Crossword Challenge Puzzle 2296 Clues and Answers
Puzzle 2296 of Crossword Challenge gives you 32 clues on a 8×10 board. Each one is listed below with a hint first and the answer second.
11 of the 32 answers are one or two letters long. 4 clues are pictures, and 3 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; 3 want just the first letter of a single word; 3 clues are fill-ins. The longest answer runs 9 letters and belongs to “Leave bed without waking up”.
Start at the edges. The first letters of the 7 answers hanging from the top row spell the answer to “Sink plug”, and the first letters of the 9 answers along the left edge spell the answer to “Leave bed without waking up”. 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.
LEAVE BED WITHOUT WAKING UP
1Leave bed without waking up
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
Begins with S. “Cleverly amusing” crosses it at the sixth square.
SLEEPWALK
TEMPORAL ANALYSIS DATA
2Temporal analysis data
Top row 2/7 · 3 letters · down
Take one letter from each word of the clue, in order.
TAD
"WOW, WHAT ARE THE ___?"
3"WOW, WHAT ARE THE ___?"
Top row 3/7 · 4 letters · down
Say “WOW, WHAT ARE THE ___?” out loud and the blank fills itself: O _ _ _.
ODDS
AFTER O
4 after o
Top row 4/7 · 1 letter · down
The alphabet letter right after O.
P
-llen
5Picture clue
Top row 5/7 · 2 letters · down
Picture word minus “llen” gives the answer. First letter: P.
PO
BOREDOM
6Boredom
Top row 6/7 · 5 letters · down
E _ _ U _. “Pleasure” crosses it at the fourth square.
ENNUI
PUT BACK TO WORK
7Put back to work
Top row 7/7 · 9 letters · down
Starts with R; pattern R _ _ N _ _ A _ _. Its sixth letter is shared with “Talk”.
REINSTATE
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
SINK PLUG
8Sink plug
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
Begins with S. Solving the picture clue in the top row first gives you its fifth letter.
STOPPER
sa-
9Picture clue
Left column 2/9 · 3 letters · across
Picture word minus “sa” gives the answer. First letter: L.
LAD
WATER SWIRL
10Water swirl
Left column 3/9 · 4 letters · across
Starts with E; pattern E _ _ _. Solving “WOW, WHAT ARE THE ___?” first gives you its third letter.
EDDY
AFTER D
11After d
Left column 4/9 · 1 letter · across
The alphabet letter right after D.
E
a--le
12Picture clue
Left column 5/9 · 2 letters · across
The image carries “a--le”. Name the picture and keep only the letters hidden behind the dashes, beginning with P.
PP
CLEVERLY AMUSING
13Cleverly amusing
Left column 6/9 · 5 letters · across
Fits W _ _ T _. Check the fourth letter against “___ NOT A BIG DEAL”.
WITTY
___ & ALLIES (BOARD GAME)
14___ & ALLIES (BOARD GAME)
Left column 7/9 · 4 letters · across
Say “___ & ALLIES (BOARD GAME)” out loud and the blank fills itself: A _ _ _.
AXIS
JAR TOP
15Jar top
Left column 8/9 · 3 letters · across
Shape: L _ _. “Neat” crosses it at the third square.
LID
16Picture clue
Left column 9/9 · 7 letters · across
Look at the picture and fit it to K _ _ H _ _ E. Its fifth letter is shared with “Hand over”.
KEYHOLE
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
BEFORE 2
17Before 2
Row 3, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Starts with O; pattern O _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Put back to work”.
ONE
TEXTER'S WHY
18Texter's why
Row 3, col 5 · 1 letter · down
Think of one character, not a word, for “Texter's why”.
Y
NOISE INTENSITY
19Noise intensity
Row 4, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Abbreviate “Noise intensity” to its initials.
NI
COOK, AS ONION RINGS
20Cook, as onion rings
Row 4, col 6 · 3 letters · down
Shape: F _ _. Solving “Cleverly amusing” first gives you its third letter.
FRY
SAY
21Say
Row 5, col 3 · 1 letter · across
Just the opening letter of Say.
S
PLAYFUL SPRITE
22Playful sprite
Row 5, col 3 · 5 letters · down
P _ _ I _. Solving “Jar top” first gives you its fourth letter.
PIXIE
PLEASURE
23Pleasure
Row 5, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Shape: F _ _. Check the third letter against “Put back to work”.
FUN
"___ NOT A BIG DEAL"
24"___ NOT A BIG DEAL"
Row 5, col 5 · 3 letters · down
The missing word in “___ NOT A BIG DEAL” starts with I.
ITS
AUTHOR MURDOCH
25Author murdoch
Row 6, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Starts with I; pattern I _ _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Boredom”.
IRIS
NEAT
26Neat
Row 6, col 4 · 4 letters · down
Starts with T; pattern T _ _ _. The third square is also part of “Jar top”.
TIDY
TALK
27Talk
Row 7, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Talk starts with the answer.
T
MATE
28Mate
Row 7, col 7 · 3 letters · down
P _ _. Its third letter is shared with the picture clue in the left column.
PAL
PUBLIC ADDRESS
29Public address
Row 8, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Initials: the first letter of each word in “Public address”.
PA
HAND OVER
30Hand over
Row 8, col 6 · 2 letters · down
Initials: the first letter of each word in “Hand over”.
HO
CAP OR BONNET
31Cap or bonnet
Row 9, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Starts with H; pattern H _ _. Check the third letter against “Put back to work”.
HAT
HER
32Her
Row 9, col 5 · 1 letter · down
Just the opening letter of Her.
H
Crossword Challenge Level 2296 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
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Puzzle 2296 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 2296 with us. Puzzle 2297 is next, with 30 clues on a 8×10 board.