Crossword Challenge Puzzle 1987 Clues and Answers
Stuck somewhere in Crossword Challenge Puzzle 1987? All 32 clues on this 8×10 grid are solved below, one card per clue.
Short answers dominate here: 12 of 32 fit in one or two squares. 3 clues are pictures, and 1 of those asks you to fill the gaps in a word printed on the image; 6 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 2 of them need only the missing letters. The longest answer runs 9 letters and belongs to the picture clue in the top row.
Here is the shortcut for Puzzle 1987: read the first letters of the top-row answers and you get the answer to “Make clear”. Read the first letters down the left edge and you get the answer to the picture clue in the top row. 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.
1Picture clue
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
Describe the picture in one word that fits E _ _ A _ _ T _ _. The sixth square is also part of “B_LCONY”.
ESCALATOR
XAVIER UNIVERSITY
2Xavier university
Top row 2/7 · 2 letters · down
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 2 squares.
XU
SHORT FOR PROFESSIONAL
3Short for professional
Top row 3/7 · 3 letters · down
Fits P _ _. “Have for sale” crosses it at the third square.
PRO
4Opposite of right
Top row 4/7 · 4 letters · down
Both the picture and the text “OPPOSITE OF RIGHT” point to the same word. It begins with L.
LEFT
ABBOT
5Abbot
Top row 5/7 · 1 letter · down
Only one square: take the initial of Abbot.
A
CHECKLIST PART
6Checklist part
Top row 6/7 · 4 letters · down
Begins with I. Its third letter is shared with “Have for sale”.
ITEM
"… SEE HIDE ___ HAIR OF"
7"… SEE HIDE ___ HAIR OF"
Top row 7/7 · 3 letters · down
The missing word in “… SEE HIDE ___ HAIR OF” starts with N.
NOR
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
MAKE CLEAR
8Make clear
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
Begins with E. The fifth square is also part of “Abbot”.
EXPLAIN
"OKAY!"
9"okay!"
Left column 2/9 · 4 letters · across
Shape: S _ _ _. Check the third letter against “Short for professional”.
SURE
MUSICAL NOTE
10Musical note
Left column 3/9 · 1 letter · across
A single letter or symbol answers “Musical note”.
C
l--e
11Picture clue
Left column 4/9 · 2 letters · across
Picture word minus “le” gives the answer. First letter: A.
AK
NOT HIGH
12Not high
Left column 5/9 · 3 letters · across
L _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Seven days”.
LOW
B_LCONY
13B_LCONY
Left column 6/9 · 1 letter · across
Fill the gap in “B_LCONY”, but leave out the letters already shown. Starts with A.
A
IN THAT PLACE
14In that place
Left column 7/9 · 7 letters · across
Fits T _ _ R _ _ N. “Half of thirty” crosses it at the fifth square.
THEREIN
ACORN PRODUCER
15Acorn producer
Left column 8/9 · 3 letters · across
Fits O _ _. Solving “Seven days” first gives you its third letter.
OAK
RAPID TURN
16Rapid turn
Left column 9/9 · 2 letters · across
Abbreviate “Rapid turn” to its initials.
RT
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
TAP OPTION
17Tap option
Row 3, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Initials: the first letter of each word in “Tap option”.
TO
HALF OF THIRTY
18Half of thirty
Row 3, col 6 · 7 letters · down
Starts with F; pattern F _ _ T _ _ N. Its fifth letter is shared with “In that place”.
FIFTEEN
HAVE FOR SALE
19Have for sale
Row 4, col 3 · 5 letters · across
Shape: O _ _ E _. The fourth square is also part of “Checklist part”.
OFFER
KNOCK-OUT
20Knock-out
Row 4, col 3 · 2 letters · down
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 2 squares.
KO
SOME___E
21SOME___E
Row 5, col 4 · 3 letters · across
“SOME___E” is a word with a gap. Type just the gap, which begins with T.
TIM
SEVEN DAYS
22Seven days
Row 5, col 4 · 4 letters · down
Begins with W. The third square is also part of “In that place”.
WEEK
YEARNS FOR
23Yearns for
Row 5, col 8 · 5 letters · down
Fits W _ _ T _. Solving “Engine self test” first gives you its fourth letter.
WANTS
FAX
24Fax
Row 6, col 5 · 1 letter · across
Write the first letter of Fax, nothing more.
F
X-RAY
25X-ray
Row 6, col 5 · 2 letters · down
Abbreviate “X-ray” to its initials.
XR
WIRE
26Wire
Row 6, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Only one square: take the initial of Wire.
W
SHINE'S PARTNER
27Shine's partner
Row 6, col 7 · 4 letters · down
Fits R _ _ _. Solving “Engine self test” first gives you its third letter.
RISE
PLUS AMOUNT
28Plus amount
Row 7, col 3 · 5 letters · across
Fits E _ _ R _. Its fourth letter is shared with “Shine's partner”.
EXTRA
HEAD-WEAR
29Head-wear
Row 7, col 3 · 3 letters · down
Begins with H. The third square is also part of “Rapid turn”.
HAT
ENGINE SELF TEST
30Engine self test
Row 9, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Take one letter from each word of the clue, in order.
EST
OAT
31Oat
Row 9, col 5 · 1 letter · down
Write the first letter of Oat, nothing more.
O
BILLFOLD BILLS
32Billfold bills
Row 10, col 4 · 4 letters · across
O _ _ _. The third square is also part of “Shine's partner”.
ONES
Crossword Challenge Level 1987 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
Next puzzles
Crossword Challenge Puzzle 19888×10 · 29 clues · 4 picturesLongest answer runs 9 letters, and 1 clue is a fill-in-the-blank.See hints and answersCrossword Challenge Puzzle 19898×10 · 34 clues · 4 picturesLongest answer runs 9 letters, and 6 clues are fill-in-the-blanks.See hints and answers
Puzzle 1987 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 1987 with us. Puzzle 1988 is next, with 29 clues on a 8×10 board.