Crossword Challenge Puzzle 2538 Clues and Answers
Stuck somewhere in Crossword Challenge Puzzle 2538? All 30 clues on this 8×10 grid are solved below, one card per clue.
Expect plenty of tiny answers, 10 of them only one or two letters. 5 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; 2 want just the first letter of a single word; 3 clues are fill-ins, and 3 of them need only the missing letters. The longest answer runs 9 letters and belongs to “End of day”.
Start at the edges. The first letters of the 7 answers hanging from the top row spell the answer to “Laughing gas”, and the first letters of the 9 answers along the left edge spell the answer to “End of day”. 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.
END OF DAY
1End of day
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
N _ _ H _ _ A _ _. Solving “Baseball player” first gives you its sixth letter.
NIGHTFALL
ABSORBED BY
2Absorbed by
Top row 2/7 · 4 letters · down
Shape: I _ _ _. Solving “Gross ton” first gives you its third letter.
INTO
TOOL KIT
3Tool kit
Top row 3/7 · 2 letters · down
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 2 squares.
TK
ALTERNATIVE TO WHITE OR WHEAT
4Alternative to white or wheat
Top row 4/7 · 3 letters · down
Shape: R _ _. The third square is also part of “Aside from that”.
RYE
OXYGEN
5Oxygen
Top row 5/7 · 1 letter · down
Oxygen starts with the answer.
O
POSITIVE ASPECT
6Positive aspect
Top row 6/7 · 6 letters · down
Shape: U _ _ I _ _. Check the fourth letter against “A helping hand”.
UPSIDE
7Picture clue
Top row 7/7 · 4 letters · down
Describe the picture in one word that fits S _ _ _. “Aside from that” crosses it at the third square.
SEED
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
LAUGHING GAS
8Laughing gas
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
Fits N _ _ R _ _ S. Solving “Oxygen” first gives you its fifth letter.
NITROUS
BLACK
9Black
Left column 2/9 · 4 letters · across
Shape: I _ _ _. Check the third letter against “Tool kit”.
INKY
GROSS TON
10Gross ton
Left column 3/9 · 2 letters · across
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 2 squares.
GT
11Jump
Left column 4/9 · 3 letters · across
Use the text “JUMP” if the picture is unclear. First letter H.
HOP
12Picture clue
Left column 5/9 · 1 letter · across
Describe the picture in one word that fits T.
T
BASEBALL PLAYER
13Baseball player
Left column 6/9 · 7 letters · across
F _ _ L _ _ R. The fifth square is also part of “Food cupboard”.
FIELDER
BIT OF FOLK WISDOM
14Bit of folk wisdom
Left column 7/9 · 5 letters · across
Fits A _ _ G _. “Seaweed” crosses it at the fourth square.
ADAGE
trave--r
15Picture clue
Left column 8/9 · 2 letters · across
Say what the picture shows. “trave--r” is printed on it, and the dashes are the letters you type. Starts with L.
LE
PAST DUE
16Past due
Left column 9/9 · 4 letters · across
Begins with L. Solving “Temper” first gives you its third letter.
LATE
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
HO__LESS
17HO__LESS
Row 3, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Fill the gap in “HO__LESS”, but leave out the letters already shown. Starts with P.
PE
FOOD CUPBOARD
18Food cupboard
Row 3, col 6 · 6 letters · down
Starts with L; pattern L _ _ D _ _. Solving “Baseball player” first gives you its fourth letter.
LARDER
ASIDE FROM THAT
19Aside from that
Row 4, col 4 · 4 letters · across
E _ _ _. The third square is also part of “Positive aspect”.
ELSE
APPEAL
20Appeal
Row 4, col 4 · 4 letters · down
P _ _ _. The third square is also part of “Baseball player”.
PLEA
A HELPING HAND
21A helping hand
Row 5, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Fits A _ _. Its third letter is shared with the picture clue in the top row.
AID
SEAWEED
22Seaweed
Row 5, col 5 · 5 letters · down
Fits A _ _ A _. “Saudi citizen” crosses it at the fourth square.
ALGAE
RENDERED PORK FAT
23Rendered pork fat
Row 6, col 3 · 4 letters · across
Fits L _ _ _. Solving “Food cupboard” first gives you its third letter.
LARD
MENTAL FLASH
24Mental flash
Row 6, col 3 · 4 letters · down
I _ _ _. The picture clue in the left column crosses it at the third square.
IDEA
25Picture clue
Row 6, col 8 · 4 letters · down
Name the object in the picture. R _ _ _. The third square is also part of “Saudi citizen”.
ROBE
ARTW_RK
26ARTW_RK
Row 8, col 7 · 1 letter · across
“ARTW_RK” is a word with a gap. Type just the gap, which begins with O.
O
ACADEMIC YEAR
27Academic year
Row 8, col 7 · 2 letters · down
Initials: the first letter of each word in “Academic year”.
AY
SAUDI CITIZEN
28Saudi citizen
Row 9, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Starts with A; pattern A _ _ _. Check the third letter against “Academic year”.
ARAB
TEMPER
29Temper
Row 9, col 4 · 1 letter · down
Just the opening letter of Temper.
T
POL__STER
30POL__STER
Row 10, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Only the hidden letters of “POL__STER” go in the grid. First one: Y.
YE
Crossword Challenge Level 2538 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
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Puzzle 2538 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 2538 with us. Puzzle 2539 is next, with 30 clues on a 8×10 board.