Crossword Challenge Puzzle 974 Clues and Answers
Crossword Challenge Puzzle 974 is an 8×10 board with 30 clues, and every one of them is answered below.
Expect plenty of tiny answers, 11 of them only one or two letters. 4 clues are pictures, and 2 of those ask you to fill the gaps in a word printed on the image; 1 clue wants only the initials of the clue words; 4 want just the first letter of a single word; 2 clues are fill-ins, and 2 of them need only the missing letters. The longest answer runs 9 letters and belongs to “Negative thinker”.
Start at the edges. The first letters of the 7 answers hanging from the top row spell the answer to “Financial gains”, and the first letters of the 9 answers along the left edge spell the answer to “Negative thinker”. 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.
NEGATIVE THINKER
1Negative thinker
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
P _ _ S _ _ I _ _. Solving “Cultural customs” first gives you its sixth letter.
PESSIMIST
2Picture clue
Top row 2/7 · 3 letters · down
What is shown in the image? Shape: R _ _. The third square is also part of the picture clue in the left column.
RAT
EGG SILHOUE-TTE
3Egg silhoue-tte
Top row 3/7 · 4 letters · down
O _ _ _. Its third letter is shared with the picture clue in the left column.
OVAL
OPPOSITE OF MALE
4Opposite of male
Top row 4/7 · 6 letters · down
F _ _ A _ _. Its fourth letter is shared with “Big in size”.
FEMALE
INTIMATE
5Intimate
Top row 5/7 · 1 letter · down
Write the first letter of Intimate, nothing more.
I
spor-
6Picture clue
Top row 6/7 · 2 letters · down
Picture word minus “spor” gives the answer. First letter: T.
TS
TIMETABLES
7Timetables
Top row 7/7 · 9 letters · down
S _ _ E _ _ L _ _. Check the sixth letter against “Uranium”.
SCHEDULES
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
FINANCIAL GAINS
8Financial gains
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
P _ _ F _ _ S. Its fifth letter is shared with “Intimate”.
PROFITS
ROOF EDGE
9Roof edge
Left column 2/9 · 4 letters · across
E _ _ _. “Egg silhoue-tte” crosses it at the third square.
EAVE
10Picture clue
Left column 3/9 · 5 letters · across
Describe the picture in one word that fits S _ _ M _. The fourth square is also part of “Opposite of male”.
STAMP
AFTER R
11 after r
Left column 4/9 · 1 letter · across
Recite the alphabet up to R; the answer is its next letter.
S
INTERFACE
12Interface
Left column 5/9 · 2 letters · across
I _. Its second letter is shared with “Strength”.
IF
CULTURAL CUSTOMS
13Cultural customs
Left column 6/9 · 5 letters · across
Fits M _ _ E _. The fourth square is also part of “Opposite of male”.
MORES
t-
14Picture clue
Left column 7/9 · 3 letters · across
Say what the picture shows. “t-” is printed on it, and the dashes are the letters you type. Starts with I.
IRE
IMPALE
15Impale
Left column 8/9 · 4 letters · across
Fits S _ _ _. Solving “Peruse text” first gives you its third letter.
STAB
BORINGLY LONG
16Boringly long
Left column 9/9 · 7 letters · across
Starts with T; pattern T _ _ I _ _ S. The fifth square is also part of “Oil”.
TEDIOUS
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
STATE CODE
17State code
Row 3, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Take one letter from each word of the clue, in order.
SC
FLOWERY WRITING
18Flowery writing
Row 3, col 6 · 5 letters · down
Starts with P; pattern P _ _ S _. Its fourth letter is shared with “Cultural customs”.
PROSE
HEAD
19Head
Row 4, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Only one square: take the initial of Head.
H
CATALO__E
20CATALO__E
Row 4, col 7 · 2 letters · down
Fill the gap in “CATALO__E”, but leave out the letters already shown. Starts with G.
GU
BIG IN SIZE
21Big in size
Row 5, col 3 · 5 letters · across
Starts with L; pattern L _ _ G _. “CATALO__E” crosses it at the fourth square.
LARGE
STRENGTH
22Strength
Row 5, col 3 · 5 letters · down
Begins with F. Check the fourth letter against “Impale”.
FORTE
NOT QUIET
23Not quiet
Row 6, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Starts with L; pattern L _ _ _. Its third letter is shared with “CATALO__E”.
LOUD
PERUSE TEXT
24Peruse text
Row 6, col 4 · 4 letters · down
Begins with R. “Impale” crosses it at the third square.
READ
URANIUM
25Uranium
Row 7, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Just the opening letter of Uranium.
U
TALL BIRD
26Tall bird
Row 7, col 7 · 3 letters · down
Begins with E. Solving “Boringly long” first gives you its third letter.
EMU
SNAKELIKE FISH
27Snakelike fish
Row 8, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Fits E _ _. The third square is also part of “Timetables”.
EEL
GAM__T
28GAM__T
Row 8, col 5 · 2 letters · down
Rebuild the word in “GAM__T” and enter only the missing part, starting with B.
BI
NOT YOU
29Not you
Row 9, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Fits M _. Check the second letter against “Timetables”.
ME
OIL
30Oil
Row 9, col 6 · 1 letter · down
Write the first letter of Oil, nothing more.
O
Crossword Challenge Level 974 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
Next puzzles
Crossword Challenge Puzzle 9758×10 · 32 clues · 4 picturesLongest answer runs 9 letters, and 3 clues are fill-in-the-blanks.See hints and answersCrossword Challenge Puzzle 9768×10 · 30 clues · 4 picturesLongest answer runs 9 letters, and 6 clues are fill-in-the-blanks.See hints and answers
Puzzle 974 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 974 with us. Puzzle 975 is next, with 32 clues on a 8×10 board.