Crossword Challenge Puzzle 653 Clues and Answers
Stuck somewhere in Crossword Challenge Puzzle 653? All 31 clues on this 8×10 grid are solved below, one card per clue.
10 of the 31 answers are one or two letters long. 4 clues are pictures, and 3 of those ask you to fill the gaps in a word printed on the image; 3 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 “Floor trim”.
Here is the shortcut for Puzzle 653: read the first letters of the top-row answers and you get the answer to “Mark on surface”. Read the first letters down the left edge and you get the answer to “Floor trim”. 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.
FLOOR TRIM
1Floor trim
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
Fits B _ _ E _ _ A _ _. Check the sixth letter against the picture clue in the left column.
BASEBOARD
2Picture clue
Top row 2/7 · 5 letters · down
Look at the picture and fit it to L _ _ M _. Check the fourth letter against “Fast-running bird”.
LLAMA
ENERGY OUTPUT
3Energy output
Top row 3/7 · 2 letters · down
Abbreviate “Energy output” to its initials.
EO
CERAMIC CUP
4Ceramic cup
Top row 4/7 · 3 letters · down
Fits M _ _. Check the third letter against “Dress for a ball”.
MUG
HERO
5Hero
Top row 5/7 · 4 letters · down
Begins with I. “Dress for a ball” crosses it at the third square.
IDOL
AFTER R
6After r
Top row 6/7 · 1 letter · down
The alphabet letter right after R.
S
100TH
7100th
Top row 7/7 · 9 letters · down
Starts with H; pattern H _ _ D _ _ D _ _. Check the sixth letter against “Dining surface”.
HUNDREDTH
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
MARK ON SURFACE
8Mark on surface
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
Shape: B _ _ M _ _ H. Check the fifth letter against “Hero”.
BLEMISH
NOT SILENT
9Not silent
Left column 2/9 · 5 letters · across
Fits A _ _ U _. Check the fourth letter against “Ceramic cup”.
ALOUD
-ndal
10Picture clue
Left column 3/9 · 2 letters · across
Say what the picture shows. “-ndal” is printed on it, and the dashes are the letters you type. Starts with S.
SA
FAST-RUNNING BIRD
11Fast-running bird
Left column 4/9 · 3 letters · across
E _ _. The third square is also part of “Let loose”.
EMU
MUSICAL GROUP
12Musical group
Left column 5/9 · 4 letters · across
Starts with B; pattern B _ _ _. Check the third letter against “Let loose”.
BAND
phot-
13Picture clue
Left column 6/9 · 1 letter · across
Work out the object in the picture, then drop the part already written on it (“phot-”). What is left starts with O.
O
STAY
14Stay
Left column 7/9 · 5 letters · across
Starts with A; pattern A _ _ D _. “Father” crosses it at the fourth square.
ABIDE
DELI BREAD
15Deli bread
Left column 8/9 · 3 letters · across
Begins with R. Check the third letter against “Let loose”.
RYE
-al
16Picture clue
Left column 9/9 · 2 letters · across
Say what the picture shows. “-al” is printed on it, and the dashes are the letters you type. Starts with D.
DE
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
UNIVERSE
17Universe
Row 3, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Just the opening letter of Universe.
U
ACTOR SMITH
18Actor smith
Row 3, col 7 · 4 letters · down
Begins with W. “Literary review” crosses it at the third square.
WILL
DRESS FOR A BALL
19Dress for a ball
Row 4, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Fits G _ _ _. Check the third letter against “Actor smith”.
GOWN
LET LOOSE
20Let loose
Row 4, col 4 · 5 letters · down
Begins with U. “Stay” crosses it at the fourth square.
UNTIE
COVER FOR POT
21Cover for pot
Row 5, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Begins with L. The third square is also part of “100th”.
LID
FATHER
22Father
Row 5, col 5 · 3 letters · down
Begins with D. The third square is also part of “Stay”.
DAD
LITERARY REVIEW
23Literary review
Row 6, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Take one letter from each word of the clue, in order.
LR
TEDDY OR PANDA
24Teddy or panda
Row 6, col 6 · 4 letters · down
Starts with B; pattern B _ _ _. The third square is also part of “Stage play”.
BEAR
DINING SURFACE
25Dining surface
Row 7, col 3 · 5 letters · across
Shape: T _ _ L _. “Actor smith” crosses it at the fourth square.
TABLE
"CIAO!"
26"ciao!"
Row 7, col 3 · 3 letters · down
Starts with B; pattern B _ _. Its third letter is shared with the picture clue in the left column.
BYE
DRIVE
27Drive
Row 8, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Only one square: take the initial of Drive.
D
CARBON COPY
28Carbon copy
Row 8, col 7 · 2 letters · down
Initials: the first letter of each word in “Carbon copy”.
CC
STAGE PLAY
29Stage play
Row 9, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Shape: A _ _. Its third letter is shared with “100th”.
ACT
ART
30Art
Row 9, col 5 · 1 letter · down
Art starts with the answer.
A
BRIDGE SUPPORT
31Bridge support
Row 10, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Begins with A. Solving “Carbon copy” first gives you its third letter.
ARCH
Crossword Challenge Level 653 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
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Puzzle 653 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 653 with us. Puzzle 654 is next, with 32 clues on a 8×10 board.