Crossword Challenge Puzzle 2172 Clues and Answers
This page covers all 32 clues of Crossword Challenge Puzzle 2172, an 8×10 grid that mixes picture clues with short word clues.
Expect plenty of tiny answers, 12 of them only one or two letters. 3 clues are pictures, and 2 of those ask you to fill the gaps in a word printed on the image; 4 clues want only the initials of the clue words; 2 want just the first letter of a single word; 2 clues are fill-ins, and 1 of them needs only the missing letters. The longest answer runs 9 letters and belongs to “As claimed”.
Here is the shortcut for Puzzle 2172: read the first letters of the top-row answers and you get the answer to “Under patronage”. Read the first letters down the left edge and you get the answer to “As claimed”. 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.
AS CLAIMED
1As claimed
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
A _ _ O _ _ I _ _. “Roman numeral 500” crosses it at the sixth square.
ACCORDING
BODY WASTE
2Body waste
Top row 2/7 · 5 letters · down
Starts with U; pattern U _ _ N _. Check the fourth letter against “A while ago”.
URINE
-rup
3Picture clue
Top row 3/7 · 2 letters · down
Work out the object in the picture, then drop the part already written on it (“-rup”). What is left starts with S.
SY
AFTER O
4 after o
Top row 4/7 · 1 letter · down
Recite the alphabet up to O; the answer is its next letter.
P
FURY
5Fury
Top row 5/7 · 3 letters · down
Starts with I; pattern I _ _. The third square is also part of “YOU ARE ___" (MAP WORDS)”.
IRE
6Picture clue
Top row 6/7 · 6 letters · down
Look at the picture and fit it to C _ _ T _ _. Solving “Trade-mark” first gives you its fourth letter.
CORTEX
PLANT SWELLING
7Plant swelling
Top row 7/7 · 5 letters · down
Starts with E; pattern E _ _ M _. The fourth square is also part of “Trade-mark”.
EDEMA
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
UNDER PATRONAGE
8Under patronage
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
Shape: A _ _ P _ _ E. Its fifth letter is shared with “Fury”.
AUSPICE
SHED TEARS
9Shed tears
Left column 2/9 · 3 letters · across
Shape: C _ _. Its third letter is shared with the picture clue in the top row.
CRY
CULINARY INSTITUTE
10Culinary institute
Left column 3/9 · 2 letters · across
Initials: the first letter of each word in “Culinary institute”.
CI
A WHILE AGO
11A while ago
Left column 4/9 · 4 letters · across
Begins with O. Its third letter is shared with “Average grade”.
ONCE
REWARD EVENT
12Reward event
Left column 5/9 · 2 letters · across
Initials: the first letter of each word in “Reward event”.
RE
ROMAN NUMERAL 500
13Roman numeral 500
Left column 6/9 · 1 letter · across
One letter only. It is the standard short form for “Roman numeral 500”.
D
DRIVE FORWARD
14Drive forward
Left column 7/9 · 5 letters · across
Begins with I. The fourth square is also part of “Listener”.
IMPEL
REFUSAL WORD
15Refusal word
Left column 8/9 · 2 letters · across
N _. Solving “Cow sound” first gives you its second letter.
NO
-let
16Picture clue
Left column 9/9 · 3 letters · across
The image carries “-let”. Name the picture and keep only the letters hidden behind the dashes, beginning with G.
GOB
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
THIN POLE
17Thin pole
Row 3, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Starts with R; pattern R _ _. “Plant swelling” crosses it at the third square.
ROD
LISTENER
18Listener
Row 3, col 5 · 6 letters · down
Begins with H. The fourth square is also part of “Central point”.
HEARER
"YOU ARE ___" (MAP WORDS)
19"YOU ARE ___" (MAP WORDS)
Row 4, col 4 · 4 letters · across
The missing word in “YOU ARE ___" (MAP WORDS)” starts with H.
HERE
AVERAGE GRADE
20Average grade
Row 4, col 4 · 1 letter · down
A single letter or symbol answers “Average grade”.
C
TRADE-MARK
21Trade-mark
Row 5, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Abbreviate “Trade-mark” to its initials.
TM
TOOL USED TO DRAW STRAIGHT LINES
22Tool used to draw straight lines
Row 5, col 6 · 5 letters · down
Begins with R. The fourth square is also part of “Remake”.
RULER
FIELD
23Field
Row 6, col 4 · 4 letters · across
A _ _ _. Solving the picture clue in the top row first gives you its third letter.
AREA
CONTRACT PRICE
24Contract price
Row 6, col 4 · 2 letters · down
Initials: the first letter of each word in “Contract price”.
CP
CENTRAL POINT
25Central point
Row 7, col 3 · 4 letters · across
Starts with C; pattern C _ _ _. “Tool used to draw straight lines” crosses it at the third square.
CRUX
COW SOUND
26Cow sound
Row 7, col 3 · 3 letters · down
Starts with M; pattern M _ _. The third square is also part of the picture clue in the left column.
MOO
ENEMY
27Enemy
Row 7, col 8 · 3 letters · down
Starts with F; pattern F _ _. Check the third letter against “Bar staple”.
FOE
FIANCE
28Fiance
Row 8, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Only one square: take the initial of Fiance.
F
STU__
29STU__
Row 8, col 7 · 2 letters · down
“STU__” is a word with a gap. Type just the gap, which begins with D.
DY
REMAKE
30Remake
Row 9, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Fits R _ _ _. The third square is also part of “STU__”.
REDO
BRAVE
31Brave
Row 9, col 4 · 1 letter · down
Only one square: take the initial of Brave.
B
BAR STAPLE
32Bar staple
Row 10, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Starts with R; pattern R _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Enemy”.
RYE
Crossword Challenge Level 2172 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
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Puzzle 2172 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 2172 with us. Puzzle 2173 is next, with 32 clues on a 8×10 board.