Crossword Challenge Puzzle 2088 Clues and Answers
Crossword Challenge Puzzle 2088 is an 8×10 board with 30 clues, and every one of them is answered below.
Expect plenty of tiny answers, 9 of them only one or two letters. 3 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; 4 clues are fill-ins, and 3 of them need only the missing letters. The longest answer runs 9 letters and belongs to “Cultural practice”.
Start at the edges. The first letters of the 7 answers hanging from the top row spell the answer to the picture clue in the left column, and the first letters of the 9 answers along the left edge spell the answer to “Cultural practice”. 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.
CULTURAL PRACTICE
1Cultural practice
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
Fits T _ _ D _ _ I _ _. Check the sixth letter against “Mortise insert”.
TRADITION
2Picture clue
Top row 2/7 · 4 letters · down
One word for the picture, starting with O. Its third letter is shared with “Active turn”.
OATS
MUSIC MIXER
3Music mixer
Top row 3/7 · 2 letters · down
D _. Solving “Indian king” first gives you its second letter.
DJ
vali---ion
4Picture clue
Top row 4/7 · 3 letters · down
Say what the picture shows. “vali---ion” is printed on it, and the dashes are the letters you type. Starts with D.
DAT
AFTER K
5After k
Top row 5/7 · 1 letter · down
Recite the alphabet up to K; the answer is its next letter.
L
PERFORM
6Perform
Top row 6/7 · 5 letters · down
E _ _ C _. Check the fourth letter against “Rocks" in a drink”.
ENACT
UN-COMMON
7Un-common
Top row 7/7 · 4 letters · down
Begins with R. The third square is also part of “Russian ruler: var.”.
RARE
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 _ _ D _ _ R. Its fifth letter is shared with “After k”.
TODDLER
INDIAN KING
9Indian king
Left column 2/9 · 4 letters · across
Starts with R; pattern R _ _ _. Solving “Music mixer” first gives you its third letter.
RAJA
ACTIVE TURN
10Active turn
Left column 3/9 · 2 letters · across
Abbreviate “Active turn” to its initials.
AT
YAR___ICK
11YAR___ICK
Left column 4/9 · 3 letters · across
“YAR___ICK” is a word with a gap. Type just the gap, which begins with D.
DST
BETWEEN H AND J
12Between h and j
Left column 5/9 · 1 letter · across
The letter that sits between H and J.
I
MORTISE INSERT
13Mortise insert
Left column 6/9 · 5 letters · across
Shape: T _ _ O _. Its fourth letter is shared with “Too sentimental”.
TENON
ICE CHOPPER
14Ice chopper
Left column 7/9 · 7 letters · across
I _ _ P _ _ K. “Showy flower” crosses it at the fifth square.
ICEPICK
SHORT FOR OHIO
15Short for ohio
Left column 8/9 · 2 letters · across
Begins with O. Its second letter is shared with “Resound”.
OH
SNOOPY
16Snoopy
Left column 9/9 · 4 letters · across
N _ _ _. The third square is also part of “_ECRET”.
NOSY
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
NOT AVAILABLE
17Not available
Row 3, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Abbreviate “Not available” to its initials.
NA
SHOWY FLOWER
18Showy flower
Row 3, col 6 · 6 letters · down
Z _ _ N _ _. Check the fourth letter against “Mortise insert”.
ZINNIA
RUSSIAN RULER: VAR.
19Russian ruler: var.
Row 4, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Begins with T. “Perform” crosses it at the third square.
TZAR
FORK POINT
20Fork point
Row 4, col 4 · 4 letters · down
T _ _ _. Solving “Mortise insert” first gives you its third letter.
TINE
"ROCKS" IN A DRINK
21"rocks" in a drink
Row 5, col 5 · 3 letters · across
I _ _. The third square is also part of “Un-common”.
ICE
TOO SENTIMENTAL
22Too sentimental
Row 5, col 5 · 5 letters · down
S _ _ P _. “Bucket” crosses it at the fourth square.
SOPPY
"___ IT A PITY?"
23"___ IT A PITY?"
Row 6, col 3 · 4 letters · across
Complete the phrase “___ IT A PITY?”. Shape: I _ _ _.
ISNT
RESOUND
24Resound
Row 6, col 3 · 4 letters · down
Starts with E; pattern E _ _ _. Solving “Short for ohio” first gives you its third letter.
ECHO
KANS. NEIGHBOR
25Kans. neighbor
Row 6, col 8 · 4 letters · down
Shape: O _ _ _. The third square is also part of “Bucket”.
OKLA
AR_MA
26AR_MA
Row 7, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Fill the gap in “AR_MA”, but leave out the letters already shown. Starts with O.
O
SPY GRP.
27Spy grp.
Row 7, col 7 · 3 letters · down
C _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Anti-aircraft”.
CIA
BUCKET
28Bucket
Row 9, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Fits P _ _ _. Check the third letter against “Spy grp.”.
PAIL
_ECRET
29_ECRET
Row 9, col 4 · 1 letter · down
Rebuild the word in “_ECRET” and enter only the missing part, starting with S.
S
ANTI-AIRCRAFT
30Anti-aircraft
Row 10, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 2 squares.
AA
Crossword Challenge Level 2088 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
Next puzzles
Crossword Challenge Puzzle 20898×10 · 32 clues · 4 picturesLongest answer runs 9 letters, and 6 clues are fill-in-the-blanks.See hints and answersCrossword Challenge Puzzle 20908×10 · 30 clues · 3 picturesLongest answer runs 9 letters, and 3 clues are fill-in-the-blanks.See hints and answers
Puzzle 2088 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 2088 with us. Puzzle 2089 is next, with 32 clues on a 8×10 board.