Crossword Challenge Puzzle 972 Clues and Answers
This page covers all 30 clues of Crossword Challenge Puzzle 972, an 8×10 grid that mixes picture clues with short word clues.
9 of the 30 answers are one or two letters long. 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; 2 want just the first letter of a single word; 3 clues are fill-ins, and 1 of them needs only the missing letters. The longest answer runs 9 letters and belongs to “Wide view”.
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 “Wide view”. 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.
WIDE VIEW
1Wide view
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
Begins with P. Solving “Vowel starter” first gives you its sixth letter.
PANORAMIC
"…___ COST TO YOU!"
2"…___ COST TO YOU!"
Top row 2/7 · 5 letters · down
Say “…___ COST TO YOU!” out loud and the blank fills itself: A _ _ N _.
ATONE
FISHING TOOL
3Fishing tool
Top row 3/7 · 3 letters · down
Shape: R _ _. Solving “Agreeing gesture” first gives you its third letter.
ROD
STARTING PRICE
4Starting price
Top row 4/7 · 2 letters · down
Take one letter from each word of the clue, in order.
SP
AFTER K
5After k
Top row 5/7 · 1 letter · down
The alphabet letter right after K.
L
ARAB RULER
6Arab ruler
Top row 6/7 · 4 letters · down
Shape: E _ _ _. Solving “BON___E” first gives you its third letter.
EMIR
STANDARD
7Standard
Top row 7/7 · 9 letters · down
Begins with Y. Its sixth letter is shared with “Perform”.
YARDSTICK
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
8Picture clue
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
What is shown in the image? Shape: P _ _ S _ _ Y. The fifth square is also part of “After k”.
PARSLEY
ABOVE
9Above
Left column 2/9 · 4 letters · across
Shape: A _ _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Fishing tool”.
ATOP
AGREEING GESTURE
10Agreeing gesture
Left column 3/9 · 3 letters · across
Shape: N _ _. Solving “Fishing tool” first gives you its third letter.
NOD
coup-
11Picture clue
Left column 4/9 · 2 letters · across
Work out the object in the picture, then drop the part already written on it (“coup-”). What is left starts with O.
ON
RESTORE VESSEL
12Restore vessel
Left column 5/9 · 5 letters · across
R _ _ I _. Its fourth letter is shared with “Female deer”.
REFIT
VOWEL STARTER
13Vowel starter
Left column 6/9 · 1 letter · across
One letter only. It is the standard short form for “Vowel starter”.
A
HONEY DRINK
14Honey drink
Left column 7/9 · 4 letters · across
Shape: M _ _ _. “Spread” crosses it at the third square.
MEAD
"___ A LONG STORY"
15"___ A LONG STORY"
Left column 8/9 · 3 letters · across
Which word finishes “___ A LONG STORY”? It fits I _ _.
ITS
FASHION RUNWAY
16Fashion runway
Left column 9/9 · 7 letters · across
Shape: C _ _ W _ _ K. Its fifth letter is shared with “Battery size”.
CATWALK
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
MILLI-AMPERE
17Milli-ampere
Row 3, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 2 squares.
MA
GREEK CHEESE
18Greek cheese
Row 3, col 6 · 4 letters · down
Shape: F _ _ _. “Restore vessel” crosses it at the third square.
FETA
BON___E
19BON___E
Row 4, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Rebuild the word in “BON___E” and enter only the missing part, starting with F.
FIR
FEMALE DEER
20Female deer
Row 4, col 5 · 4 letters · down
H _ _ _. Solving “Perform” first gives you its third letter.
HIND
CATTLE GROUP
21Cattle group
Row 5, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Begins with H. Solving “Arab ruler” first gives you its third letter.
HERD
SPREAD
22Spread
Row 5, col 4 · 5 letters · down
Starts with F; pattern F _ _ S _. “___ A LONG STORY” crosses it at the fourth square.
FEAST
SAD
23Sad
Row 6, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Just the opening letter of Sad.
S
HAIR SPIRAL
24Hair spiral
Row 6, col 7 · 4 letters · down
C _ _ _. The third square is also part of “Bow shape”.
CURL
PERFORM
25Perform
Row 7, col 3 · 5 letters · across
E _ _ C _. Its fourth letter is shared with “Hair spiral”.
ENACT
EST. TIME ARRIVAL
26Est. time arrival
Row 7, col 3 · 3 letters · down
Initials: the first letter of each word in “Est. time arrival”.
ETA
USER INPUT
27User input
Row 8, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Initials: the first letter of each word in “User input”.
UI
BATTERY SIZE
28Battery size
Row 8, col 6 · 2 letters · down
Starts with A; pattern A _. Check the second letter against “Fashion runway”.
AA
BOW SHAPE
29Bow shape
Row 9, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Starts with A; pattern A _ _. Solving “Standard” first gives you its third letter.
ARC
WIRE
30Wire
Row 9, col 5 · 1 letter · down
Write the first letter of Wire, nothing more.
W
Crossword Challenge Level 972 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
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Puzzle 972 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 972 with us. Puzzle 973 is next, with 31 clues on a 8×10 board.