Crossword Challenge Puzzle 2023 Clues and Answers
Stuck somewhere in Crossword Challenge Puzzle 2023? All 30 clues on this 8×10 grid are solved below, one card per clue.
Short answers dominate here: 9 of 30 fit in one or two squares. 3 clues are pictures, and 1 of those asks you to fill the gaps in a word printed on the image; 2 clues want only the initials of the clue words; 1 wants 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 “Not straight”.
The edges of this grid check each other. The top-row answers begin with the letters of the answer to “Short novel”, read left to right, and the left-column answers begin with the letters of the answer to “Not straight”, read top to bottom.
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.
NOT STRAIGHT
1Not straight
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
N _ _ L _ _ E _ _. “Earth's beauty” crosses it at the sixth square.
NONLINEAR
ABOARD
2Aboard
Top row 2/7 · 4 letters · down
O _ _ _. Solving “No text” first gives you its third letter.
ONTO
-ins
3Picture clue
Top row 3/7 · 2 letters · down
Picture word minus “ins” gives the answer. First letter: V.
VE
LETTER AFTER D
4Letter after d
Top row 4/7 · 1 letter · down
Step one letter forward from D in the alphabet.
E
UNTRUTH
5Untruth
Top row 5/7 · 3 letters · down
Starts with L; pattern L _ _. Solving “52 cards” first gives you its third letter.
LIE
SETTING
6Setting
Top row 6/7 · 6 letters · down
L _ _ A _ _. Solving “Alabama” first gives you its fourth letter.
LOCALE
LEG JOINT
7Leg joint
Top row 7/7 · 5 letters · down
Fits A _ _ L _. “Alabama” crosses it at the fourth square.
ANKLE
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
SHORT NOVEL
8Short novel
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
Shape: N _ _ E _ _ A. Check the fifth letter against “Untruth”.
NOVELLA
9Picture clue
Left column 2/9 · 3 letters · across
Name the object in the picture. O _ _. Solving the picture clue in the top row first gives you its third letter.
ONE
NO TEXT
10No text
Left column 3/9 · 2 letters · across
Abbreviate “No text” to its initials.
NT
RICH SOURCE
11Rich source
Left column 4/9 · 4 letters · across
Begins with L. Check the third letter against “Info”.
LODE
BETWEEN H AND J
12Between h and j
Left column 5/9 · 1 letter · across
The letter that sits between H and J.
I
EARTH'S BEAUTY
13Earth's beauty
Left column 6/9 · 6 letters · across
N _ _ U _ _. Solving “Assistant” first gives you its fourth letter.
NATURE
CHEER
14Cheer
Left column 7/9 · 5 letters · across
E _ _ T _. The fourth square is also part of “Assistant”.
ELATE
ADAPTIVE OPTICS
15Adaptive optics
Left column 8/9 · 2 letters · across
Initials: the first letter of each word in “Adaptive optics”.
AO
EXPERT ON PLAYS
16Expert on plays
Left column 9/9 · 3 letters · across
Shape: R _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Facial”.
REF
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
___ EXCHANGE
17___ EXCHANGE
Row 3, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Complete the phrase “___ EXCHANGE”. Shape: I _ _.
ION
ASSISTANT
18Assistant
Row 3, col 5 · 6 letters · down
Shape: D _ _ U _ _. Check the fourth letter against “Earth's beauty”.
DEPUTY
52 CARDS
1952 cards
Row 4, col 4 · 4 letters · across
D _ _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Setting”.
DECK
INFO
20Info
Row 4, col 4 · 4 letters · down
Begins with D. The third square is also part of “Earth's beauty”.
DATA
ALABAMA
21Alabama
Row 5, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Starts with A; pattern A _. Solving “Leg joint” first gives you its second letter.
AL
EXHIBIT VANITY
22Exhibit vanity
Row 5, col 6 · 5 letters · down
Fits P _ _ E _. Solving “Cry out” first gives you its fourth letter.
PREEN
PIE FRUIT
23Pie fruit
Row 6, col 3 · 5 letters · across
Fits A _ _ L _. Its fourth letter is shared with “Setting”.
APPLE
AFRICAN LILY
24African lily
Row 6, col 3 · 4 letters · down
Shape: A _ _ _. The third square is also part of “Adaptive optics”.
ALOE
25Picture clue
Row 7, col 8 · 3 letters · down
Look at the picture and fit it to S _ _. Check the third letter against “No vote”.
SPY
_HIRT
26_HIRT
Row 8, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Rebuild the word in “_HIRT” and enter only the missing part, starting with S.
S
__BORATORY
27__BORATORY
Row 8, col 7 · 2 letters · down
“__BORATORY” is a word with a gap. Type just the gap, which begins with L.
LA
CRY OUT
28Cry out
Row 9, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Shape: Y _ _ _. Solving “__BORATORY” first gives you its third letter.
YELP
FACIAL
29Facial
Row 9, col 4 · 1 letter · down
Just the opening letter of Facial.
F
NO VOTE
30No vote
Row 10, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Fits N _ _. The picture clue in the inside the grid crosses it at the third square.
NAY
Crossword Challenge Level 2023 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
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Puzzle 2023 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 2023 with us. Puzzle 2024 is next, with 30 clues on a 8×10 board.