Crossword Challenge Puzzle 551 Clues and Answers
Crossword Challenge Puzzle 551 is an 8×10 board with 31 clues, and every one of them is answered below.
Short answers dominate here: 9 of 31 fit in one or two squares. 4 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; 3 want just the first letter of a single word. The longest answer runs 9 letters and belongs to “Ocean type”.
Start at the edges. The first letters of the 7 answers hanging from the top row spell the answer to the picture clue in the left column, and the first letters of the 9 answers along the left edge spell the answer to “Ocean type”. 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.
OCEAN TYPE
1Ocean type
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
Fits S _ _ T _ _ T _ _. Solving “Build up” first gives you its sixth letter.
SALTWATER
PERIOD
2Period
Top row 2/7 · 3 letters · down
Begins with E. Solving “Den” first gives you its third letter.
ERA
SIMILAR
3Similar
Top row 3/7 · 4 letters · down
Begins with A. Check the third letter against “Den”.
AKIN
FAIL
4Fail
Top row 4/7 · 1 letter · down
Fail starts with the answer.
F
-r
5Picture clue
Top row 5/7 · 2 letters · down
The image carries “-r”. Name the picture and keep only the letters hidden behind the dashes, beginning with O.
OA
DEEP WATER
6Deep water
Top row 6/7 · 5 letters · down
Begins with O. The fourth square is also part of “Nose-related”.
OCEAN
BARGAIN
7Bargain
Top row 7/7 · 4 letters · down
Fits D _ _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Event action”.
DEAL
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
8Picture clue
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
Describe the picture in one word that fits S _ _ F _ _ D. Solving the picture clue in the top row first gives you its fifth letter.
SEAFOOD
REFUGE
9Refuge
Left column 2/9 · 3 letters · across
A _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Similar”.
ARK
DEN
10Den
Left column 3/9 · 4 letters · across
Shape: L _ _ _. The third square is also part of “Similar”.
LAIR
AFTER S
11After s
Left column 4/9 · 1 letter · across
Step one letter forward from S in the alphabet.
T
WINTER STORM
12Winter storm
Left column 5/9 · 2 letters · across
Abbreviate “Winter storm” to its initials.
WS
BUILD UP
13Build up
Left column 6/9 · 5 letters · across
Starts with A; pattern A _ _ S _. Its fourth letter is shared with “Uplift”.
AMASS
14Picture clue
Left column 7/9 · 4 letters · across
What is shown in the image? Shape: T _ _ _. “Bullets” crosses it at the third square.
TIME
HARD WOOD
15Hard wood
Left column 8/9 · 3 letters · across
E _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Bullets”.
ELM
GET MORE, SAY
16Get more, say
Left column 9/9 · 7 letters · across
R _ _ R _ _ R. Solving “San diego” first gives you its fifth letter.
REORDER
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
PRO
17Pro
Row 3, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Begins with A. Solving “Bargain” first gives you its third letter.
ACE
UPLIFT
18Uplift
Row 3, col 5 · 5 letters · down
Starts with R; pattern R _ _ S _. Solving “Build up” first gives you its fourth letter.
RAISE
EVENT ACTION
19Event action
Row 4, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Abbreviate “Event action” to its initials.
EA
MORSE MAYDAY
20Morse mayday
Row 4, col 6 · 3 letters · down
S _ _. Solving “Build up” first gives you its third letter.
SOS
NOSE-RELATED
21Nose-related
Row 5, col 3 · 5 letters · across
Starts with N; pattern N _ _ A _. Its fourth letter is shared with “Deep water”.
NASAL
"CHEESE!"
22"cheese!"
Row 5, col 3 · 5 letters · down
Begins with S. The fourth square is also part of “Hard wood”.
SMILE
ATOMIC CHARGE
23Atomic charge
Row 6, col 4 · 3 letters · across
Fits I _ _. The third square is also part of “Deep water”.
ION
BULLETS
24Bullets
Row 6, col 4 · 4 letters · down
Shape: A _ _ _. Solving “Hard wood” first gives you its third letter.
AMMO
-ito
25____ITO
Row 6, col 8 · 4 letters · down
Picture word minus “ito” gives the answer. First letter: B.
BURR
BIT
26Bit
Row 7, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Write the first letter of Bit, nothing more.
B
EVEN SCORE
27Even score
Row 7, col 7 · 3 letters · down
Fits T _ _. Solving “Get more, say” first gives you its third letter.
TIE
TRADE UNION
28Trade union
Row 8, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Take one letter from each word of the clue, in order.
TU
SAN DIEGO
29San diego
Row 8, col 6 · 2 letters · down
Initials: the first letter of each word in “San diego”.
SD
MISTER
30Mister
Row 9, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Starts with S; pattern S _ _. The third square is also part of the picture clue in the inside the grid.
SIR
ROCK
31Rock
Row 9, col 5 · 1 letter · down
Write the first letter of Rock, nothing more.
R
Crossword Challenge Level 551 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
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Puzzle 551 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 551 with us. Puzzle 552 is next, with 31 clues on a 8×10 board.