS ON FEET
20Digits on feet
Row 4, col 6 · 4 letters · down
T _ _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Black fur”.
TOES
OBLIVION
21Oblivion
Row 5, col 3 · 5 letters · across
Shape: L _ _ H _. The picture clue in the top row crosses it at the fourth square.
LETHE
H2O
22H2o
Row 5, col 3 · 5 letters · down
Starts with W; pattern W _ _ E _. Its fourth letter is shared with “Nigh”.
WATER
MANY
23Many
Row 6, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Shape: L _ _ _. The third square is also part of the picture clue in the top row.
LOTS
MALE SWEETIE
24Male sweetie
Row 6, col 4 · 4 letters · down
Fits B _ _ _. Solving “Nigh” first gives you its third letter.
BEAU
BAKED DESSERT
25Baked dessert
Row 7, col 7 · 3 letters · down
Starts with P; pattern P _ _. “Jazz band staple” crosses it at the third square.
PIE
WORK OF ___
26WORK OF ___
Row 7, col 8 · 3 letters · down
The missing word in “WORK OF ___” starts with A.
ART
MASSAGE HAVEN
27Massage haven
Row 8, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Shape: S _ _. The third square is also part of “WORK OF ___”.
SPA
ROYAL MAIL
28Royal mail
Row 8, col 5 · 2 letters · down
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 2 squares.
RM
A__PORT
29A__PORT
Row 9, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Rebuild the word in “A__PORT” and enter only the missing part, starting with I.
IR
PARIS
30Paris
Row 9, col 6 · 1 letter · down
Just the opening letter of Paris.
P
Crossword Challenge Level 52 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
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Puzzle 52 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 52 with us. Puzzle 53 is next, with 30 clues on a 8×10 board.