Crossword Challenge Puzzle 486 Clues and Answers
Stuck somewhere in Crossword Challenge Puzzle 486? All 31 clues on this 8×10 grid are solved below, one card per clue.
9 of the 31 answers are one or two letters long. 4 clues are pictures; 3 clues want only the initials of the clue words; 3 want just the first letter of a single word; 1 clue is a fill-in, and 1 of it needs only the missing letters. The longest answer runs 9 letters and belongs to “Not proficient”.
Here is the shortcut for Puzzle 486: read the first letters of the top-row answers and you get the answer to “Put to use”. Read the first letters down the left edge and you get the answer to “Not proficient”. 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.
NOT PROFICIENT
1Not proficient
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
U _ _ K _ _ L _ _. Its sixth letter is shared with “Moon-related”.
UNSKILLED
#1
2#1
Top row 2/7 · 3 letters · down
Shape: T _ _. “Blueprint detail” crosses it at the third square.
TOP
GIST
3Gist
Top row 3/7 · 4 letters · down
I _ _ _. “Blueprint detail” crosses it at the third square.
IDEA
LEFT
4Left
Top row 4/7 · 1 letter · down
Only one square: take the initial of Left.
L
INTERS. HIGHWAY
5Inters. highway
Top row 5/7 · 2 letters · down
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 2 squares.
IH
6Picture clue
Top row 6/7 · 5 letters · down
Look at the picture and fit it to Z _ _ R _. Check the fourth letter against “Warning sign”.
ZEBRA
7Picture clue
Top row 7/7 · 4 letters · down
One word for the picture, starting with E. Solving “__CYCLE” first gives you its third letter.
EXIT
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
PUT TO USE
8Put to use
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
Fits U _ _ L _ _ E. The fifth square is also part of “Inters. highway”.
UTILIZE
AGREEING GESTURE
9Agreeing gesture
Left column 2/9 · 3 letters · across
Fits N _ _. Check the third letter against “Gist”.
NOD
BLUEPRINT DETAIL
10Blueprint detail
Left column 3/9 · 4 letters · across
Shape: S _ _ _. “Gist” crosses it at the third square.
SPEC
11Picture clue
Left column 4/9 · 1 letter · across
Name the object in the picture. K.
K
EQUALS
12Equals
Left column 5/9 · 2 letters · across
Starts with I; pattern I _. Its second letter is shared with “Hotel room set”.
IS
MOON-RELATED
13Moon-related
Left column 6/9 · 5 letters · across
Begins with L. Its fourth letter is shared with “Tidy up”.
LUNAR
LEGAL CLAIM
14Legal claim
Left column 7/9 · 4 letters · across
Fits L _ _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Close”.
LIEN
ESTIMATED TIME ARRIVAL
15Estimated time arrival
Left column 8/9 · 3 letters · across
Abbreviate “Estimated time arrival” to its initials.
ETA
MAKE CRAZY
16Make crazy
Left column 9/9 · 7 letters · across
Starts with D; pattern D _ _ A _ _ E. “Tonight” crosses it at the fifth square.
DERANGE
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
WITCH'S SPELL
17Witch's spell
Row 3, col 5 · 3 letters · across
H _ _. Check the third letter against the picture clue in the top row.
HEX
TIDY UP
18Tidy up
Row 3, col 5 · 5 letters · down
C _ _ A _. “Moon-related” crosses it at the fourth square.
CLEAN
__CYCLE
19__CYCLE
Row 4, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Fill the gap in “__CYCLE”, but leave out the letters already shown. Starts with B.
BI
BLUNDER
20Blunder
Row 4, col 6 · 3 letters · down
E _ _. The third square is also part of “Moon-related”.
ERR
WARNING SIGN
21Warning sign
Row 5, col 3 · 5 letters · across
Fits A _ _ R _. Its fourth letter is shared with the picture clue in the top row.
ALERT
HOTEL ROOM SET
22Hotel room set
Row 5, col 3 · 5 letters · down
S _ _ T _. Its fourth letter is shared with “Estimated time arrival”.
SUITE
TIME PERIOD
23Time period
Row 6, col 4 · 3 letters · across
Fits E _ _. The picture clue in the top row crosses it at the third square.
ERA
CLOSE
24Close
Row 6, col 4 · 4 letters · down
Starts with N; pattern N _ _ _. Solving “Estimated time arrival” first gives you its third letter.
NEAR
25Midleg
Row 6, col 8 · 4 letters · down
Picture plus words: “MIDLEG”. The answer opens with K.
KNEE
KNOT
26Knot
Row 7, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Only one square: take the initial of Knot.
K
BEER BARREL
27Beer barrel
Row 7, col 7 · 3 letters · down
Begins with K. Solving “Make crazy” first gives you its third letter.
KEG
KILO-NEWTON
28Kilo-newton
Row 8, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Initials: the first letter of each word in “Kilo-newton”.
KN
TONIGHT
29Tonight
Row 8, col 6 · 2 letters · down
Fits T _. Its second letter is shared with “Make crazy”.
TN
GOLF PEG
30Golf peg
Row 9, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Starts with T; pattern T _ _. The third square is also part of “Midleg”.
TEE
ART
31Art
Row 9, col 5 · 1 letter · down
Only one square: take the initial of Art.
A
Crossword Challenge Level 486 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
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Puzzle 486 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 486 with us. Puzzle 487 is next, with 28 clues on a 8×10 board.