Crossword Challenge Puzzle 138 Clues and Answers
Stuck somewhere in Crossword Challenge Puzzle 138? All 30 clues on this 8×10 grid are solved below, one card per clue.
Short answers dominate here: 10 of 30 fit in one or two squares. 5 clues are pictures, and 2 of those ask you to fill the gaps in a word printed on the image; 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 1 of them needs only the missing letters. The longest answer runs 9 letters and belongs to “Status quo”.
Here is the shortcut for Puzzle 138: read the first letters of the top-row answers and you get the answer to “Top layer”. Read the first letters down the left edge and you get the answer to “Status quo”. One of those two words unlocks the first letter of 15 others.
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.
STATUS QUO
1Status quo
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
Starts with S; pattern S _ _ U _ _ I _ _. Check the sixth letter against “Quiz”.
SITUATION
___ AND DOWNS
2___ AND DOWNS
Top row 2/7 · 3 letters · down
Say “___ AND DOWNS” out loud and the blank fills itself: U _ _.
UPS
AFTER Q
3After q
Top row 3/7 · 1 letter · down
Recite the alphabet up to Q; the answer is its next letter.
R
-lder
4Picture clue
Top row 4/7 · 2 letters · down
Work out the object in the picture, then drop the part already written on it (“-lder”). What is left starts with F.
FO
CONFESS TO
5Confess to
Top row 5/7 · 5 letters · down
Shape: A _ _ I _. The fourth square is also part of “___ ACID”.
ADMIT
6Picture clue
Top row 6/7 · 4 letters · down
Describe the picture in one word that fits C _ _ _. “___ACLE” crosses it at the third square.
COIN
MISTAKE
7Mistake
Top row 7/7 · 5 letters · down
Fits E _ _ O _. Check the fourth letter against “___ ACID”.
ERROR
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
TOP LAYER
8Top layer
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
Fits S _ _ F _ _ E. Check the fifth letter against “Confess to”.
SURFACE
l-
9Picture clue
Left column 2/9 · 2 letters · across
Say what the picture shows. “l-” is printed on it, and the dashes are the letters you type. Starts with I.
IP
TEXAS STATE POLICE
10Texas state police
Left column 3/9 · 3 letters · across
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 3 squares.
TSP
AFTER T
11After t
Left column 4/9 · 1 letter · across
Recite the alphabet up to T; the answer is its next letter.
U
FINANCIAL PLUS
12Financial plus
Left column 5/9 · 5 letters · across
Begins with A. Its fourth letter is shared with “Olympic pool units”.
ASSET
QUIZ
13Quiz
Left column 6/9 · 4 letters · across
T _ _ _. “Skip over” crosses it at the third square.
TEST
INFRARED LIGHT
14Infrared light
Left column 7/9 · 2 letters · across
Begins with I. “Assist” crosses it at the second square.
IR
15Picture clue
Left column 8/9 · 7 letters · across
What is shown in the image? Shape: O _ _ R _ _ L. “Not available” crosses it at the fifth square.
OVERALL
16Picture clue
Left column 9/9 · 4 letters · across
What is shown in the image? Shape: N _ _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Repulsed reaction”.
NEWS
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
STINK
17Stink
Row 3, col 4 · 4 letters · across
O _ _ _. Check the third letter against the picture clue in the top row.
ODOR
SKIP OVER
18Skip over
Row 3, col 4 · 4 letters · down
P _ _ _. Solving “Financial plus” first gives you its third letter.
PASS
___ACLE
19___ACLE
Row 4, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Rebuild the word in “___ACLE” and enter only the missing part, starting with M.
MIR
OLYMPIC POOL UNITS
20Olympic pool units
Row 4, col 5 · 6 letters · down
Shape: M _ _ E _ _. Check the fourth letter against “Finishes”.
METERS
___ ACID
21___ ACID
Row 5, col 3 · 5 letters · across
Which word finishes “___ ACID”? It fits A _ _ N _.
AMINO
ASSIST
22Assist
Row 5, col 3 · 5 letters · down
S _ _ V _. The fourth square is also part of the picture clue in the left column.
SERVE
RADIO
23Radio
Row 6, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Write the first letter of Radio, nothing more.
R
NOT WORKING
24Not working
Row 6, col 7 · 4 letters · down
Shape: I _ _ _. Solving the picture clue in the left column first gives you its third letter.
IDLE
IVY
25Ivy
Row 7, col 6 · 1 letter · across
Just the opening letter of Ivy.
I
NOT AVAILABLE
26Not available
Row 7, col 6 · 2 letters · down
Take one letter from each word of the clue, in order.
NA
STUDENT LOAN ASSISTANCE
27Student loan assistance
Row 7, col 8 · 3 letters · down
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 3 squares.
SLA
FINISHES
28Finishes
Row 8, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Starts with E; pattern E _ _ _. Solving “Not working” first gives you its third letter.
ENDS
REPULSED REACTION
29Repulsed reaction
Row 8, col 4 · 2 letters · down
Shape: E _. Check the second letter against the picture clue in the left column.
EW
ECON. AREA
30Econ. area
Row 10, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Initials: the first letter of each word in “Econ. area”.
EA
Crossword Challenge Level 138 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
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Puzzle 138 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 138 with us. Puzzle 139 is next, with 30 clues on a 8×10 board.