Crossword Challenge Puzzle 86 Clues and Answers
Stuck somewhere in Crossword Challenge Puzzle 86? All 30 clues on this 8×10 grid are solved below, one card per clue.
Expect plenty of tiny answers, 9 of them only one or two letters. 4 clues are pictures, and 2 of those ask you to fill the gaps in a word printed on the image; 2 clues want only the initials of the clue words; 4 want just the first letter of a single word; 2 clues are fill-ins, and 2 of them need only the missing letters. The longest answer runs 9 letters and belongs to “Criticize harshly”.
The edges of this grid check each other. The top-row answers begin with the letters of the answer to “Phone activity”, read left to right, and the left-column answers begin with the letters of the answer to “Criticize harshly”, read top to bottom.
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.
CRITICIZE HARSHLY
1Criticize harshly
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
Shape: C _ _ T _ _ A _ _. “Street child” crosses it at the sixth square.
CASTIGATE
YEARS LIVED
2Years lived
Top row 2/7 · 3 letters · down
Shape: A _ _. The third square is also part of the picture clue in the left column.
AGE
BAKERY PRODUCT
3Bakery product
Top row 3/7 · 4 letters · down
Shape: L _ _ _. Solving the picture clue in the left column first gives you its third letter.
LOAF
LEADER
4Leader
Top row 4/7 · 1 letter · down
Write the first letter of Leader, nothing more.
L
INNER YOU
5Inner you
Top row 5/7 · 2 letters · down
Initials: the first letter of each word in “Inner you”.
IY
WANDERER
6Wanderer
Top row 6/7 · 5 letters · down
Fits N _ _ A _. The fourth square is also part of “Central point”.
NOMAD
NAIVELY PURE
7Naively pure
Top row 7/7 · 9 letters · down
Shape: G _ _ L _ _ E _ _. Solving “Low” first gives you its sixth letter.
GUILELESS
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
PHONE ACTIVITY
8Phone activity
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
C _ _ L _ _ G. Solving “Inner you” first gives you its fifth letter.
CALLING
EARLIER
9Earlier
Left column 2/9 · 3 letters · across
Starts with A; pattern A _ _. Check the third letter against “Bakery product”.
AGO
1010
Left column 3/9 · 4 letters · across
Name the object in the picture. S _ _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Bakery product”.
SEAL
TAP
11Tap
Left column 4/9 · 1 letter · across
Just the opening letter of Tap.
T
b-
1212
Left column 5/9 · 2 letters · across
The image carries “b-”. Name the picture and keep only the letters hidden behind the dashes, beginning with I.
IB
STREET CHILD
13Street child
Left column 6/9 · 5 letters · across
Shape: G _ _ I _. The fourth square is also part of “Central points”.
GAMIN
v-
1414
Left column 7/9 · 3 letters · across
Work out the object in the picture, then drop the part already written on it (“v-”). What is left starts with A.
ASE
CASH DRAWER
15Cash drawer
Left column 8/9 · 4 letters · across
T _ _ _. The third square is also part of “Mixture”.
TILL
1616
Left column 9/9 · 7 letters · across
What is shown in the image? Shape: E _ _ L _ _ S. “Easy” crosses it at the fifth square.
ENDLESS
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
NOT ME
17Not me
Row 3, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Y _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Naively pure”.
YOU
CENTRAL POINTS
18Central points
Row 3, col 5 · 4 letters · down
Starts with L; pattern L _ _ _. The third square is also part of “Give up”.
LOCI
__RROR
19__RROR
Row 4, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Fill the gap in “__RROR”, but leave out the letters already shown. Starts with M.
MI
PENNY
20Penny
Row 4, col 6 · 4 letters · down
C _ _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Street child”.
CENT
CENTRAL POINT
21Central point
Row 5, col 3 · 5 letters · across
Fits F _ _ A _. Its fourth letter is shared with “Wanderer”.
FOCAL
SINK
22Sink
Row 5, col 3 · 5 letters · down
B _ _ I _. The fourth square is also part of “Cash drawer”.
BASIN
GIVE UP
23Give up
Row 6, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Fits C _ _ _. Solving “Wanderer” first gives you its third letter.
CEDE
MIXTURE
24Mixture
Row 6, col 4 · 4 letters · down
Fits M _ _ _. “Cash drawer” crosses it at the third square.
MELD
LOW
25Low
Row 7, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Only one square: take the initial of Low.
L
MEN
26Men
Row 7, col 7 · 3 letters · down
Starts with H; pattern H _ _. Check the third letter against the picture clue in the left column.
HES
DEFINITE ARTICLE
27Definite article
Row 8, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Fits T _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Naively pure”.
THE
SKI__
28SKI__
Row 8, col 5 · 2 letters · down
“SKI__” is a word with a gap. Type just the gap, which begins with L.
LL
EAST SIDE
29East side
Row 9, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Initials: the first letter of each word in “East side”.
ES
EASY
30Easy
Row 9, col 6 · 1 letter · down
Only one square: take the initial of Easy.
E
Crossword Challenge Level 86 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
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Puzzle 86 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 86 with us. Puzzle 87 is next, with 30 clues on a 8×10 board.