Crossword Challenge Puzzle 2280 Clues and Answers
Stuck somewhere in Crossword Challenge Puzzle 2280? All 30 clues on this 8×10 grid are solved below, one card per clue.
Short answers dominate here: 9 of 30 fit in one or two squares. 4 clues are pictures, and 1 of those asks 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; 2 clues are fill-ins, and 2 of them need only the missing letters. The longest answer runs 9 letters and belongs to “Football coach's nightmare”.
The edges of this grid check each other. The top-row answers begin with the letters of the answer to “Set in ground”, read left to right, and the left-column answers begin with the letters of the answer to “Football coach's nightmare”, 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.
FOOTBALL COACH'S NIGHTMARE
1Football coach's nightmare
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
Fits P _ _ A _ _ I _ _. Solving “Clothing maker” first gives you its sixth letter.
PENALTIES
SPOILS
2Spoils
Top row 2/7 · 4 letters · down
Fits L _ _ _. Solving “Not at all” first gives you its third letter.
LOOT
P__THER
3P__THER
Top row 3/7 · 2 letters · down
Only the hidden letters of “P__THER” go in the grid. First one: A.
AN
BEFORE O
4Before o
Top row 4/7 · 1 letter · down
Step one letter back from O in the alphabet.
N
FIRST-RATE
5First-rate
Top row 5/7 · 3 letters · down
T _ _. Its third letter is shared with “October stone”.
TOP
6Picture clue
Top row 6/7 · 6 letters · down
Look at the picture and fit it to E _ _ S _ _. Solving “Silicon valley” first gives you its fourth letter.
ERASER
SEARCH (INTO)
7Search (into)
Top row 7/7 · 5 letters · down
Starts with D; pattern D _ _ V _. Check the fourth letter against “Silicon valley”.
DELVE
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
SET IN GROUND
8Set in ground
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
Starts with P; pattern P _ _ N _ _ D. Check the fifth letter against “First-rate”.
PLANTED
GAZILLION YEARS
9Gazillion years
Left column 2/9 · 3 letters · across
Begins with E. “P__THER” crosses it at the third square.
EON
NOT AT ALL
10Not at all
Left column 3/9 · 2 letters · across
N _. “Spoils” crosses it at the second square.
NO
BUILDING BLOCK
11Building block
Left column 4/9 · 4 letters · across
Starts with A; pattern A _ _ _. Solving “Skip” first gives you its third letter.
ATOM
CLOTHING SIZE
12Clothing size
Left column 5/9 · 1 letter · across
Think of one character, not a word, for “Clothing size”.
L
13Clothing maker
Left column 6/9 · 6 letters · across
Use the text “CLOTHING MAKER” if the picture is unclear. First letter T.
TAILOR
BURY
14Bury
Left column 7/9 · 5 letters · across
I _ _ E _. Solving “Breakfast dish” first gives you its fourth letter.
INTER
ELAPSED TIME
15Elapsed time
Left column 8/9 · 2 letters · across
Take one letter from each word of the clue, in order.
ET
bas---et
16Picture clue
Left column 9/9 · 3 letters · across
The image carries “bas---et”. Name the picture and keep only the letters hidden behind the dashes, beginning with S.
SIN
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
MINERAL SOURCE
17Mineral source
Row 3, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Shape: O _ _. “Search (into)” crosses it at the third square.
ORE
BREAKFAST DISH
18Breakfast dish
Row 3, col 5 · 6 letters · down
Fits O _ _ L _ _. “Clothing maker” crosses it at the fourth square.
OMELET
OCTOBER STONE
19October stone
Row 4, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Fits O _ _ _. Solving the picture clue in the top row first gives you its third letter.
OPAL
SKIP
20Skip
Row 4, col 4 · 4 letters · down
O _ _ _. The third square is also part of “Clothing maker”.
OMIT
SILICON VALLEY
21Silicon valley
Row 5, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 2 squares.
SV
BRITISH TRUCK
22British truck
Row 5, col 6 · 5 letters · down
Begins with L. Check the fourth letter against “Group of three”.
LORRY
ALL-OUT BRAWL
23All-out brawl
Row 6, col 3 · 5 letters · across
Starts with M; pattern M _ _ E _. The fourth square is also part of the picture clue in the top row.
MELEE
NOT SUPPORTING
24Not supporting
Row 6, col 3 · 4 letters · down
Begins with A. “Elapsed time” crosses it at the third square.
ANTI
25Stir-fry pan
Row 7, col 8 · 3 letters · down
Picture plus words: “STIR-FRY PAN”. The answer opens with W.
WOK
WEST
26West
Row 8, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Just the opening letter of West.
W
NOSTALG__
27NOSTALG__
Row 8, col 7 · 2 letters · down
“NOSTALG__” is a word with a gap. Type just the gap, which begins with I.
IA
GROUP OF THREE
28Group of three
Row 9, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Starts with T; pattern T _ _ _. Check the third letter against “NOSTALG__”.
TRIO
NAP
29Nap
Row 9, col 4 · 1 letter · down
Nap starts with the answer.
N
YET ANOTHER KEY
30Yet another key
Row 10, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Abbreviate “Yet another key” to its initials.
YAK
Crossword Challenge Level 2280 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
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Puzzle 2280 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 2280 with us. Puzzle 2281 is next, with 30 clues on a 8×10 board.