Crossword Challenge Puzzle 2016 Clues and Answers
Stuck somewhere in Crossword Challenge Puzzle 2016? All 30 clues on this 8×10 grid are solved below, one card per clue.
Expect plenty of tiny answers, 9 of them only one or two letters. 5 clues are pictures, and 3 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; 5 clues are fill-ins, and 3 of them need only the missing letters. The longest answer runs 9 letters and belongs to “Inherently”.
Here is the shortcut for Puzzle 2016: read the first letters of the top-row answers and you get the answer to “Countries”. Read the first letters down the left edge and you get the answer to “Inherently”. 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.
INHERENTLY
1Inherently
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
Shape: N _ _ U _ _ L _ _. Its sixth letter is shared with “Secret service members”.
NATURALLY
SUPPORT ROLE
2Support role
Top row 2/7 · 4 letters · down
Starts with A; pattern A _ _ _. Check the third letter against “BES__ELLER”.
ASST
-inking
3Picture clue
Top row 3/7 · 2 letters · down
Picture word minus “inking” gives the answer. First letter: T.
TH
INNATE
4Innate
Top row 4/7 · 1 letter · down
Write the first letter of Innate, nothing more.
I
dec---tion
5Picture clue
Top row 5/7 · 3 letters · down
Work out the object in the picture, then drop the part already written on it (“dec---tion”). What is left starts with O.
ORA
6Picture clue
Top row 6/7 · 6 letters · down
One word for the picture, starting with N. Its fourth letter is shared with “Service mark”.
NURSES
ARISES
7Arises
Top row 7/7 · 5 letters · down
Begins with S. Its fourth letter is shared with “Service mark”.
STEMS
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
COUNTRIES
8Countries
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
N _ _ I _ _ S. Its fifth letter is shared with the picture clue in the top row.
NATIONS
BIT OF VOLCANIC FALLOUT
9Bit of volcanic fallout
Left column 2/9 · 3 letters · across
Fits A _ _. Its third letter is shared with the picture clue in the top row.
ASH
BES__ELLER
10BES__ELLER
Left column 3/9 · 2 letters · across
Fill the gap in “BES__ELLER”, but leave out the letters already shown. Starts with T.
TS
BEEHIVE STATE
11Beehive state
Left column 4/9 · 4 letters · across
Fits U _ _ _. The third square is also part of “Not young”.
UTAH
ROOST
12Roost
Left column 5/9 · 1 letter · across
Just the opening letter of Roost.
R
SECRET SERVICE MEMBERS
13Secret service members
Left column 6/9 · 6 letters · across
Begins with A. “Make different” crosses it at the fourth square.
AGENTS
MOUNTAIN SHELTER
14Mountain shelter
Left column 7/9 · 5 letters · across
Starts with L; pattern L _ _ G _. “Make different” crosses it at the fourth square.
LODGE
LINE NUMBER
15Line number
Left column 8/9 · 2 letters · across
Abbreviate “Line number” to its initials.
LN
16Picture clue
Left column 9/9 · 3 letters · across
Look at the picture and fit it to Y _ _. Its third letter is shared with “_ORMAL”.
YEN
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
WAGON TRACK
17Wagon track
Row 3, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Shape: R _ _. Check the third letter against “Arises”.
RUT
MAKE DIFFERENT
18Make different
Row 3, col 5 · 6 letters · down
Begins with C. Solving “Secret service members” first gives you its fourth letter.
CHANGE
HANDLE WITH ___
19HANDLE WITH ___
Row 4, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Which word finishes “HANDLE WITH ___”? It fits C _ _ _.
CARE
NOT YOUNG
20Not young
Row 4, col 4 · 4 letters · down
Starts with A; pattern A _ _ _. “Secret service members” crosses it at the third square.
AGED
SERVICE MARK
21Service mark
Row 5, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Abbreviate “Service mark” to its initials.
SM
ACTOR MARTIN
22Actor martin
Row 5, col 6 · 5 letters · down
S _ _ V _. Solving “WELL, DID YOU ___?” first gives you its fourth letter.
STEVE
OXYGEN AND NITROGEN
23Oxygen and nitrogen
Row 6, col 3 · 5 letters · across
Begins with G. The fourth square is also part of the picture clue in the top row.
GASES
DEPARTED
24Departed
Row 6, col 3 · 4 letters · down
Starts with G; pattern G _ _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Line number”.
GONE
pol---id
25Picture clue
Row 7, col 8 · 3 letters · down
Say what the picture shows. “pol---id” is printed on it, and the dashes are the letters you type. Starts with A.
ARO
_POLOGY
26_POLOGY
Row 8, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Fill the gap in “_POLOGY”, but leave out the letters already shown. Starts with A.
A
EARNINGS CREDIT
27Earnings credit
Row 8, col 7 · 2 letters · down
Initials: the first letter of each word in “Earnings credit”.
EC
"WELL, DID YOU ___?"
28"WELL, DID YOU ___?"
Row 9, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Complete the phrase “WELL, DID YOU ___?”. Shape: E _ _ _.
EVER
_ORMAL
29_ORMAL
Row 9, col 4 · 1 letter · down
“_ORMAL” is a word with a gap. Type just the gap, which begins with N.
N
EARTH DAY PREFIX
30Earth day prefix
Row 10, col 5 · 3 letters · across
E _ _. The picture clue in the inside the grid crosses it at the third square.
ECO
Crossword Challenge Level 2016 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
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Puzzle 2016 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 2016 with us. Puzzle 2017 is next, with 29 clues on a 8×10 board.