Crossword Challenge Puzzle 2003 Clues and Answers
This page covers all 32 clues of Crossword Challenge Puzzle 2003, an 8×10 grid that mixes picture clues with short word clues.
Short answers dominate here: 12 of 32 fit in one or two squares. 3 clues are pictures, and 2 of those ask you to fill the gaps in a word printed on the image; 4 clues want only the initials of the clue words; 4 want just the first letter of a single word; 4 clues are fill-ins, and 2 of them need only the missing letters. The longest answer runs 9 letters and belongs to “Wipe out”.
The edges of this grid check each other. The top-row answers begin with the letters of the answer to “Revealed”, read left to right, and the left-column answers begin with the letters of the answer to “Wipe out”, read top to bottom.
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.
WIPE OUT
1Wipe out
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
Shape: E _ _ D _ _ A _ _. “___ PEPPER” crosses it at the sixth square.
ERADICATE
XENON NODE
2Xenon node
Top row 2/7 · 2 letters · down
Initials: the first letter of each word in “Xenon node”.
XN
SAVORY SPREAD
3Savory spread
Top row 3/7 · 4 letters · down
Shape: P _ _ _. “On edge” crosses it at the third square.
PATE
AFTER N
4After n
Top row 4/7 · 1 letter · down
The alphabet letter right after N.
O
DAYLIGHT
5Daylight
Top row 5/7 · 8 letters · down
S _ _ S _ _ N _. Its fifth letter is shared with “Timid”.
SUNSHINE
TERM PAPER
6Term paper
Top row 6/7 · 5 letters · down
E _ _ A _. Check the fourth letter against “Tree fluid”.
ESSAY
NOT SHALLOW
7Not shallow
Top row 7/7 · 4 letters · down
Fits D _ _ _. Solving “On edge” first gives you its third letter.
DEEP
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
REVEALED
8Revealed
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
Shape: E _ _ O _ _ D. Check the fifth letter against “Daylight”.
EXPOSED
9Picture clue
Left column 2/9 · 3 letters · across
Name the object in the picture. R _ _. The third square is also part of “Savory spread”.
RNA
ASSORT
10Assort
Left column 3/9 · 1 letter · across
Just the opening letter of Assort.
A
FEMALE DEER
11Female deer
Left column 4/9 · 3 letters · across
D _ _. “Savory spread” crosses it at the third square.
DOE
locat--n
12Picture clue
Left column 5/9 · 2 letters · across
The image carries “locat--n”. Name the picture and keep only the letters hidden behind the dashes, beginning with I.
IO
___ PEPPER
13___ PEPPER
Left column 6/9 · 5 letters · across
The missing word in “___ PEPPER” starts with C.
CHILI
AGRONOMY
14Agronomy
Left column 7/9 · 1 letter · across
Only one square: take the initial of Agronomy.
A
-inking
15Picture clue
Left column 8/9 · 2 letters · across
Work out the object in the picture, then drop the part already written on it (“-inking”). What is left starts with T.
TH
CARVE
16Carve
Left column 9/9 · 4 letters · across
Starts with E; pattern E _ _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Cap”.
ETCH
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
"WHAT'S THE ___ IN TRYING?"
17"WHAT'S THE ___ IN TRYING?"
Row 3, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Which word finishes “WHAT'S THE ___ IN TRYING?”? It fits U _ _.
USE
ELITE
18Elite
Row 3, col 5 · 1 letter · down
Elite starts with the answer.
E
ON EDGE
19On edge
Row 4, col 3 · 5 letters · across
Shape: T _ _ S _. Its fourth letter is shared with “Term paper”.
TENSE
OUT-OF-HOME
20Out-of-home
Row 4, col 3 · 3 letters · down
Take one letter from each word of the clue, in order.
OOH
TREE FLUID
21Tree fluid
Row 5, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Begins with S. Check the third letter against “Not shallow”.
SAP
SPLASH AROUND
22Splash around
Row 5, col 5 · 5 letters · down
Begins with S. The fourth square is also part of “Stitch line”.
SLOSH
TIMID
23Timid
Row 6, col 4 · 3 letters · across
Starts with S; pattern S _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Term paper”.
SHY
IN-HOUSE
24In-house
Row 6, col 4 · 2 letters · down
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 2 squares.
IH
CHURCH SONG
25Church song
Row 6, col 8 · 4 letters · down
H _ _ _. Solving “Stitch line” first gives you its third letter.
HYMN
_AMMER
26_AMMER
Row 7, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Rebuild the word in “_AMMER” and enter only the missing part, starting with H.
H
ORGAN USED FOR HEARING
27Organ used for hearing
Row 7, col 7 · 3 letters · down
Begins with E. Check the third letter against “JOU__AL”.
EAR
POOH'S FAVORITE FOOD
28Pooh's favorite food
Row 8, col 3 · 5 letters · across
Begins with H. Solving “Organ used for hearing” first gives you its fourth letter.
HONEY
HIGH TECH
29High tech
Row 8, col 3 · 2 letters · down
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 2 squares.
HT
STITCH LINE
30Stitch line
Row 9, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Shape: S _ _ _. Check the third letter against “Organ used for hearing”.
SEAM
CAP
31Cap
Row 9, col 4 · 1 letter · down
Write the first letter of Cap, nothing more.
C
JOU__AL
32JOU__AL
Row 10, col 6 · 2 letters · across
“JOU__AL” is a word with a gap. Type just the gap, which begins with R.
RN
Crossword Challenge Level 2003 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
Next puzzles
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Puzzle 2003 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 2003 with us. Puzzle 2004 is next, with 32 clues on a 8×10 board.