Crossword Challenge Puzzle 2020 Clues and Answers
Crossword Challenge Puzzle 2020 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. 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; 2 clues are fill-ins, and 2 of them need only the missing letters. The longest answer runs 9 letters and belongs to “Buys”.
Start at the edges. The first letters of the 7 answers hanging from the top row spell the answer to “Using a putter”, and the first letters of the 9 answers along the left edge spell the answer to “Buys”. Solve one of those two and every edge clue starts with a known letter.
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.
BUYS
1Buys
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
Begins with P. Solving “Abstain” first gives you its sixth letter.
PURCHASES
UNITED STATES
2United states
Top row 2/7 · 2 letters · down
Initials: the first letter of each word in “United states”.
US
3Picture clue
Top row 3/7 · 3 letters · down
Name the object in the picture. T _ _. The third square is also part of “Viking language”.
TEN
JOGGING PACE
4Jogging pace
Top row 4/7 · 4 letters · down
Shape: T _ _ _. Check the third letter against “Viking language”.
TROT
AFTER H
5After h
Top row 5/7 · 1 letter · down
The alphabet letter right after H.
I
OVERLY CURIOUS
6Overly curious
Top row 6/7 · 4 letters · down
Shape: N _ _ _. Solving “Viking language” first gives you its third letter.
NOSY
"FANCY THAT!"
7"fancy that!"
Top row 7/7 · 3 letters · down
Shape: G _ _. The third square is also part of “Viking language”.
GEE
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
USING A PUTTER
8Using a putter
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
Starts with P; pattern P _ _ T _ _ G. Solving “After h” first gives you its fifth letter.
PUTTING
CLIENT
9Client
Left column 2/9 · 4 letters · across
Fits U _ _ _. Solving the picture clue in the top row first gives you its third letter.
USER
RIVAL
10Rival
Left column 3/9 · 1 letter · across
Rival starts with the answer.
R
-ach
11Picture clue
Left column 4/9 · 2 letters · across
Picture word minus “ach” gives the answer. First letter: C.
CO
COUNTERPART OF HERS
12Counterpart of hers
Left column 5/9 · 3 letters · across
H _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Antlered animal”.
HIS
ABSTAIN
13Abstain
Left column 6/9 · 1 letter · across
Write the first letter of Abstain, nothing more.
A
WHERE SAILORS GO
14Where sailors go
Left column 7/9 · 7 letters · across
Shape: S _ _ W _ _ D. Its fifth letter is shared with “Dustup”.
SEAWARD
OMELET INGREDIENT
15Omelet ingredient
Left column 8/9 · 3 letters · across
Fits E _ _. Solving “Antlered animal” first gives you its third letter.
EGG
-fa
16Picture clue
Left column 9/9 · 2 letters · across
The image carries “-fa”. Name the picture and keep only the letters hidden behind the dashes, beginning with S.
SO
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
OUTPUT ENERGY
17Output energy
Row 3, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Take one letter from each word of the clue, in order.
OE
DUSTUP
18Dustup
Row 3, col 6 · 7 letters · down
R _ _ B _ _ B. Solving “Where sailors go” first gives you its fifth letter.
RHUBARB
VIKING LANGUAGE
19Viking language
Row 4, col 3 · 5 letters · across
Fits N _ _ S _. “Overly curious” crosses it at the fourth square.
NORSE
OPTICAL INTENSITY
20Optical intensity
Row 4, col 3 · 2 letters · down
Take one letter from each word of the clue, in order.
OI
THE HIDDEN YAWN
21The hidden yawn
Row 5, col 4 · 3 letters · across
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 3 squares.
THY
ANTLERED ANIMAL
22Antlered animal
Row 5, col 4 · 4 letters · down
Starts with S; pattern S _ _ _. Check the third letter against “Where sailors go”.
STAG
EVADE AN ATTACK
23Evade an attack
Row 5, col 8 · 5 letters · down
Starts with D; pattern D _ _ G _. “Cleaning cloth” crosses it at the fourth square.
DODGE
CREAT_RE
24CREAT_RE
Row 6, col 5 · 1 letter · across
Fill the gap in “CREAT_RE”, but leave out the letters already shown. Starts with U.
U
__AKE
25__AKE
Row 6, col 5 · 2 letters · down
Only the hidden letters of “__AKE” go in the grid. First one: A.
AW
DESERVE
26Deserve
Row 6, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Only one square: take the initial of Deserve.
D
UN-WRITTEN
27Un-written
Row 6, col 7 · 4 letters · down
Starts with O; pattern O _ _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Cleaning cloth”.
ORAL
CULTURAL NO-NO
28Cultural no-no
Row 7, col 3 · 5 letters · across
T _ _ O _. Its fourth letter is shared with “Un-written”.
TABOO
SENSE OF SELF
29Sense of self
Row 7, col 3 · 3 letters · down
Fits E _ _. The third square is also part of the picture clue in the left column.
EGO
CLEANING CLOTH
30Cleaning cloth
Row 9, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Shape: R _ _. “Evade an attack” crosses it at the third square.
RAG
ACROBAT
31Acrobat
Row 9, col 5 · 1 letter · down
Only one square: take the initial of Acrobat.
A
FIT FOR DUTY
32Fit for duty
Row 10, col 4 · 4 letters · across
A _ _ _. The third square is also part of “Un-written”.
ABLE
Crossword Challenge Level 2020 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
Next puzzles
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Puzzle 2020 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 2020 with us. Puzzle 2021 is next, with 30 clues on a 8×10 board.