Crossword Challenge Puzzle 1981 Clues and Answers
Crossword Challenge Puzzle 1981 is an 8×10 board with 32 clues, and every one of them is answered below.
12 of the 32 answers are one or two letters long. 4 clues are pictures, and 1 of those asks you to fill the gaps in a word printed on the image; 3 clues want only the initials of the clue words; 2 want just the first letter of a single word; 4 clues are fill-ins, and 4 of them need only the missing letters. The longest answer runs 9 letters and belongs to “Carry out”.
Here is the shortcut for Puzzle 1981: read the first letters of the top-row answers and you get the answer to the picture clue in the left column. Read the first letters down the left edge and you get the answer to “Carry out”. 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.
CARRY OUT
1Carry out
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
Shape: I _ _ L _ _ E _ _. Check the sixth letter against “Letter after l”.
IMPLEMENT
RED, WHITE OR BLUE
2Red, white or blue
Top row 2/7 · 5 letters · down
Fits C _ _ O _. “Not short” crosses it at the fourth square.
COLOR
ELECTRON DENSITY
3Electron density
Top row 3/7 · 2 letters · down
Abbreviate “Electron density” to its initials.
ED
LITHIUM
4Lithium
Top row 4/7 · 1 letter · down
Lithium starts with the answer.
L
m---equin
5Picture clue
Top row 5/7 · 3 letters · down
Picture word minus “mequin” gives the answer. First letter: A.
ANN
SIGN OF CAUTION
6Sign of caution
Top row 6/7 · 6 letters · down
Shape: N _ _ I _ _. Its fourth letter is shared with “Interview”.
NOTICE
TRAVEL BY CAR
7Travel by car
Top row 7/7 · 5 letters · down
Shape: D _ _ V _. Check the fourth letter against “Interview”.
DRIVE
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. The picture clue in the top row crosses it at the fifth square.
ICELAND
MODE OF DISPLAY
9Mode of display
Left column 2/9 · 3 letters · across
Abbreviate “Mode of display” to its initials.
MOD
PLEASE
10Please
Left column 3/9 · 2 letters · across
Starts with P; pattern P _. The second square is also part of “Red, white or blue”.
PL
NOT SHORT
11Not short
Left column 4/9 · 4 letters · across
Begins with L. Check the third letter against “AVE_GER”.
LONG
DIFF__ENCE
12DIFF__ENCE
Left column 5/9 · 2 letters · across
Rebuild the word in “DIFF__ENCE” and enter only the missing part, starting with E.
ER
LETTER AFTER L
13Letter after l
Left column 6/9 · 1 letter · across
The alphabet letter right after L.
M
CEASED
14Ceased
Left column 7/9 · 5 letters · across
Shape: E _ _ E _. Its fourth letter is shared with “Concurred”.
ENDED
NOT AT ALL
15Not at all
Left column 8/9 · 2 letters · across
Fits N _. The second square is also part of “At the present”.
NO
16Picture clue
Left column 9/9 · 3 letters · across
Name the object in the picture. T _ _. “Oleander” crosses it at the third square.
TWO
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
HO___ARY
17HO___ARY
Row 3, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Fill the gap in “HO___ARY”, but leave out the letters already shown. Starts with N.
NOR
CONCURRED
18Concurred
Row 3, col 5 · 6 letters · down
Fits A _ _ E _ _. “Hereditary unit” crosses it at the fourth square.
AGREED
NAY VOTER
19Nay voter
Row 4, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Starts with A; pattern A _ _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Sign of caution”.
ANTI
AVE_GER
20AVE_GER
Row 4, col 4 · 1 letter · down
Rebuild the word in “AVE_GER” and enter only the missing part, starting with N.
N
INTERVIEW
21Interview
Row 5, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Starts with I; pattern I _. Its second letter is shared with “Travel by car”.
IV
BOOK LIST
22Book list
Row 5, col 6 · 5 letters · down
Begins with I. “Study table” crosses it at the fourth square.
INDEX
BASMATI, E.G.
23Basmati, e.g.
Row 6, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Shape: R _ _ _. The third square is also part of “Sign of caution”.
RICE
GOOD DAY
24Good day
Row 6, col 4 · 2 letters · down
Take one letter from each word of the clue, in order.
GD
HEREDITARY UNIT
25Hereditary unit
Row 7, col 3 · 4 letters · across
Shape: G _ _ _. “Book list” crosses it at the third square.
GENE
AT THE PRESENT
26At the present
Row 7, col 3 · 3 letters · down
Fits N _ _. Check the third letter against the picture clue in the left column.
NOW
27Picture clue
Row 7, col 8 · 3 letters · down
Look at the picture and fit it to S _ _. Check the third letter against “Dozen in rome”.
SKI
_AFFRON
28_AFFRON
Row 8, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Fill the gap in “_AFFRON”, but leave out the letters already shown. Starts with S.
S
LATIN FOR 'YES'
29Latin for 'yes'
Row 8, col 7 · 2 letters · down
Starts with S; pattern S _. The second square is also part of “Dozen in rome”.
SI
STUDY TABLE
30Study table
Row 9, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Begins with D. “Latin for 'yes'” crosses it at the third square.
DESK
OLEANDER
31Oleander
Row 9, col 4 · 1 letter · down
Oleander starts with the answer.
O
DOZEN IN ROME
32Dozen in rome
Row 10, col 5 · 3 letters · across
X _ _. Solving the picture clue in the inside the grid first gives you its third letter.
XII
Crossword Challenge Level 1981 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
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Puzzle 1981 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 1981 with us. Puzzle 1982 is next, with 32 clues on a 8×10 board.