Crossword Challenge Puzzle 22 Clues and Answers
Crossword Challenge Puzzle 22 is an 8×10 board with 31 clues, and every one of them is answered below.
Short answers dominate here: 12 of 31 fit in one or two squares. 6 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; 1 clue is a fill-in, and 1 of it needs only the missing letters. The longest answer runs 9 letters and belongs to “Ninth month”.
Start at the edges. The first letters of the 7 answers hanging from the top row spell the answer to “Hair cleanser”, and the first letters of the 9 answers along the left edge spell the answer to “Ninth month”. 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.
1Ninth month
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
Picture plus words: “NINTH MONTH”. The answer opens with S.
SEPTEMBER
__MAN
2__MAN
Top row 2/7 · 2 letters · down
Fill the gap in “__MAN”, but leave out the letters already shown. Starts with H.
HU
ph----cy
3PH____CY
Top row 3/7 · 4 letters · down
The image carries “ph----cy”. Name the picture and keep only the letters hidden behind the dashes, beginning with A.
ARMA
SMALL RODENT
4Small rodent
Top row 4/7 · 5 letters · down
M _ _ S _. “Make fun of” crosses it at the fourth square.
MOUSE
PARKING SIGN
5Parking sign
Top row 5/7 · 1 letter · down
A single letter or symbol answers “Parking sign”.
P
ORIGINAL EQUIP. MANU-FACTURER
6Original equip. manu-facturer
Top row 6/7 · 3 letters · down
Shape: O _ _. Solving “Ancient wrap” first gives you its third letter.
OEM
7Black gemstone
Top row 7/7 · 4 letters · down
Both the picture and the text “BLACK GEMSTONE” point to the same word. It begins with O.
ONYX
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
HAIR CLEANSER
8Hair cleanser
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
Starts with S; pattern S _ _ M _ _ O. “Parking sign” crosses it at the fifth square.
SHAMPOO
9European currency
Left column 2/9 · 4 letters · across
Both the picture and the text “EUROPEAN CURRENCY” point to the same word. It begins with E.
EURO
AFTER O
10After o
Left column 3/9 · 1 letter · across
Recite the alphabet up to O; the answer is its next letter.
P
MAKE FUN OF
11Make fun of
Left column 4/9 · 5 letters · across
Shape: T _ _ S _. The fourth square is also part of “Small rodent”.
TEASE
chick-
12CHICK__
Left column 5/9 · 2 letters · across
The image carries “chick-”. Name the picture and keep only the letters hidden behind the dashes, beginning with E.
EN
FILM STUDIO
13Film studio
Left column 6/9 · 3 letters · across
Begins with M. Its third letter is shared with “Micro-soft”.
MGM
NOT ADVANCED
14Not advanced
Left column 7/9 · 5 letters · across
Shape: B _ _ I _. Check the fourth letter against “Frozen water”.
BASIC
EXAMPLE GIVEN
15Example given
Left column 8/9 · 2 letters · across
Take one letter from each word of the clue, in order.
EG
CRIME MOTIVE
16Crime motive
Left column 9/9 · 7 letters · across
R _ _ E _ _ E. “From mexico” crosses it at the fifth square.
REVENGE
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
ENGLISH
17English
Row 3, col 6 · 2 letters · across
E _. The second square is also part of “Black gemstone”.
EN
FROM MEXICO
18From mexico
Row 3, col 6 · 7 letters · down
Shape: M _ _ I _ _ N. The fifth square is also part of “Not advanced”.
MEXICAN
ANCIENT WRAP
19Ancient wrap
Row 4, col 3 · 5 letters · across
Shape: M _ _ M _. Solving “Original equip. manu-facturer” first gives you its fourth letter.
MUMMY
GET INVOLVED
20Get involved
Row 4, col 3 · 6 letters · down
Begins with E. The fourth square is also part of “Not advanced”.
ENGAGE
ROMAN TEN
21Roman ten
Row 5, col 7 · 1 letter · across
One letter only. It is the standard short form for “Roman ten”.
X
TIME SERIES
22Time series
Row 5, col 7 · 2 letters · down
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 2 squares.
TS
OUTDOOR SCENE ABBR.
23Outdoor scene abbr.
Row 6, col 4 · 3 letters · across
Begins with E. Check the third letter against “Time series”.
EXT
MICRO-SOFT
24Micro-soft
Row 6, col 4 · 2 letters · down
Initials: the first letter of each word in “Micro-soft”.
MS
25Oxygen producer
Row 6, col 8 · 4 letters · down
Picture plus words: “OXYGEN PRODUCER”. The answer opens with T.
TREE
FOLLOWER SUFFIX
26Follower suffix
Row 7, col 5 · 3 letters · across
I _ _. “Oxygen producer” crosses it at the third square.
IST
FROZEN WATER
27Frozen water
Row 7, col 5 · 3 letters · down
Begins with I. Solving “Crime motive” first gives you its third letter.
ICE
ARE
28Are
Row 8, col 7 · 1 letter · across
A single letter or symbol answers “Are”.
R
KILOGRAM
29Kilogram
Row 8, col 7 · 2 letters · down
K _. The second square is also part of “Crime motive”.
KG
BIRTHDAY DESSERT
30Birthday dessert
Row 9, col 4 · 4 letters · across
C _ _ _. The third square is also part of “Kilogram”.
CAKE
VICTORY SYMBOL
31Victory symbol
Row 9, col 4 · 1 letter · down
Think of one character, not a word, for “Victory symbol”.
V
Crossword Challenge Level 22 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
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Puzzle 22 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 22 with us. Puzzle 23 is next, with 32 clues on a 8×10 board.