Crossword Challenge Puzzle 1216 Clues and Answers
This page covers all 32 clues of Crossword Challenge Puzzle 1216, 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; 6 clues want only the initials of the clue words; 3 want 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 “Academic debate”.
Here is the shortcut for Puzzle 1216: read the first letters of the top-row answers and you get the answer to the picture clue in the left column. Read the first letters down the left edge and you get the answer to “Academic debate”. 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.
ACADEMIC DEBATE
1Academic debate
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
Begins with D. “After t” crosses it at the sixth square.
DISCOURSE
BRAINS' GAINS
2Brains' gains
Top row 2/7 · 5 letters · down
Fits I _ _ A _. Solving “Arrived” first gives you its fourth letter.
IDEAS
ANTI-AIRCRAFT
3Anti-aircraft
Top row 3/7 · 2 letters · down
Initials: the first letter of each word in “Anti-aircraft”.
AA
AFTER F
4After f
Top row 4/7 · 1 letter · down
Recite the alphabet up to F; the answer is its next letter.
G
BEMOAN
5Bemoan
Top row 5/7 · 3 letters · down
Fits R _ _. “Office furniture” crosses it at the third square.
RUE
HELP OUT
6Help out
Top row 6/7 · 6 letters · down
Begins with A. The fourth square is also part of “Initial entry”.
ASSIST
ARRIVES IN TIME FOR
7Arrives in time for
Top row 7/7 · 5 letters · down
Starts with M; pattern M _ _ E _. Check the fourth letter against “Initial entry”.
MAKES
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
8Picture clue
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
Look at the picture and fit it to D _ _ G _ _ M. Solving “Bemoan” first gives you its fifth letter.
DIAGRAM
IRON DEFICIENCY ANEMIA
9Iron deficiency anemia
Left column 2/9 · 3 letters · across
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 3 squares.
IDA
DATABA__
10DATABA__
Left column 3/9 · 2 letters · across
Only the hidden letters of “DATABA__” go in the grid. First one: S.
SE
ARRIVED
11Arrived
Left column 4/9 · 4 letters · across
C _ _ _. Solving “Mobile” first gives you its third letter.
CAME
gh--t
12Picture clue
Left column 5/9 · 2 letters · across
The image carries “gh--t”. Name the picture and keep only the letters hidden behind the dashes, beginning with O.
OS
AFTER T
13After t
Left column 6/9 · 1 letter · across
Recite the alphabet up to T; the answer is its next letter.
U
BIG BAR ORDER
14Big bar order
Left column 7/9 · 5 letters · across
R _ _ N _. Check the fourth letter against “Strong request”.
ROUND
SOUTH WEST
15South west
Left column 8/9 · 2 letters · across
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 2 squares.
SW
p---uin
16Picture clue
Left column 9/9 · 3 letters · across
The image carries “p---uin”. Name the picture and keep only the letters hidden behind the dashes, beginning with E.
ENG
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
LAND OF LIBERTY
17Land of liberty
Row 3, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Shape: U _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Arrives in time for”.
USA
STRONG REQUEST
18Strong request
Row 3, col 5 · 6 letters · down
Shape: D _ _ A _ _. The fourth square is also part of “Wish for”.
DEMAND
OFFICE FURNITURE
19Office furniture
Row 4, col 4 · 4 letters · across
D _ _ _. Solving “Help out” first gives you its third letter.
DESK
MOBILE
20Mobile
Row 4, col 4 · 1 letter · down
Write the first letter of Mobile, nothing more.
M
INITIAL ENTRY
21Initial entry
Row 5, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Abbreviate “Initial entry” to its initials.
IE
BOOK LIST
22Book list
Row 5, col 6 · 5 letters · down
Begins with I. Its fourth letter is shared with “Opposite of alive”.
INDEX
NOT CATCH
23Not catch
Row 6, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Begins with M. “Help out” crosses it at the third square.
MISS
WHAT'S UP?
24What's up?
Row 6, col 4 · 2 letters · down
Abbreviate “What's up?” to its initials.
WU
WISH FOR
25Wish for
Row 7, col 3 · 4 letters · across
W _ _ _. Solving “Book list” first gives you its third letter.
WANT
POSSESS
26Possess
Row 7, col 3 · 3 letters · down
O _ _. Check the third letter against the picture clue in the left column.
OWN
ADVANCE, BRIEFLY
27Advance, briefly
Row 7, col 8 · 3 letters · down
Starts with A; pattern A _ _. The third square is also part of “After xiii”.
ADV
AFTER
28After
Row 8, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Just the opening letter of After.
A
ASSISTED INPUT
29Assisted input
Row 8, col 7 · 2 letters · down
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 2 squares.
AI
OPPOSITE OF ALIVE
30Opposite of alive
Row 9, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Starts with D; pattern D _ _ _. Check the third letter against “Assisted input”.
DEAD
GOLF
31Golf
Row 9, col 4 · 1 letter · down
Just the opening letter of Golf.
G
AFTER XIII
32After xiii
Row 10, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Starts with X; pattern X _ _. Check the third letter against “Advance, briefly”.
XIV
Crossword Challenge Level 1216 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
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Puzzle 1216 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 1216 with us. Puzzle 1217 is next, with 32 clues on a 8×10 board.