Crossword Challenge Puzzle 409 Clues and Answers
This page covers all 30 clues of Crossword Challenge Puzzle 409, an 8×10 grid that mixes picture clues with short word clues.
Expect plenty of tiny answers, 9 of them only one or two letters. 2 clues are pictures, and 2 of those ask you to fill the gaps in a word printed on the image; 3 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 “Barbie's abode”.
Here is the shortcut for Puzzle 409: read the first letters of the top-row answers and you get the answer to “Bring to”. Read the first letters down the left edge and you get the answer to “Barbie's abode”. 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.
BARBIE'S ABODE
1Barbie's abode
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
Fits D _ _ L _ _ U _ _. Check the sixth letter against “Bit of nostalgia”.
DOLLHOUSE
TIME PERIOD
2Time period
Top row 2/7 · 3 letters · down
Shape: E _ _. Solving “Ground” first gives you its third letter.
ERA
LET BORROW
3Let borrow
Top row 3/7 · 4 letters · down
L _ _ _. The third square is also part of “Ground”.
LEND
INPUT
4Input
Top row 4/7 · 1 letter · down
Write the first letter of Input, nothing more.
I
-te
5__LUME
Top row 5/7 · 2 letters · down
Picture word minus “te” gives the answer. First letter: V.
VO
PLANT SWELLING
6Plant swelling
Top row 6/7 · 5 letters · down
Begins with E. Its fourth letter is shared with “Tragedy”.
EDEMA
LOAN PAYBACK
7Loan payback
Top row 7/7 · 9 letters · down
Begins with R. The sixth square is also part of “Roman 1000”.
REPAYMENT
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
BRING TO
8Bring to
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
Shape: D _ _ I _ _ R. Check the fifth letter against the picture clue in the top row.
DELIVER
MINING PRODUCT
9Mining product
Left column 2/9 · 3 letters · across
Starts with O; pattern O _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Let borrow”.
ORE
GROUND
10Ground
Left column 3/9 · 4 letters · across
Shape: L _ _ _. Check the third letter against “Let borrow”.
LAND
LEAGUE
11League
Left column 4/9 · 1 letter · across
Just the opening letter of League.
L
-rp
12Picture clue
Left column 5/9 · 2 letters · across
Picture word minus “rp” gives the answer. First letter: H.
HA
BIT OF NOSTALGIA
13Bit of nostalgia
Left column 6/9 · 5 letters · across
Begins with O. “Empty a sink” crosses it at the fourth square.
OLDIE
"ONCE ___ A TIME"
14"ONCE ___ A TIME"
Left column 7/9 · 4 letters · across
The missing word in “ONCE ___ A TIME” starts with U.
UPON
NOT HE
15Not he
Left column 8/9 · 3 letters · across
Starts with S; pattern S _ _. The third square is also part of “Activist”.
SHE
WHOLE-HEARTED
16Whole-hearted
Left column 9/9 · 7 letters · across
Shape: E _ _ N _ _ T. Check the fifth letter against “Iron symbol”.
EARNEST
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
LYRIC POEM
17Lyric poem
Row 3, col 5 · 3 letters · across
O _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Loan payback”.
ODE
EMPTY A SINK
18Empty a sink
Row 3, col 5 · 5 letters · down
Begins with D. Its fourth letter is shared with “Bit of nostalgia”.
DRAIN
ACC__T
19ACC__T
Row 4, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Only the hidden letters of “ACC__T” go in the grid. First one: E.
EP
GREAT RESPECT
20Great respect
Row 4, col 6 · 3 letters · down
Shape: A _ _. Solving “Bit of nostalgia” first gives you its third letter.
AWE
TRAGEDY
21Tragedy
Row 5, col 3 · 5 letters · across
Shape: D _ _ M _. “Plant swelling” crosses it at the fourth square.
DRAMA
LEADER TYPE
22Leader type
Row 5, col 3 · 5 letters · down
Fits A _ _ H _. “Not he” crosses it at the fourth square.
ALPHA
NOT HOME
23Not home
Row 6, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Begins with A. The third square is also part of “Plant swelling”.
AWAY
ACTIVIST
24Activist
Row 6, col 4 · 4 letters · down
Begins with D. “Not he” crosses it at the third square.
DOER
ROMAN 1000
25Roman 1000
Row 7, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Think of one character, not a word, for “Roman 1000”.
M
FUEL TYPE
26Fuel type
Row 7, col 7 · 3 letters · down
Shape: G _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Whole-hearted”.
GAS
STRAN__R
27STRAN__R
Row 8, col 6 · 2 letters · across
“STRAN__R” is a word with a gap. Type just the gap, which begins with G.
GE
IRON SYMBOL
28Iron symbol
Row 8, col 6 · 2 letters · down
F _. Check the second letter against “Whole-hearted”.
FE
ADMIRER
29Admirer
Row 9, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Fits F _ _. The third square is also part of “Loan payback”.
FAN
NUMBER
30Number
Row 9, col 5 · 1 letter · down
Number starts with the answer.
N
Crossword Challenge Level 409 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
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Puzzle 409 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 409 with us. Puzzle 410 is next, with 32 clues on a 8×10 board.