Crossword Challenge Puzzle 2609 Clues and Answers
This page covers all 30 clues of Crossword Challenge Puzzle 2609, an 8×10 grid that mixes picture clues with short word clues.
Short answers dominate here: 9 of 30 fit in one or two squares. 4 clues are pictures, and 1 of those asks you to fill the gaps in a word printed on the image; 4 clues want only the initials of the clue words; 1 wants just the first letter of a single word; 1 clue is a fill-in, and 1 of it needs only the missing letters. The longest answer runs 9 letters and belongs to the picture clue in the top row.
Here is the shortcut for Puzzle 2609: read the first letters of the top-row answers and you get the answer to “Moral qualm”. Read the first letters down the left edge and you get the answer to the picture clue in the top row. 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.
1Picture clue
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
Look at the picture and fit it to S _ _ T _ _ I _ _. “Low-cost stay” crosses it at the sixth square.
SKETCHING
GIVE UP
2Give up
Top row 2/7 · 4 letters · down
Starts with C; pattern C _ _ _. Solving “W__DING” first gives you its third letter.
CEDE
REACTION YIELD
3Reaction yield
Top row 3/7 · 2 letters · down
Take one letter from each word of the clue, in order.
RY
AFTER T
4After t
Top row 4/7 · 1 letter · down
Step one letter forward from T in the alphabet.
U
PULSE ENERGY ESTIMATOR
5Pulse energy estimator
Top row 5/7 · 3 letters · down
Take one letter from each word of the clue, in order.
PEE
6Picture clue
Top row 6/7 · 6 letters · down
One word for the picture, starting with L. The fourth square is also part of “Training camp”.
LENTIL
CHOSEN
7Chosen
Top row 7/7 · 5 letters · down
Starts with E; pattern E _ _ C _. “Training camp” crosses it at the fourth square.
ELECT
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
MORAL QUALM
8Moral qualm
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
Shape: S _ _ U _ _ E. Solving “Pulse energy estimator” first gives you its fifth letter.
SCRUPLE
9Picture clue
Left column 2/9 · 3 letters · across
Describe the picture in one word that fits K _ _. “Reaction yield” crosses it at the third square.
KEY
W__DING
10W__DING
Left column 3/9 · 2 letters · across
“W__DING” is a word with a gap. Type just the gap, which begins with E.
ED
REVEAL
11Reveal
Left column 4/9 · 4 letters · across
Shape: T _ _ _. “Young girl” crosses it at the third square.
TELL
BEFORE D
12Before d
Left column 5/9 · 1 letter · across
The alphabet letter right before D.
C
LOW-COST STAY
13Low-cost stay
Left column 6/9 · 6 letters · across
Shape: H _ _ T _ _. “Wheat protein” crosses it at the fourth square.
HOSTEL
DETAIL MAP
14Detail map
Left column 7/9 · 5 letters · across
Starts with I; pattern I _ _ E _. Check the fourth letter against “Wheat protein”.
INSET
NET CHARGE
15Net charge
Left column 8/9 · 2 letters · across
Initials: the first letter of each word in “Net charge”.
NC
ba-
16Picture clue
Left column 9/9 · 3 letters · across
Work out the object in the picture, then drop the part already written on it (“ba-”). What is left starts with G.
GEL
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
CAVE-DWELLING FISH
17Cave-dwelling fish
Row 3, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Begins with E. Solving “Chosen” first gives you its third letter.
EEL
WHEAT PROTEIN
18Wheat protein
Row 3, col 5 · 6 letters · down
Fits G _ _ T _ _. Check the fourth letter against “Low-cost stay”.
GLUTEN
HEREDITARY UNIT
19Hereditary unit
Row 4, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Starts with G; pattern G _ _ _. The picture clue in the top row crosses it at the third square.
GENE
YOUNG GIRL
20Young girl
Row 4, col 4 · 4 letters · down
L _ _ _. Check the third letter against “Low-cost stay”.
LASS
TRAINING CAMP
21Training camp
Row 5, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Abbreviate “Training camp” to its initials.
TC
WARD OFF
22Ward off
Row 5, col 6 · 5 letters · down
Starts with D; pattern D _ _ E _. The fourth square is also part of “Throat area”.
DETER
FINANCIAL REVIEW
23Financial review
Row 6, col 3 · 5 letters · across
A _ _ I _. The picture clue in the top row crosses it at the fourth square.
AUDIT
ONE TIME
24One time
Row 6, col 3 · 4 letters · down
Fits O _ _ _. The third square is also part of “Net charge”.
ONCE
SQUEEZE
25Squeeze
Row 7, col 8 · 3 letters · down
Shape: E _ _. Check the third letter against “Bar stock”.
EKE
COMMON VOWEL
26Common vowel
Row 8, col 7 · 1 letter · across
A single letter or symbol answers “Common vowel”.
E
CYPRUS ABBR.
27Cyprus abbr.
Row 8, col 7 · 2 letters · down
Starts with C; pattern C _. Check the second letter against “Bar stock”.
CY
THROAT AREA
28Throat area
Row 9, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Shape: N _ _ _. The third square is also part of “Cyprus abbr.”.
NECK
LOW
29Low
Row 9, col 4 · 1 letter · down
Low starts with the answer.
L
BAR STOCK
30Bar stock
Row 10, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Starts with R; pattern R _ _. The third square is also part of “Squeeze”.
RYE
Crossword Challenge Level 2609 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
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Puzzle 2609 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 2609 with us. Puzzle 2610 is next, with 30 clues on a 8×10 board.