Crossword Challenge Puzzle 2009 Clues and Answers
Stuck somewhere in Crossword Challenge Puzzle 2009? All 30 clues on this 8×10 grid are solved below, one card per clue.
10 of the 30 answers are one or two letters long. 4 clues are pictures; 2 clues want only the initials of the clue words; 4 clues are fill-ins, and 4 of them need only the missing letters. The longest answer runs 9 letters and belongs to “Closely bonded”.
Here is the shortcut for Puzzle 2009: 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 “Closely bonded”. 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.
CLOSELY BONDED
1Closely bonded
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
Fits T _ _ H _ _ N _ _. Solving the picture clue in the left column first gives you its sixth letter.
TIGHTKNIT
SCI-FI SHIP
2Sci-fi ship
Top row 2/7 · 3 letters · down
Begins with U. Solving “Slime” first gives you its third letter.
UFO
AFTER D
3After d
Top row 3/7 · 1 letter · down
The alphabet letter right after D.
E
DI__TOWEL
4DI__TOWEL
Top row 4/7 · 2 letters · down
Fill the gap in “DI__TOWEL”, but leave out the letters already shown. Starts with S.
SH
SUSPECT
5Suspect
Top row 5/7 · 5 letters · down
Fits D _ _ B _. Its fourth letter is shared with “One in revolt”.
DOUBT
ABBEY AREA
6Abbey area
Top row 6/7 · 4 letters · down
A _ _ _. The third square is also part of “Employ”.
APSE
GIVE WAY
7Give way
Top row 7/7 · 5 letters · down
Begins with Y. Solving “One in revolt” first gives you its fourth letter.
YIELD
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
8Picture clue
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
What is shown in the image? Shape: T _ _ S _ _ Y. Its fifth letter is shared with “Suspect”.
TUESDAY
IN FACT
9In fact
Left column 2/9 · 2 letters · across
Take one letter from each word of the clue, in order.
IF
SLIME
10Slime
Left column 3/9 · 3 letters · across
Shape: G _ _. “Mouth-related” crosses it at the third square.
GOO
11Picture clue
Left column 4/9 · 1 letter · across
Name the object in the picture. H.
H
FEATURE
12Feature
Left column 5/9 · 5 letters · across
T _ _ I _. The fourth square is also part of “This or that”.
TRAIT
13Picture clue
Left column 6/9 · 4 letters · across
What is shown in the image? Shape: K _ _ _. “Mouth-related” crosses it at the third square.
KILT
'NO FUNDS'
14'no funds'
Left column 7/9 · 2 letters · across
Shape: N _. The second square is also part of “Long gun”.
NF
AGAINST THE LAW
15Against the law
Left column 8/9 · 7 letters · across
Begins with I. Check the fifth letter against “Your guide”.
ILLEGAL
16Picture clue
Left column 9/9 · 4 letters · across
One word for the picture, starting with T. The third square is also part of “GRANO__”.
TEAR
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
ARIZONA NATIVE
17Arizona native
Row 3, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Starts with H; pattern H _ _ _. “Abbey area” crosses it at the third square.
HOPI
MOUTH-RELATED
18Mouth-related
Row 3, col 4 · 4 letters · down
O _ _ _. The third square is also part of “Feature”.
ORAL
EMPLOY
19Employ
Row 4, col 5 · 3 letters · across
U _ _. Solving “Give way” first gives you its third letter.
USE
THIS OR THAT
20This or that
Row 4, col 5 · 6 letters · down
Starts with E; pattern E _ _ H _ _. The fourth square is also part of “Boost”.
EITHER
ONE IN REVOLT
21One in revolt
Row 5, col 3 · 5 letters · across
Fits R _ _ E _. Its fourth letter is shared with “Abbey area”.
REBEL
LONG GUN
22Long gun
Row 5, col 3 · 5 letters · down
Starts with R; pattern R _ _ L _. Its fourth letter is shared with “Against the law”.
RIFLE
_UMBBELL
23_UMBBELL
Row 6, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Only the hidden letters of “_UMBBELL” go in the grid. First one: D.
D
E-MAIL FILTER'S TARGET
24E-mail filter's target
Row 6, col 7 · 4 letters · down
Shape: S _ _ _. Check the third letter against “Against the law”.
SPAM
_PAGHETTI
25_PAGHETTI
Row 7, col 6 · 1 letter · across
“_PAGHETTI” is a word with a gap. Type just the gap, which begins with S.
S
YOUR GUIDE
26Your guide
Row 7, col 6 · 2 letters · down
Initials: the first letter of each word in “Your guide”.
YG
HARD WOOD
27Hard wood
Row 7, col 8 · 3 letters · down
Starts with E; pattern E _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Double m”.
ELM
BOOST
28Boost
Row 8, col 4 · 4 letters · across
H _ _ _. Solving “E-mail filter's target” first gives you its third letter.
HYPE
GRANO__
29GRANO__
Row 8, col 4 · 2 letters · down
Rebuild the word in “GRANO__” and enter only the missing part, starting with L.
LA
DOUBLE M
30Double m
Row 10, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Shape: M _. Solving “Hard wood” first gives you its second letter.
MM
Crossword Challenge Level 2009 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
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Puzzle 2009 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 2009 with us. Puzzle 2010 is next, with 31 clues on a 8×10 board.