Crossword Challenge Puzzle 714 Clues and Answers
Crossword Challenge Puzzle 714 is an 8×10 board with 30 clues, and every one of them is answered below.
10 of the 30 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; 4 clues want only the initials of the clue words; 4 want just the first letter of a single word; 1 clue is a fill-in. The longest answer runs 9 letters and belongs to “Primary leader”.
Here is the shortcut for Puzzle 714: read the first letters of the top-row answers and you get the answer to “Boost sales”. Read the first letters down the left edge and you get the answer to “Primary leader”. 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.
PRIMARY LEADER
1Primary leader
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
P _ _ N _ _ P _ _. Solving “Atoms with charges” first gives you its sixth letter.
PRINCIPAL
KING: FR.
2King: fr.
Top row 2/7 · 3 letters · down
Begins with R. Check the third letter against “Number after ii”.
ROI
OPTICAL
3Optical
Top row 3/7 · 1 letter · down
Write the first letter of Optical, nothing more.
O
MULTI-FUNCTION
4Multi-function
Top row 4/7 · 2 letters · down
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 2 squares.
MF
5Picture clue
Top row 5/7 · 5 letters · down
What is shown in the image? Shape: O _ _ V _. Check the fourth letter against “Long natural stream”.
OLIVE
MUSICAL MELODY
6Musical melody
Top row 6/7 · 4 letters · down
Shape: T _ _ _. “Abbr. internal” crosses it at the third square.
TUNE
BONUS ITEM
7Bonus item
Top row 7/7 · 5 letters · down
Shape: E _ _ R _. Solving “Long natural stream” first gives you its fourth letter.
EXTRA
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
BOOST SALES
8Boost sales
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
Starts with P; pattern P _ _ M _ _ E. Check the fifth letter against the picture clue in the top row.
PROMOTE
-ad
9Picture clue
Left column 2/9 · 2 letters · across
Say what the picture shows. “-ad” is printed on it, and the dashes are the letters you type. Starts with R.
RO
NUMBER AFTER II
10Number after ii
Left column 3/9 · 3 letters · across
Shape: I _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Clothes presser”.
III
NATION
11Nation
Left column 4/9 · 1 letter · across
Only one square: take the initial of Nation.
N
NEAR
12Near
Left column 5/9 · 5 letters · across
Starts with C; pattern C _ _ S _. Solving “Problems” first gives you its fourth letter.
CLOSE
ATOMS WITH CHARGES
13Atoms with charges
Left column 6/9 · 4 letters · across
Shape: I _ _ _. “Clothes presser” crosses it at the third square.
IONS
-rk
14Picture clue
Left column 7/9 · 2 letters · across
Work out the object in the picture, then drop the part already written on it (“-rk”). What is left starts with P.
PO
SIDES
15Sides
Left column 8/9 · 7 letters · across
Starts with A; pattern A _ _ E _ _ S. The fifth square is also part of “South carolina”.
ASPECTS
NOT AS MUCH
16Not as much
Left column 9/9 · 4 letters · across
Begins with L. Check the third letter against “Post-script”.
LESS
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
FLOWING MATTER
17Flowing matter
Row 3, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Starts with F; pattern F _ _ _. Check the third letter against “Musical melody”.
FLUX
CLOTHES PRESSER
18Clothes presser
Row 3, col 4 · 4 letters · down
Begins with I. Check the third letter against “Near”.
IRON
ABBR. INTERNAL
19Abbr. internal
Row 4, col 5 · 3 letters · across
I _ _. Check the third letter against “Bonus item”.
INT
PROBLEMS
20Problems
Row 4, col 5 · 6 letters · down
Starts with I; pattern I _ _ U _ _. The fourth square is also part of “Applies”.
ISSUES
LONG NATURAL STREAM
21Long natural stream
Row 5, col 3 · 5 letters · across
Shape: R _ _ E _. Solving “Musical melody” first gives you its fourth letter.
RIVER
NOT TIGHT
22Not tight
Row 5, col 3 · 5 letters · down
Fits L _ _ S _. Check the fourth letter against “Sides”.
LOOSE
ARTICLE
23Article
Row 6, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Write the first letter of Article, nothing more.
A
"___ MAKE A DEAL"
24"___ MAKE A DEAL"
Row 6, col 7 · 4 letters · down
Say “___ MAKE A DEAL” out loud and the blank fills itself: L _ _ _.
LETS
LIGHT
25Light
Row 7, col 6 · 1 letter · across
Just the opening letter of Light.
L
SOUTH CAROLINA
26South carolina
Row 7, col 6 · 2 letters · down
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 2 squares.
SC
SERVER SIDE INCLUDES
27Server side includes
Row 7, col 8 · 3 letters · down
Take one letter from each word of the clue, in order.
SSI
APPLIES
28Applies
Row 8, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Fits U _ _ _. The third square is also part of “___ MAKE A DEAL”.
USES
POST-SCRIPT
29Post-script
Row 8, col 4 · 2 letters · down
Take one letter from each word of the clue, in order.
PS
-gnal
30Picture clue
Row 10, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Picture word minus “gnal” gives the answer. First letter: S.
SI
Crossword Challenge Level 714 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
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Puzzle 714 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 714 with us. Puzzle 715 is next, with 31 clues on a 8×10 board.