Crossword Challenge Puzzle 1986 Clues and Answers
Stuck somewhere in Crossword Challenge Puzzle 1986? All 33 clues on this 8×10 grid are solved below, one card per clue.
14 of the 33 answers are one or two letters long. 3 clues are pictures, and 2 of those ask you to fill the gaps in a word printed on the image; 5 clues want only the initials of the clue words; 3 want just the first letter of a single word; 5 clues are fill-ins, and 4 of them need only the missing letters. The longest answer runs 9 letters and belongs to “Bargain”.
Start at the edges. The first letters of the 7 answers hanging from the top row spell the answer to “Baffle”, and the first letters of the 9 answers along the left edge spell the answer to “Bargain”. 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.
BARGAIN
1Bargain
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
N _ _ O _ _ A _ _. Its sixth letter is shared with “Take on”.
NEGOTIATE
b-
2Picture clue
Top row 2/7 · 3 letters · down
Work out the object in the picture, then drop the part already written on it (“b-”). What is left starts with O.
OWL
COLORFUL LIGHT
3Colorful light
Top row 3/7 · 4 letters · down
Starts with N; pattern N _ _ _. Check the third letter against “Be a bad winner”.
NEON
LETTER AFTER O
4Letter after o
Top row 4/7 · 1 letter · down
Step one letter forward from O in the alphabet.
P
wal-
5Picture clue
Top row 5/7 · 3 letters · down
Picture word minus “wal” gives the answer. First letter: L.
LET
UNIT MASS
6Unit mass
Top row 6/7 · 2 letters · down
Take one letter from each word of the clue, in order.
UM
7Picture clue
Top row 7/7 · 6 letters · down
Describe the picture in one word that fits S _ _ W _ _. “NARR__” crosses it at the fourth square.
SUBWAY
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
BAFFLE
8Baffle
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
Shape: N _ _ P _ _ S. Its fifth letter is shared with the picture clue in the top row.
NONPLUS
FLOCK FEMALE
9Flock female
Left column 2/9 · 3 letters · across
Fits E _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Colorful light”.
EWE
BE A BAD WINNER
10Be a bad winner
Left column 3/9 · 5 letters · across
Shape: G _ _ A _. Check the fourth letter against “Bicker”.
GLOAT
AFTER N
11After n
Left column 4/9 · 1 letter · across
The alphabet letter right after N.
O
TRADE ITEM
12Trade item
Left column 5/9 · 2 letters · across
Take one letter from each word of the clue, in order.
TI
TAKE ON
13Take on
Left column 6/9 · 5 letters · across
Starts with I; pattern I _ _ U _. Check the fourth letter against “Bicker”.
INCUR
___ BODIED SEAMAN
14___ BODIED SEAMAN
Left column 7/9 · 4 letters · across
Say “___ BODIED SEAMAN” out loud and the blank fills itself: A _ _ _.
ABLE
ALSO
15Also
Left column 8/9 · 3 letters · across
Starts with T; pattern T _ _. The third square is also part of “Blood mass”.
TOO
NO LONGER FOUND
16No longer found
Left column 9/9 · 7 letters · across
Fits E _ _ I _ _ T. “WOM__” crosses it at the fifth square.
EXTINCT
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
AUSTRALIAN BIRD
17Australian bird
Row 3, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Starts with E; pattern E _ _. The picture clue in the top row crosses it at the third square.
EMU
BICKER
18Bicker
Row 3, col 5 · 5 letters · down
A _ _ U _. “Take on” crosses it at the fourth square.
ARGUE
BRIGHT
19Bright
Row 4, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Write the first letter of Bright, nothing more.
B
SCHO__
20SCHO__
Row 4, col 7 · 2 letters · down
Fill the gap in “SCHO__”, but leave out the letters already shown. Starts with O.
OL
NEW RELEASE
21New release
Row 5, col 3 · 2 letters · across
Initials: the first letter of each word in “New release”.
NR
EMAIL FOLDER
22Email folder
Row 5, col 3 · 5 letters · down
Fits I _ _ O _. The fourth square is also part of “Also”.
INBOX
NARR__
23NARR__
Row 5, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Only the hidden letters of “NARR__” go in the grid. First one: O.
OW
AUG. REALITY
24Aug. reality
Row 5, col 6 · 2 letters · down
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 2 squares.
AR
FANCY PARTY
25Fancy party
Row 6, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Begins with G. Its third letter is shared with “SCHO__”.
GALA
BLOOD MASS
26Blood mass
Row 6, col 4 · 4 letters · down
Shape: C _ _ _. Solving “Also” first gives you its third letter.
CLOT
LETTER AFTER X
27Letter after x
Row 7, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Recite the alphabet up to X; the answer is its next letter.
Y
BOW SHAPE
28Bow shape
Row 7, col 7 · 3 letters · down
Begins with A. Its third letter is shared with “No longer found”.
ARC
ALIEN
29Alien
Row 8, col 6 · 1 letter · across
Alien starts with the answer.
A
WOM__
30WOM__
Row 8, col 6 · 2 letters · down
Fill the gap in “WOM__”, but leave out the letters already shown. Starts with A.
AN
KITCHEN TABLE
31Kitchen table
Row 8, col 8 · 2 letters · down
Initials: the first letter of each word in “Kitchen table”.
KT
M___ET
32M___ET
Row 9, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Rebuild the word in “M___ET” and enter only the missing part, starting with A.
ARK
INSIDE
33Inside
Row 9, col 5 · 1 letter · down
Inside starts with the answer.
I
Crossword Challenge Level 1986 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
Next puzzles
Crossword Challenge Puzzle 19878×10 · 32 clues · 3 picturesLongest answer runs 9 letters, and 3 clues are fill-in-the-blanks.See hints and answersCrossword Challenge Puzzle 19888×10 · 29 clues · 4 picturesLongest answer runs 9 letters, and 1 clue is a fill-in-the-blank.See hints and answers
Puzzle 1986 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 1986 with us. Puzzle 1987 is next, with 32 clues on a 8×10 board.