Crossword Challenge Puzzle 1397 Clues and Answers
Puzzle 1397 of Crossword Challenge gives you 33 clues on a 8×10 board. Each one is listed below with a hint first and the answer second.
Expect plenty of tiny answers, 15 of them only one or two letters. 4 clues are pictures; 6 clues want only the initials of the clue words; 5 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 “Hand-to-hand fight”.
Here is the shortcut for Puzzle 1397: 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 “Hand-to-hand fight”. 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.
HAND-TO-HAND FIGHT
1Hand-to-hand fight
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
Fits F _ _ T _ _ G _ _. Check the sixth letter against “Fury”.
FISTFIGHT
INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
2Industrial design
Top row 2/7 · 2 letters · down
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 2 squares.
ID
3Picture clue
Top row 3/7 · 4 letters · down
One word for the picture, starting with S. Its third letter is shared with “Leader type”.
SEAL
GREETING IN "WINNIE THE POOH"
4Greeting in "winnie the pooh"
Top row 4/7 · 5 letters · down
Starts with H; pattern H _ _ L _. “High” crosses it at the fourth square.
HALLO
BEFORE O
5Before o
Top row 5/7 · 1 letter · down
Recite the alphabet up to O; the answer is its previous letter.
N
6Picture clue
Top row 6/7 · 6 letters · down
Name the object in the picture. E _ _ A _ _. “Academic year” crosses it at the fourth square.
EXHALE
7Picture clue
Top row 7/7 · 4 letters · down
Name the object in the picture. T _ _ _. Check the third letter against “Leader type”.
TRAY
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
8Picture clue
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
What is shown in the image? Shape: F _ _ H _ _ T. Its fifth letter is shared with “Before o”.
FISHNET
NOTION
9Notion
Left column 2/9 · 4 letters · across
Starts with I; pattern I _ _ _. Solving the picture clue in the top row first gives you its third letter.
IDEA
AFTER R
10After r
Left column 3/9 · 1 letter · across
The alphabet letter right after R.
S
HIGH
11High
Left column 4/9 · 4 letters · across
Starts with T; pattern T _ _ _. Its third letter is shared with the picture clue in the top row.
TALL
FOLLOW-UP, ABBR.
12Follow-up, abbr.
Left column 5/9 · 2 letters · across
Shape: F _. Its second letter is shared with “Northern lights”.
FU
FURY
13Fury
Left column 6/9 · 3 letters · across
Begins with I. Solving “ALR__DY” first gives you its third letter.
IRE
HOCKEY STAT
14Hockey stat
Left column 7/9 · 5 letters · across
Fits G _ _ L _. Solving “Cut” first gives you its fourth letter.
GOALS
HIGH RANK
15High rank
Left column 8/9 · 2 letters · across
Abbreviate “High rank” to its initials.
HR
FROG LARVA
16Frog larva
Left column 9/9 · 7 letters · across
T _ _ P _ _ E. The fifth square is also part of “Oval”.
TADPOLE
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
X-RAY
17X-ray
Row 3, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Take one letter from each word of the clue, in order.
XR
PAY
18Pay
Row 3, col 6 · 1 letter · down
Pay starts with the answer.
P
LEADER TYPE
19Leader type
Row 4, col 3 · 5 letters · across
Starts with A; pattern A _ _ H _. The fourth square is also part of the picture clue in the top row.
ALPHA
NORTHERN LIGHTS
20Northern lights
Row 4, col 3 · 6 letters · down
Begins with A. “Hockey stat” crosses it at the fourth square.
AURORA
ACADEMIC YEAR
21Academic year
Row 5, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Abbreviate “Academic year” to its initials.
AY
"___ A GIRL!"
22"___ A GIRL!"
Row 5, col 6 · 3 letters · down
Complete the phrase “___ A GIRL!”. Shape: I _ _.
ITS
LIQUID FOSSIL FUEL
23Liquid fossil fuel
Row 6, col 4 · 3 letters · across
Starts with O; pattern O _ _. The third square is also part of the picture clue in the top row.
OIL
ALR__DY
24ALR__DY
Row 6, col 4 · 2 letters · down
Rebuild the word in “ALR__DY” and enter only the missing part, starting with E.
EA
ZERO
25Zero
Row 6, col 8 · 4 letters · down
Begins with N. “Tracking number” crosses it at the third square.
NONE
"PERFECT" NUMBER
26"perfect" number
Row 7, col 5 · 3 letters · across
T _ _. The third square is also part of “Zero”.
TEN
CUT
27Cut
Row 7, col 5 · 3 letters · down
Starts with L; pattern L _ _. Check the third letter against “Frog larva”.
LOP
OUTLINE
28Outline
Row 8, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Only one square: take the initial of Outline.
O
TOO LONG
29Too long
Row 8, col 7 · 2 letters · down
Take one letter from each word of the clue, in order.
TL
OWN
30Own
Row 9, col 4 · 1 letter · across
Write the first letter of Own, nothing more.
O
DIGITAL
31Digital
Row 9, col 4 · 1 letter · down
Just the opening letter of Digital.
D
TRACKING NUMBER
32Tracking number
Row 9, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Take one letter from each word of the clue, in order.
TN
OVAL
33Oval
Row 9, col 6 · 1 letter · down
Oval starts with the answer.
O
Crossword Challenge Level 1397 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
Next puzzles
Crossword Challenge Puzzle 13988×10 · 31 clues · 4 picturesLongest answer runs 9 letters, and 4 clues are fill-in-the-blanks.See hints and answersCrossword Challenge Puzzle 13998×10 · 34 clues · 4 picturesLongest answer runs 9 letters, and 3 clues are fill-in-the-blanks.See hints and answers
Puzzle 1397 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 1397 with us. Puzzle 1398 is next, with 31 clues on a 8×10 board.