Crossword Challenge Puzzle 688 Clues and Answers
Stuck somewhere in Crossword Challenge Puzzle 688? All 32 clues on this 8×10 grid are solved below, one card per clue.
Short answers dominate here: 11 of 32 fit in one or two squares. 2 clues are pictures, and 1 of those asks you to fill the gaps in a word printed on the image; 4 clues want only the initials of the clue words; 4 want just the first letter of a single word; 2 clues are fill-ins, and 1 of them needs only the missing letters. The longest answer runs 9 letters and belongs to “In a mess”.
Start at the edges. The first letters of the 7 answers hanging from the top row spell the answer to “Make clear”, and the first letters of the 9 answers along the left edge spell the answer to “In a mess”. 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.
IN A MESS
1In a mess
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
E _ _ A _ _ L _ _. Check the sixth letter against “Slick talker”.
ENTANGLED
ROMAN NUMERAL TEN
2Roman numeral ten
Top row 2/7 · 1 letter · down
Think of one character, not a word, for “Roman numeral ten”.
X
WAGES
3Wages
Top row 3/7 · 3 letters · down
P _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Make an effort”.
PAY
LANDING ZONE
4Landing zone
Top row 4/7 · 2 letters · down
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 2 squares.
LZ
EAR-RELATED
5Ear-related
Top row 5/7 · 5 letters · down
A _ _ A _. The fourth square is also part of “Block”.
AURAL
6Picture clue
Top row 6/7 · 4 letters · down
One word for the picture, starting with I. Check the third letter against “Spat”.
IRON
NOT OLD
7Not old
Top row 7/7 · 3 letters · down
Fits N _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Spat”.
NEW
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
MAKE CLEAR
8Make clear
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
E _ _ L _ _ N. “Ear-related” crosses it at the fifth square.
EXPLAIN
NATURE
9Nature
Left column 2/9 · 1 letter · across
Only one square: take the initial of Nature.
N
MAKE AN EFFORT
10Make an effort
Left column 3/9 · 3 letters · across
Fits T _ _. Check the third letter against “Wages”.
TRY
ATOMIC ENERGY
11Atomic energy
Left column 4/9 · 2 letters · across
Abbreviate “Atomic energy” to its initials.
AE
MARITIME
12Maritime
Left column 5/9 · 5 letters · across
Begins with N. Check the fourth letter against “Dearie”.
NAVAL
SLICK TALKER
13Slick talker
Left column 6/9 · 4 letters · across
Fits G _ _ _. Its third letter is shared with “LA DOLCE ___”.
GLIB
BOTTLE SIZE
14Bottle size
Left column 7/9 · 5 letters · across
L _ _ E _. Solving “Dearie” first gives you its fourth letter.
LITER
EST. TIME ARRIVAL
15Est. time arrival
Left column 8/9 · 3 letters · across
Abbreviate “Est. time arrival” to its initials.
ETA
stu-
16Picture clue
Left column 9/9 · 2 letters · across
Work out the object in the picture, then drop the part already written on it (“stu-”). What is left starts with D.
DY
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
VIVID BLUE
17Vivid blue
Row 3, col 3 · 5 letters · across
Shape: A _ _ R _. Its fourth letter is shared with the picture clue in the top row.
AZURE
LIFE AS IS
18Life as is
Row 3, col 3 · 7 letters · down
Fits R _ _ L _ _ Y. Check the fifth letter against “Bottle size”.
REALITY
SPAT
19Spat
Row 4, col 5 · 3 letters · across
R _ _. Solving “Not old” first gives you its third letter.
ROW
DEARIE
20Dearie
Row 4, col 5 · 4 letters · down
Shape: B _ _ _. The third square is also part of “Slick talker”.
BABE
BLOCK
21Block
Row 5, col 4 · 3 letters · across
Fits B _ _. The third square is also part of the picture clue in the top row.
BAN
"LA DOLCE ___"
22"LA DOLCE ___"
Row 5, col 4 · 4 letters · down
Which word finishes “LA DOLCE ___”? It fits V _ _ _.
VITA
TWO-DOOR CAR
23Two-door car
Row 5, col 8 · 5 letters · down
Shape: C _ _ P _. “Little fiend” crosses it at the fourth square.
COUPE
CAB
24Cab
Row 6, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Write the first letter of Cab, nothing more.
C
ZERO
25Zero
Row 6, col 7 · 1 letter · down
Only one square: take the initial of Zero.
Z
__DIAC
26__DIAC
Row 7, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Fill the gap in “__DIAC”, but leave out the letters already shown. Starts with Z.
ZO
PURGED
27Purged
Row 7, col 6 · 3 letters · down
Shape: R _ _. “Empty” crosses it at the third square.
RID
AFTER T
28After t
Row 8, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Step one letter forward from T in the alphabet.
U
MACHINE LEARNING
29Machine learning
Row 8, col 7 · 2 letters · down
Take one letter from each word of the clue, in order.
ML
LITTLE FIEND
30Little fiend
Row 9, col 5 · 3 letters · across
I _ _. The third square is also part of “Two-door car”.
IMP
ISLAND
31Island
Row 9, col 5 · 1 letter · down
Write the first letter of Island, nothing more.
I
EMPTY
32Empty
Row 10, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Starts with I; pattern I _ _ _. Check the third letter against “Machine learning”.
IDLE
Crossword Challenge Level 688 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
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Puzzle 688 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 688 with us. Puzzle 689 is next, with 30 clues on a 8×10 board.