Crossword Challenge Puzzle 1253 Clues and Answers
Puzzle 1253 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.
Short answers dominate here: 12 of 32 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; 7 clues want only the initials of the clue words; 3 want just the first letter of a single word; 3 clues are fill-ins, and 2 of them need only the missing letters. The longest answer runs 9 letters and belongs to “Crude oil”.
Here is the shortcut for Puzzle 1253: read the first letters of the top-row answers and you get the answer to “Study of matter”. Read the first letters down the left edge and you get the answer to “Crude oil”. One of those two words unlocks the first letter of 15 others.
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.
CRUDE OIL
1Crude oil
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
Shape: P _ _ R _ _ E _ _. Check the sixth letter against “Extent”.
PETROLEUM
AFTER G
2After g
Top row 2/7 · 1 letter · down
Step one letter forward from G in the alphabet.
H
YOUR VOICE
3Your voice
Top row 3/7 · 2 letters · down
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 2 squares.
YV
WEB LOCATION
4Web location
Top row 4/7 · 4 letters · down
Begins with S. “Travel itinerary” crosses it at the third square.
SITE
jan---r
5Picture clue
Top row 5/7 · 3 letters · down
Work out the object in the picture, then drop the part already written on it (“jan---r”). What is left starts with I.
ITO
6Picture clue
Top row 6/7 · 6 letters · down
Name the object in the picture. C _ _ T _ _. “Test run” crosses it at the fourth square.
CRUTCH
EXCUSE ME
7Excuse me
Top row 7/7 · 5 letters · down
Begins with S. Check the fourth letter against “Test run”.
SORRY
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
STUDY OF MATTER
8Study of matter
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
Begins with P. Solving the picture clue in the top row first gives you its fifth letter.
PHYSICS
ENG
9Eng
Left column 2/9 · 1 letter · across
Only one square: take the initial of Eng.
E
cat--e
10Picture clue
Left column 3/9 · 2 letters · across
Say what the picture shows. “cat--e” is printed on it, and the dashes are the letters you type. Starts with T.
TL
ITALIAN CAPITAL
11Italian capital
Left column 4/9 · 4 letters · across
Begins with R. Its third letter is shared with “___ BLANC”.
ROME
AFTER N
12After n
Left column 5/9 · 1 letter · across
The alphabet letter right after N.
O
EXTENT
13Extent
Left column 6/9 · 6 letters · across
Starts with L; pattern L _ _ G _ _. Check the fourth letter against “___CEFUL”.
LENGTH
BONUS ITEM
14Bonus item
Left column 7/9 · 5 letters · across
Starts with E; pattern E _ _ R _. Check the fourth letter against “___CEFUL”.
EXTRA
UNDER INTEL
15Under intel
Left column 8/9 · 2 letters · across
Abbreviate “Under intel” to its initials.
UI
MESSAGE TRANSFER SYSTEM
16Message transfer system
Left column 9/9 · 3 letters · across
Abbreviate “Message transfer system” to its initials.
MTS
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
ARTIFICIAL, AFTER "IN"
17Artificial, after "in"
Row 3, col 3 · 5 letters · across
Starts with V; pattern V _ _ R _. Solving the picture clue in the top row first gives you its fourth letter.
VITRO
BUFFA__
18BUFFA__
Row 3, col 3 · 2 letters · down
Rebuild the word in “BUFFA__” and enter only the missing part, starting with L.
LO
TRAVEL ITINERARY
19Travel itinerary
Row 4, col 4 · 4 letters · across
T _ _ _. The third square is also part of the picture clue in the top row.
TOUR
___ BLANC
20___ BLANC
Row 4, col 4 · 4 letters · down
Complete the phrase “___ BLANC”. Shape: M _ _ _.
MONT
TEST RUN
21Test run
Row 5, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Abbreviate “Test run” to its initials.
TR
ROME'S COUNTRY
22Rome's country
Row 5, col 6 · 5 letters · down
Shape: I _ _ L _. The fourth square is also part of “Sadly said”.
ITALY
VOWEL SOUND
23Vowel sound
Row 6, col 3 · 1 letter · across
A single letter or symbol answers “Vowel sound”.
O
LEAVE
24Leave
Row 6, col 3 · 4 letters · down
Shape: E _ _ _. Check the third letter against “Under intel”.
EXIT
FROZEN
25Frozen
Row 6, col 5 · 3 letters · across
I _ _. Solving “Excuse me” first gives you its third letter.
ICY
___CEFUL
26___CEFUL
Row 6, col 5 · 3 letters · down
Only the hidden letters of “___CEFUL” go in the grid. First one: G.
GRA
MEDICAL SCHOOL STUDENT
27Medical school student
Row 7, col 8 · 3 letters · down
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 3 squares.
MSS
MACHINE
28Machine
Row 8, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Only one square: take the initial of Machine.
M
ACTIVE DIRECTORY
29Active directory
Row 8, col 7 · 2 letters · down
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 2 squares.
AD
SADLY SAID
30Sadly said
Row 9, col 4 · 4 letters · across
A _ _ _. The third square is also part of “Active directory”.
ALAS
SKYLINE
31Skyline
Row 9, col 4 · 1 letter · down
Skyline starts with the answer.
S
YOSEMITE DECIMAL SYSTEM
32Yosemite decimal system
Row 10, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 3 squares.
YDS
Crossword Challenge Level 1253 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
Next puzzles
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Puzzle 1253 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 1253 with us. Puzzle 1254 is next, with 32 clues on a 8×10 board.