Crossword Challenge Puzzle 885 Clues and Answers
Puzzle 885 of Crossword Challenge gives you 32 clues on a 8×10 board. Each one is listed below with a hint first and the answer second.
Expect plenty of tiny answers, 10 of them only one or two letters. 3 clues are pictures, and 2 of those ask you to fill the gaps in a word printed on the image; 5 clues want only the initials of the clue words; 4 want just the first letter of a single word; 5 clues are fill-ins, and 3 of them need only the missing letters. The longest answer runs 9 letters and belongs to “Santa's big day”.
Start at the edges. The first letters of the 7 answers hanging from the top row spell the answer to “Room”, and the first letters of the 9 answers along the left edge spell the answer to “Santa's big day”. 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.
SANTA'S BIG DAY
1Santa's big day
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
Shape: C _ _ I _ _ M _ _. Its sixth letter is shared with “Talk”.
CHRISTMAS
AFTER G
2After g
Top row 2/7 · 1 letter · down
The alphabet letter right after G.
H
'AS SOON AS'
3'as soon as'
Top row 3/7 · 3 letters · down
Fits A _ _. Solving “Coastal inlet” first gives you its third letter.
ASA
MENTAL HEALTH
4Mental health
Top row 4/7 · 2 letters · down
Take one letter from each word of the clue, in order.
MH
5Picture clue
Top row 5/7 · 6 letters · down
Describe the picture in one word that fits B _ _ B _ _. Its fourth letter is shared with “ALPH___T”.
BAUBLE
"DO IT OR ___!"
6"DO IT OR ___!"
Top row 6/7 · 4 letters · down
The missing word in “DO IT OR ___!” starts with E.
ELSE
b---th
7Picture clue
Top row 7/7 · 3 letters · down
Picture word minus “bth” gives the answer. First letter: R.
REA
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
ROOM
8Room
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
C _ _ M _ _ R. Solving the picture clue in the top row first gives you its fifth letter.
CHAMBER
HANDLE
9Handle
Left column 2/9 · 1 letter · across
Handle starts with the answer.
H
COASTAL INLET
10Coastal inlet
Left column 3/9 · 3 letters · across
Starts with R; pattern R _ _. Check the third letter against “'as soon as'”.
RIA
PRESENT TENSE OF 'BE'
11Present tense of 'be'
Left column 4/9 · 2 letters · across
Fits I _. The second square is also part of “TOUR___”.
IS
WHIFF
12Whiff
Left column 5/9 · 5 letters · across
Begins with S. Solving “Join (with)” first gives you its fourth letter.
SMELL
TALK
13Talk
Left column 6/9 · 1 letter · across
Just the opening letter of Talk.
T
rose____
14George v's wife
Left column 7/9 · 4 letters · across
Picture word minus “rose____” gives the answer. First letter: M.
MARY
AMERICAN NAME SOCIETY
15American name society
Left column 8/9 · 3 letters · across
Abbreviate “American name society” to its initials.
ANS
STATE CODE
16State code
Left column 9/9 · 2 letters · across
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 2 squares.
SC
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
FLAKY ROCK
17Flaky rock
Row 3, col 3 · 5 letters · across
Fits S _ _ L _. Solving “DO IT OR ___!” first gives you its fourth letter.
SHALE
TOUR___
18TOUR___
Row 3, col 3 · 3 letters · down
Only the hidden letters of “TOUR___” go in the grid. First one: I.
ISM
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
19United states of america
Row 4, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Shape: U _ _. Solving the picture clue in the top row first gives you its third letter.
USA
JOIN (WITH)
20Join (with)
Row 4, col 5 · 4 letters · down
Shape: A _ _ _. “Warn” crosses it at the third square.
ALLY
ALPH___T
21ALPH___T
Row 5, col 4 · 3 letters · across
Fill the gap in “ALPH___T”, but leave out the letters already shown. Starts with A.
ABE
HEARING ORGANS
22Hearing organs
Row 5, col 4 · 4 letters · down
Begins with E. Solving the picture clue in the left column first gives you its third letter.
EARS
TWIG
23Twig
Row 5, col 8 · 5 letters · down
S _ _ C _. Its fourth letter is shared with “Attack damage carry”.
STICK
SULFUR
24Sulfur
Row 6, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Sulfur starts with the answer.
S
IMPOLITE
25Impolite
Row 6, col 7 · 4 letters · down
R _ _ _. The third square is also part of “Attack damage carry”.
RUDE
WARN
26Warn
Row 7, col 3 · 5 letters · across
A _ _ R _. Check the fourth letter against “Impolite”.
ALERT
___HOVY
27___HOVY
Row 7, col 3 · 3 letters · down
Fill the gap in “___HOVY”, but leave out the letters already shown. Starts with A.
ANC
USER INPUT
28User input
Row 8, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Take one letter from each word of the clue, in order.
UI
A DIPH-THONG
29A diph-thong
Row 8, col 6 · 2 letters · down
Fits A _. Check the second letter against “PLAY HIDE-AND-_”.
AE
ATTACK DAMAGE CARRY
30Attack damage carry
Row 9, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 3 squares.
ADC
SEA
31Sea
Row 9, col 5 · 1 letter · down
Write the first letter of Sea, nothing more.
S
PLAY HIDE-AND-_
32PLAY HIDE-AND-_
Row 10, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Complete the phrase “PLAY HIDE-AND-_”. Shape: S _ _ _.
SEEK
Crossword Challenge Level 885 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
Next puzzles
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Puzzle 885 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 885 with us. Puzzle 886 is next, with 31 clues on a 8×10 board.