Crossword Challenge Puzzle 1861 Clues and Answers
Crossword Challenge Puzzle 1861 is an 8×10 board with 32 clues, and every one of them is answered below.
14 of the 32 answers are one or two letters long. 3 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; 2 want just the first letter of a single word; 4 clues are fill-ins, and 4 of them need only the missing letters. The longest answer runs 9 letters and belongs to “Happy chemical”.
Here is the shortcut for Puzzle 1861: read the first letters of the top-row answers and you get the answer to “Doubter”. Read the first letters down the left edge and you get the answer to “Happy chemical”. 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.
HAPPY CHEMICAL
1Happy chemical
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
Starts with S; pattern S _ _ O _ _ N _ _. The sixth square is also part of the picture clue in the left column.
SEROTONIN
DOUBLE K
2Double k
Top row 2/7 · 2 letters · down
Shape: K _. Check the second letter against the picture clue in the left column.
KK
AFTER D
3After d
Top row 3/7 · 1 letter · down
Step one letter forward from D in the alphabet.
E
SCHEMES
4Schemes
Top row 4/7 · 5 letters · down
P _ _ N _. The fourth square is also part of “Express an opinion”.
PLANS
TAKE CONTROL
5Take control
Top row 5/7 · 8 letters · down
Begins with T. Its fifth letter is shared with “A call for help”.
TAKEOVER
v-
6Picture clue
Top row 6/7 · 3 letters · down
Work out the object in the picture, then drop the part already written on it (“v-”). What is left starts with I.
ICE
DOLLAR DIVISION
7Dollar division
Top row 7/7 · 4 letters · down
Starts with C; pattern C _ _ _. “Rouse from sleep” crosses it at the third square.
CENT
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
DOUBTER
8Doubter
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
Fits S _ _ P _ _ C. “Take control” crosses it at the fifth square.
SKEPTIC
che-
9Picture clue
Left column 2/9 · 2 letters · across
Work out the object in the picture, then drop the part already written on it (“che-”). What is left starts with E.
EK
BETWEEN Q AND S
10Between q and s
Left column 3/9 · 1 letter · across
The letter that sits between Q and S.
R
EXPRESS AN OPINION
11Express an opinion
Left column 4/9 · 5 letters · across
Fits O _ _ N _. Solving “Schemes” first gives you its fourth letter.
OPINE
TOTAL REVENUE
12Total revenue
Left column 5/9 · 2 letters · across
Initials: the first letter of each word in “Total revenue”.
TR
13Picture clue
Left column 6/9 · 3 letters · across
Describe the picture in one word that fits O _ _. Solving “PRE__XT” first gives you its third letter.
OAT
SISTER'S DAUGHTER
14Sister's daughter
Left column 7/9 · 5 letters · across
N _ _ C _. Solving “Camp bed” first gives you its fourth letter.
NIECE
ITEM SCORE
15Item score
Left column 8/9 · 2 letters · across
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 2 squares.
IS
CLEAN AND ORDERLY
16Clean and orderly
Left column 9/9 · 4 letters · across
Shape: N _ _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Article”.
NEAT
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
FOOT-WEAR TIE
17Foot-wear tie
Row 3, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Starts with L; pattern L _ _ _. Check the third letter against the picture clue in the top row.
LACE
S__MMER
18S__MMER
Row 3, col 4 · 2 letters · down
“S__MMER” is a word with a gap. Type just the gap, which begins with W.
WI
ROUSE FROM SLEEP
19Rouse from sleep
Row 4, col 3 · 5 letters · across
Shape: W _ _ E _. The picture clue in the top row crosses it at the fourth square.
WAKEN
LAUD
20Laud
Row 4, col 3 · 6 letters · down
Shape: P _ _ I _ _. Check the fourth letter against “Sister's daughter”.
PRAISE
TASK
21Task
Row 5, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Write the first letter of Task, nothing more.
T
RE__DENCE
22RE__DENCE
Row 5, col 7 · 2 letters · down
Fill the gap in “RE__DENCE”, but leave out the letters already shown. Starts with S.
SI
A CALL FOR HELP
23A call for help
Row 6, col 4 · 3 letters · across
Fits S _ _. Check the third letter against “RE__DENCE”.
SOS
PRE__XT
24PRE__XT
Row 6, col 4 · 2 letters · down
Fill the gap in “PRE__XT”, but leave out the letters already shown. Starts with T.
TE
UNITE
25Unite
Row 6, col 8 · 4 letters · down
Starts with A; pattern A _ _ _. The third square is also part of “Spoken, not written”.
ALLY
BY WAY OF
26By way of
Row 7, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Shape: V _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Unite”.
VIA
CAMP BED
27Camp bed
Row 7, col 5 · 3 letters · down
Fits C _ _. Solving “Clean and orderly” first gives you its third letter.
COT
_APTOP
28_APTOP
Row 8, col 7 · 1 letter · across
“_APTOP” is a word with a gap. Type just the gap, which begins with L.
L
AIRSOFT
29Airsoft
Row 8, col 7 · 2 letters · down
Fits A _. The second square is also part of “School year”.
AS
SPOKEN, NOT WRITTEN
30Spoken, not written
Row 9, col 4 · 4 letters · across
O _ _ _. The third square is also part of “Airsoft”.
ORAL
ARTICLE
31Article
Row 9, col 4 · 1 letter · down
Just the opening letter of Article.
A
SCHOOL YEAR
32School year
Row 10, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Abbreviate “School year” to its initials.
SY
Crossword Challenge Level 1861 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
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Puzzle 1861 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 1861 with us. Puzzle 1862 is next, with 31 clues on a 8×10 board.