Crossword Challenge Puzzle 1396 Clues and Answers
Puzzle 1396 of Crossword Challenge gives you 31 clues on a 8×10 board. Each one is listed below with a hint first and the answer second.
12 of the 31 answers are one or two letters long. 4 clues are pictures, and 2 of those ask you to fill the gaps in a word printed on the image; 3 clues want only the initials of the clue words; 4 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 “Hiring”.
Here is the shortcut for Puzzle 1396: read the first letters of the top-row answers and you get the answer to “Earth's midline”. Read the first letters down the left edge and you get the answer to “Hiring”. 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.
HIRING
1Hiring
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
Begins with E. Solving the picture clue in the left column first gives you its sixth letter.
EMPLOYING
QUERY ENGINE
2Query engine
Top row 2/7 · 2 letters · down
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 2 squares.
QE
SINGLE ENTITY
3Single entity
Top row 3/7 · 4 letters · down
Starts with U; pattern U _ _ _. Check the third letter against “Perfection”.
UNIT
4Sound
Top row 4/7 · 5 letters · down
Use the text “SOUND” if the picture is unclear. First letter A.
AUDIO
AFTER S
5After s
Top row 5/7 · 1 letter · down
Recite the alphabet up to S; the answer is its next letter.
T
OVERLOAD PULSE ARRAY
6Overload pulse array
Top row 6/7 · 3 letters · down
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 3 squares.
OPA
DECREE
7Decree
Top row 7/7 · 4 letters · down
Shape: R _ _ _. “Perfection” crosses it at the third square.
RULE
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
EARTH'S MIDLINE
8Earth's midline
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
Starts with E; pattern E _ _ A _ _ R. “After s” crosses it at the fifth square.
EQUATOR
9Rest. list
Left column 2/9 · 4 letters · across
Use the text “REST. LIST” if the picture is unclear. First letter M.
MENU
PEOPLE
10People
Left column 3/9 · 1 letter · across
People starts with the answer.
P
ITALIAN ANCESTOR
11Italian ancestor
Left column 4/9 · 5 letters · across
Starts with L; pattern L _ _ I _. “Sound” crosses it at the fourth square.
LATIN
OPERATION GROUP
12Operation group
Left column 5/9 · 2 letters · across
Initials: the first letter of each word in “Operation group”.
OG
law-
13Picture clue
Left column 6/9 · 3 letters · across
Work out the object in the picture, then drop the part already written on it (“law-”). What is left starts with Y.
YER
BURY
14Bury
Left column 7/9 · 5 letters · across
I _ _ E _. The fourth square is also part of “Snakelike fish”.
INTER
pou-
15Picture clue
Left column 8/9 · 2 letters · across
Say what the picture shows. “pou-” is printed on it, and the dashes are the letters you type. Starts with N.
ND
MUSEUM SECTION
16Museum section
Left column 9/9 · 7 letters · across
Fits G _ _ L _ _ Y. Its fifth letter is shared with “Make obey”.
GALLERY
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
__DDING
17__DDING
Row 3, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Only the hidden letters of “__DDING” go in the grid. First one: P.
PU
MAKE OBEY
18Make obey
Row 3, col 6 · 7 letters · down
E _ _ O _ _ E. “Bury” crosses it at the fifth square.
ENFORCE
PERFECTION
19Perfection
Row 4, col 3 · 5 letters · across
I _ _ A _. Solving “Overload pulse array” first gives you its fourth letter.
IDEAL
PLAN FOR THE DAY
20Plan for the day
Row 4, col 3 · 6 letters · down
Starts with A; pattern A _ _ N _ _. “Bury” crosses it at the fourth square.
AGENDA
ELEVATOR
21Elevator
Row 5, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Only one square: take the initial of Elevator.
E
__IEND
22__IEND
Row 5, col 7 · 2 letters · down
Only the hidden letters of “__IEND” go in the grid. First one: F.
FR
NOT ON
23Not on
Row 6, col 4 · 3 letters · across
Fits O _ _. Its third letter is shared with “__IEND”.
OFF
RETWEET
24Retweet
Row 6, col 4 · 2 letters · down
R _. The second square is also part of “Bury”.
RT
FAMILY PATRIARCH ON THE SOPRANOS
25Family patriarch on the sopranos
Row 6, col 8 · 4 letters · down
Fits T _ _ _. “Study of markets” crosses it at the third square.
TONY
RES___
26RES___
Row 7, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Rebuild the word in “RES___” and enter only the missing part, starting with O.
ORT
SNAKELIKE FISH
27Snakelike fish
Row 7, col 5 · 3 letters · down
E _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Museum section”.
EEL
OUTLET
28Outlet
Row 8, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Only one square: take the initial of Outlet.
O
EITHER
29Either
Row 8, col 7 · 2 letters · down
Starts with O; pattern O _. Solving “Museum section” first gives you its second letter.
OR
STUDY OF MARKETS
30Study of markets
Row 9, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Fits E _ _ _. Check the third letter against “Either”.
ECON
LAYOUT
31Layout
Row 9, col 4 · 1 letter · down
Write the first letter of Layout, nothing more.
L
Crossword Challenge Level 1396 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
Next puzzles
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Puzzle 1396 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 1396 with us. Puzzle 1397 is next, with 33 clues on a 8×10 board.