Crossword Challenge Puzzle 2226 Clues and Answers
This page covers all 31 clues of Crossword Challenge Puzzle 2226, an 8×10 grid that mixes picture clues with short word clues.
Expect plenty of tiny answers, 9 of them only one or two letters. 3 clues are pictures, and 2 of those ask you to fill the gaps in a word printed on the image; 1 clue wants only the initials of the clue words; 3 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 “Santa's holiday”.
Here is the shortcut for Puzzle 2226: read the first letters of the top-row answers and you get the answer to “Asserted”. Read the first letters down the left edge and you get the answer to “Santa's holiday”. 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.
SANTA'S HOLIDAY
1Santa's holiday
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
C _ _ I _ _ M _ _. Its sixth letter is shared with “Tea”.
CHRISTMAS
EASY BASKET
2Easy basket
Top row 2/7 · 5 letters · down
Begins with L. Solving the picture clue in the left column first gives you its fourth letter.
LAYUP
HOPPY DRINK
3Hoppy drink
Top row 3/7 · 3 letters · down
Shape: A _ _. “Bread for a reuben sandwich” crosses it at the third square.
ALE
FOUR IN ROME
4Four in rome
Top row 4/7 · 2 letters · down
Begins with I. Its second letter is shared with “Cut down the middle”.
IV
SYSTEM USING METERS
5System using meters
Top row 5/7 · 6 letters · down
M _ _ R _ _. Check the fourth letter against “Opposite of to”.
METRIC
ENERGY SYMBOL
6Energy symbol
Top row 6/7 · 1 letter · down
Think of one character, not a word, for “Energy symbol”.
E
REGARD AS
7Regard as
Top row 7/7 · 4 letters · down
Shape: D _ _ _. Solving “YOU'RE ___ BEST!” first gives you its third letter.
DEEM
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
ASSERTED
8Asserted
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
Starts with C; pattern C _ _ I _ _ D. The fifth square is also part of “System using meters”.
CLAIMED
CUT DOWN THE MIDDLE
9Cut down the middle
Left column 2/9 · 5 letters · across
H _ _ V _. Solving “Four in rome” first gives you its fourth letter.
HALVE
BREAD FOR A REUBEN SANDWICH
10Bread for a reuben sandwich
Left column 3/9 · 3 letters · across
R _ _. Check the third letter against “Hoppy drink”.
RYE
calc--m
11Picture clue
Left column 4/9 · 2 letters · across
The image carries “calc--m”. Name the picture and keep only the letters hidden behind the dashes, beginning with I.
IU
ATTITUDE
12Attitude
Left column 5/9 · 6 letters · across
Starts with S; pattern S _ _ R _ _. Its fourth letter is shared with “College group”.
SPIRIT
TEA
13Tea
Left column 6/9 · 1 letter · across
Tea starts with the answer.
T
FEATHER LOSS
14Feather loss
Left column 7/9 · 4 letters · across
M _ _ _. Its third letter is shared with “A dot in the ocean”.
MOLT
dr---r
15Picture clue
Left column 8/9 · 3 letters · across
Work out the object in the picture, then drop the part already written on it (“dr---r”). What is left starts with A.
AWE
LOSS OF PROGRESS
16Loss of progress
Left column 9/9 · 7 letters · across
Shape: S _ _ B _ _ K. Solving “PLAY__CK” first gives you its fifth letter.
SETBACK
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
WAK_
17WAK_
Row 3, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Rebuild the word in “WAK_” and enter only the missing part, starting with E.
E
NOT COLD
18Not cold
Row 3, col 7 · 3 letters · down
Fits H _ _. Check the third letter against “Attitude”.
HOT
"YOU'RE ___ BEST!"
19"YOU'RE ___ BEST!"
Row 4, col 5 · 3 letters · across
The missing word in “YOU'RE ___ BEST!” starts with T.
THE
COLLEGE GROUP
20College group
Row 4, col 5 · 4 letters · down
F _ _ _. The third square is also part of “Biological pouch”.
FRAT
OPPOSITE OF TO
21Opposite of to
Row 5, col 4 · 4 letters · across
F _ _ _. The third square is also part of “Not cold”.
FROM
A DOT IN THE OCEAN
22A dot in the ocean
Row 5, col 4 · 5 letters · down
I _ _ E _. Solving the picture clue in the left column first gives you its fourth letter.
ISLET
23Picture clue
Row 6, col 8 · 4 letters · down
Describe the picture in one word that fits B _ _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Dude!”.
BOOK
BIOLOGICAL POUCH
24Biological pouch
Row 7, col 3 · 3 letters · across
S _ _. Check the third letter against “System using meters”.
SAC
IN DEBT
25In debt
Row 7, col 3 · 3 letters · down
Begins with O. “Loss of progress” crosses it at the third square.
OWE
BRAVE
26Brave
Row 7, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Only one square: take the initial of Brave.
B
BOW
27Bow
Row 7, col 7 · 3 letters · down
A _ _. The third square is also part of “Loss of progress”.
ARC
AIR OFFICER
28Air officer
Row 8, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 2 squares.
AO
PLAY__CK
29PLAY__CK
Row 8, col 6 · 2 letters · down
Only the hidden letters of “PLAY__CK” go in the grid. First one: B.
BA
"DUDE!"
30"dude!"
Row 9, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Shape: B _ _. The third square is also part of the picture clue in the inside the grid.
BRO
BENEFIT
31Benefit
Row 9, col 5 · 1 letter · down
Just the opening letter of Benefit.
B
Crossword Challenge Level 2226 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
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Puzzle 2226 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 2226 with us. Puzzle 2227 is next, with 34 clues on a 8×10 board.