Crossword Challenge Puzzle 1656 Clues and Answers
Crossword Challenge Puzzle 1656 is an 8×10 board with 32 clues, and every one of them is answered below.
12 of the 32 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; 1 wants just the first letter of a single word; 6 clues are fill-ins, and 6 of them need only the missing letters. The longest answer runs 9 letters and belongs to “Number of people in a room”.
Here is the shortcut for Puzzle 1656: read the first letters of the top-row answers and you get the answer to “Cop”. Read the first letters down the left edge and you get the answer to “Number of people in a room”. 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.
NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN A ROOM
1Number of people in a room
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
Shape: O _ _ U _ _ N _ _. Solving “Car” first gives you its sixth letter.
OCCUPANCY
FIRST ROUND ONLY
2First round only
Top row 2/7 · 3 letters · down
Abbreviate “First round only” to its initials.
FRO
AFTER E
3After e
Top row 3/7 · 1 letter · down
Step one letter forward from E in the alphabet.
F
SC__NCE
4SC__NCE
Top row 4/7 · 2 letters · down
Fill the gap in “SC__NCE”, but leave out the letters already shown. Starts with I.
IE
OBVIOUS
5Obvious
Top row 5/7 · 5 letters · down
C _ _ A _. Check the fourth letter against “Shrinks' org.”.
CLEAR
p-
6Picture clue
Top row 6/7 · 3 letters · down
Say what the picture shows. “p-” is printed on it, and the dashes are the letters you type. Starts with E.
EST
BACK END
7Back end
Top row 7/7 · 4 letters · down
Starts with R; pattern R _ _ _. “SECR___RY” crosses it at the third square.
REAR
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
COP
8Cop
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
Shape: O _ _ I _ _ R. Check the fifth letter against “Obvious”.
OFFICER
CHANGE REQUEST
9Change request
Left column 2/9 · 2 letters · across
Initials: the first letter of each word in “Change request”.
CR
10Picture clue
Left column 3/9 · 3 letters · across
Look at the picture and fit it to C _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Hold on”.
COW
BEFORE V
11Before v
Left column 4/9 · 1 letter · across
Recite the alphabet up to V; the answer is its previous letter.
U
12Picture clue
Left column 5/9 · 6 letters · across
What is shown in the image? Shape: P _ _ E _ _. The fourth square is also part of “Human beings”.
PLIERS
CAR
13Car
Left column 6/9 · 4 letters · across
Fits A _ _ _. The third square is also part of “Hold on”.
AUTO
sphi-
14No xtra
Left column 7/9 · 2 letters · across
Work out the object in the picture, then drop the part already written on it (“sphi-”). What is left starts with N.
NX
AFTER B
15After b
Left column 8/9 · 1 letter · across
Recite the alphabet up to B; the answer is its next letter.
C
CONNECTICUT COLLEGE
16Connecticut college
Left column 9/9 · 4 letters · across
Begins with Y. Its third letter is shared with “__WAYS”.
YALE
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
AS WELL
17As well
Row 3, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Begins with E. The picture clue in the top row crosses it at the third square.
ELSE
HOLD ON
18Hold on
Row 3, col 4 · 4 letters · down
Fits W _ _ _. Its third letter is shared with the picture clue in the left column.
WAIT
SECR___RY
19SECR___RY
Row 4, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Only the hidden letters of “SECR___RY” go in the grid. First one: E.
ETA
HUMAN BEINGS
20Human beings
Row 4, col 5 · 6 letters · down
Shape: P _ _ P _ _. The fourth square is also part of “Barber's emblem”.
PEOPLE
SHRINKS' ORG.
21Shrinks' org.
Row 5, col 3 · 3 letters · across
Starts with A; pattern A _ _. “Obvious” crosses it at the third square.
APA
DE___E
22DE___E
Row 5, col 3 · 3 letters · down
Fill the gap in “DE___E”, but leave out the letters already shown. Starts with L.
LUX
_ESIDENCE
23_ESIDENCE
Row 5, col 7 · 1 letter · across
“_ESIDENCE” is a word with a gap. Type just the gap, which begins with R.
R
BUSINESS DEALS
24Business deals
Row 5, col 7 · 5 letters · down
Fits S _ _ E _. Its fourth letter is shared with “Woody or tim”.
SALES
COURSE LIST
25Course list
Row 6, col 8 · 4 letters · down
M _ _ _. “Woody or tim” crosses it at the third square.
MENU
NOT PM
26Not pm
Row 7, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Starts with A; pattern A _. Check the second letter against “Course list”.
AM
T__ERANCE
27T__ERANCE
Row 7, col 6 · 2 letters · down
Rebuild the word in “T__ERANCE” and enter only the missing part, starting with O.
OL
BARBER'S EMBLEM
28Barber's emblem
Row 8, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Begins with P. “Business deals” crosses it at the third square.
POLE
__WAYS
29__WAYS
Row 8, col 4 · 2 letters · down
Only the hidden letters of “__WAYS” go in the grid. First one: A.
AL
WOODY OR TIM
30Woody or tim
Row 9, col 3 · 5 letters · across
Begins with A. Solving “Business deals” first gives you its fourth letter.
ALLEN
AVIATOR
31Aviator
Row 9, col 3 · 1 letter · down
Only one square: take the initial of Aviator.
A
STUDENT UNION
32Student union
Row 10, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Abbreviate “Student union” to its initials.
SU
Crossword Challenge Level 1656 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
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Puzzle 1656 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 1656 with us. Puzzle 1657 is next, with 30 clues on a 8×10 board.