Crossword Challenge Puzzle 990 Clues and Answers
Crossword Challenge Puzzle 990 is an 8×10 board with 30 clues, and every one of them is answered below.
Short answers dominate here: 9 of 30 fit in one or two squares. 3 clues are pictures, and 2 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; 3 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 “Filled to capacity”.
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 “Filled to capacity”. 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.
FILLED TO CAPACITY
1Filled to capacity
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
Begins with S. Check the sixth letter against “Actor schwarzenegger”.
SATURATED
OLD "PSST!"
2Old "psst!"
Top row 2/7 · 4 letters · down
H _ _ _. “Time series” crosses it at the third square.
HIST
SHORT FOR EDWARD
3Short for edward
Top row 3/7 · 2 letters · down
Fits E _. “Assist” crosses it at the second square.
ED
RADIUS
4Radius
Top row 4/7 · 1 letter · down
Just the opening letter of Radius.
R
INVITATION TO APPLY
5Invitation to apply
Top row 5/7 · 3 letters · down
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 3 squares.
ITA
BUDDY
6Buddy
Top row 6/7 · 6 letters · down
Starts with F; pattern F _ _ E _ _. Its fourth letter is shared with “East side”.
FRIEND
"F" ON A TEST
7"f" on a test
Top row 7/7 · 5 letters · down
F _ _ S _. Check the fourth letter against “East side”.
FALSE
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
8Picture clue
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
Describe the picture in one word that fits S _ _ R _ _ F. The fifth square is also part of “Invitation to apply”.
SHERIFF
ASSIST
9Assist
Left column 2/9 · 3 letters · across
Begins with A. “Short for edward” crosses it at the third square.
AID
TIME SERIES
10Time series
Left column 3/9 · 2 letters · across
Take one letter from each word of the clue, in order.
TS
BEEHIVE STATE
11Beehive state
Left column 4/9 · 4 letters · across
U _ _ _. Check the third letter against “Sister of parent”.
UTAH
RAMP
12Ramp
Left column 5/9 · 1 letter · across
Only one square: take the initial of Ramp.
R
ACTOR SCHWARZENEGGER
13Actor schwarzenegger
Left column 6/9 · 6 letters · across
Starts with A; pattern A _ _ O _ _. Check the fourth letter against “Part of neck”.
ARNOLD
ENTIRE SUM
14Entire sum
Left column 7/9 · 5 letters · across
Shape: T _ _ A _. Its fourth letter is shared with “Part of neck”.
TOTAL
t--ple
15Picture clue
Left column 8/9 · 2 letters · across
Work out the object in the picture, then drop the part already written on it (“t--ple”). What is left starts with E.
EM
LAST MONTH
16Last month
Left column 9/9 · 3 letters · across
D _ _. “Vitamin” crosses it at the third square.
DEC
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
___FFIC
17___FFIC
Row 3, col 5 · 3 letters · across
“___FFIC” is a word with a gap. Type just the gap, which begins with T.
TRA
PART OF NECK
18Part of neck
Row 3, col 5 · 6 letters · down
Begins with T. Solving “Actor schwarzenegger” first gives you its fourth letter.
THROAT
PLANE SECTION
19Plane section
Row 4, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Shape: T _ _ _. “Buddy” crosses it at the third square.
TAIL
SISTER OF PARENT
20Sister of parent
Row 4, col 4 · 4 letters · down
Begins with A. Check the third letter against “Actor schwarzenegger”.
AUNT
EAST SIDE
21East side
Row 5, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Abbreviate “East side” to its initials.
ES
_____ION
22_____ION
Row 5, col 6 · 5 letters · down
“_____ION” is a word with a gap. Type just the gap, which begins with I.
ILLUS
BODY WASTE
23Body waste
Row 6, col 3 · 5 letters · across
Shape: U _ _ N _. Solving “Buddy” first gives you its fourth letter.
URINE
ITALIAN CAPITAL
24Italian capital
Row 6, col 3 · 4 letters · down
Fits R _ _ _. The third square is also part of the picture clue in the left column.
ROME
spl-
25BETW___
Row 7, col 8 · 3 letters · down
Say what the picture shows. “spl-” is printed on it, and the dashes are the letters you type. Starts with E.
EEN
ENERGY
26Energy
Row 8, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Only one square: take the initial of Energy.
E
NEW YORK
27New york
Row 8, col 7 · 2 letters · down
Take one letter from each word of the clue, in order.
NY
MUSICAL MELODY
28Musical melody
Row 9, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Shape: T _ _ _. Its third letter is shared with “New york”.
TUNE
VITAMIN
29Vitamin
Row 9, col 4 · 1 letter · down
A single letter or symbol answers “Vitamin”.
C
PREFIX FOR 'ONYM'
30Prefix for 'onym'
Row 10, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Begins with S. Solving the picture clue in the inside the grid first gives you its third letter.
SYN
Crossword Challenge Level 990 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
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Puzzle 990 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 990 with us. Puzzle 991 is next, with 30 clues on a 8×10 board.