Crossword Challenge Puzzle 981 Clues and Answers
This page covers all 30 clues of Crossword Challenge Puzzle 981, an 8×10 grid that mixes picture clues with short word clues.
10 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; 7 clues want only the initials of the clue words; 1 wants 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 “Exactly alike”.
The edges of this grid check each other. The top-row answers begin with the letters of the answer to the picture clue in the left column, read left to right, and the left-column answers begin with the letters of the answer to “Exactly alike”, read top to bottom.
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.
EXACTLY ALIKE
1Exactly alike
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
Starts with I; pattern I _ _ N _ _ C _ _. Check the sixth letter against “Hawkeye state”.
IDENTICAL
CD ___
2CD ___
Top row 2/7 · 3 letters · down
Which word finishes “CD ___”? It fits R _ _.
ROM
BR_AD
3BR_AD
Top row 3/7 · 1 letter · down
“BR_AD” is a word with a gap. Type just the gap, which begins with E.
E
LOW FREQUENCY
4Low frequency
Top row 4/7 · 2 letters · down
Take one letter from each word of the clue, in order.
LF
SOLO
5Solo
Top row 5/7 · 5 letters · down
Shape: A _ _ N _. “Chain part” crosses it at the fourth square.
ALONE
THROAT AREA
6Throat area
Top row 6/7 · 4 letters · down
Begins with N. Its third letter is shared with “Tenth month”.
NECK
DATA-DRIVEN TESTING
7Data-driven testing
Top row 7/7 · 3 letters · down
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 3 squares.
DDT
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
8Picture clue
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
Look at the picture and fit it to I _ _ L _ _ D. Check the fifth letter against “Solo”.
IRELAND
DIRECT OBJECT
9Direct object
Left column 2/9 · 2 letters · across
Initials: the first letter of each word in “Direct object”.
DO
ECLIPSE MODELING FRAME
10Eclipse modeling frame
Left column 3/9 · 3 letters · across
Take one letter from each word of the clue, in order.
EMF
AFTER M
11After m
Left column 4/9 · 1 letter · across
Recite the alphabet up to M; the answer is its next letter.
N
MAIN CONCEPT
12Main concept
Left column 5/9 · 5 letters · across
Begins with T. The fourth square is also part of “Pictures”.
THEME
HAWKEYE STATE
13Hawkeye state
Left column 6/9 · 4 letters · across
Starts with I; pattern I _ _ _. “Jetted about” crosses it at the third square.
IOWA
-oss
14Picture clue
Left column 7/9 · 2 letters · across
Work out the object in the picture, then drop the part already written on it (“-oss”). What is left starts with C.
CR
SIDES
15Sides
Left column 8/9 · 7 letters · across
Starts with A; pattern A _ _ E _ _ S. Its fifth letter is shared with “Orange county”.
ASPECTS
HUMAN LIMBS
16Human limbs
Left column 9/9 · 4 letters · across
Fits L _ _ _. Solving “Parental guidance” first gives you its third letter.
LEGS
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
RAN AWAY
17Ran away
Row 3, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Fits F _ _ _. The third square is also part of “Throat area”.
FLED
JETTED ABOUT
18Jetted about
Row 3, col 4 · 4 letters · down
Fits F _ _ _. “Main concept” crosses it at the third square.
FLEW
TENTH MONTH
19Tenth month
Row 4, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Shape: O _ _. The third square is also part of “Data-driven testing”.
OCT
PICTURES
20Pictures
Row 4, col 5 · 6 letters · down
I _ _ G _ _. The fourth square is also part of “Opposite of bad”.
IMAGES
CHAIN PART
21Chain part
Row 5, col 3 · 4 letters · across
Shape: L _ _ _. Check the third letter against “Solo”.
LINK
PONY'S RELATIVE
22Pony's relative
Row 5, col 3 · 5 letters · down
Fits H _ _ S _. Check the fourth letter against “Sides”.
HORSE
IN THE MIDDLE
23In the middle
Row 5, col 8 · 5 letters · down
Fits M _ _ S _. Solving “Sides” first gives you its fourth letter.
MIDST
MILLION
24Million
Row 6, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Only one square: take the initial of Million.
M
MANY
25Many
Row 6, col 7 · 4 letters · down
Begins with L. Its third letter is shared with “Sides”.
LOTS
LONG ISLAND
26Long island
Row 7, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 2 squares.
LI
ORANGE COUNTY
27Orange county
Row 7, col 6 · 2 letters · down
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 2 squares.
OC
OPPOSITE OF BAD
28Opposite of bad
Row 8, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Shape: G _ _ _. “Many” crosses it at the third square.
GOOD
PARENTAL GUIDANCE
29Parental guidance
Row 8, col 4 · 2 letters · down
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 2 squares.
PG
STREET
30Street
Row 10, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Fits S _. “In the middle” crosses it at the second square.
ST
Crossword Challenge Level 981 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
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Puzzle 981 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 981 with us. Puzzle 982 is next, with 31 clues on a 8×10 board.