Crossword Challenge Puzzle 2339 Clues and Answers
This page covers all 33 clues of Crossword Challenge Puzzle 2339, an 8×10 grid that mixes picture clues with short word clues.
Short answers dominate here: 15 of 33 fit in one or two squares. 3 clues are pictures, and 1 of those asks you to fill the gaps in a word printed on the image; 4 clues want only the initials of the clue words; 1 wants just the first letter of a single word; 4 clues are fill-ins, and 4 of them need only the missing letters. The longest answer runs 9 letters and belongs to “Stress”.
Here is the shortcut for Puzzle 2339: read the first letters of the top-row answers and you get the answer to “Allowed absence”. Read the first letters down the left edge and you get the answer to “Stress”. 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.
STRESS
1Stress
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
Fits E _ _ H _ _ I _ _. The sixth square is also part of “Basis of tofu and tempeh”.
EMPHASIZE
XENON SYMBOL
2Xenon symbol
Top row 2/7 · 2 letters · down
Shape: X _. Check the second letter against “Cruel”.
XE
3Picture clue
Top row 3/7 · 4 letters · down
One word for the picture, starting with C. Solving “Cheese with holes” first gives you its third letter.
CASK
STILL SINGLE
4Still single
Top row 4/7 · 5 letters · down
Shape: U _ _ E _. Its fourth letter is shared with “Outdoor walk”.
UNWED
AFTER R
5 after r
Top row 5/7 · 1 letter · down
Recite the alphabet up to R; the answer is its next letter.
S
LESS COMPLEX
6Less complex
Top row 6/7 · 6 letters · down
Begins with E. Check the fourth letter against “Inters. highway”.
EASIER
SHORT RUN
7Short run
Top row 7/7 · 4 letters · down
Shape: D _ _ _. Solving “Cheese with holes” first gives you its third letter.
DASH
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
ALLOWED ABSENCE
8Allowed absence
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
Starts with E; pattern E _ _ U _ _ D. Solving “After r” first gives you its fifth letter.
EXCUSED
CRUEL
9Cruel
Left column 2/9 · 4 letters · across
Fits M _ _ _. The third square is also part of the picture clue in the top row.
MEAN
BETWEEN "O" AND "Q"
10Between "o" and "q"
Left column 3/9 · 1 letter · across
One letter only. It is the standard short form for “Between "o" and "q”.
P
11Outdoor walk
Left column 4/9 · 4 letters · across
Both the picture and the text “OUTDOOR WALK” point to the same word. It begins with H.
HIKE
NECESS__Y
12NECESS__Y
Left column 5/9 · 2 letters · across
Fill the gap in “NECESS__Y”, but leave out the letters already shown. Starts with A.
AR
BASIS OF TOFU AND TEMPEH
13Basis of tofu and tempeh
Left column 6/9 · 3 letters · across
Begins with S. Its third letter is shared with “Yellow fever”.
SOY
PREFIX WITH RED
14Prefix with red
Left column 7/9 · 5 letters · across
Starts with I; pattern I _ _ R _. Solving “Compete in a marathon” first gives you its fourth letter.
INFRA
-gzag
15Picture clue
Left column 8/9 · 2 letters · across
Picture word minus “gzag” gives the answer. First letter: Z.
ZI
FINANCIAL SYSTEM
16Financial system
Left column 9/9 · 7 letters · across
Begins with E. Solving “Letter after n” first gives you its fifth letter.
ECONOMY
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
DOUBLE A BATTERY
17Double a battery
Row 3, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Shape: A _. “Short run” crosses it at the second square.
AA
SELF PRONOUN
18Self pronoun
Row 3, col 6 · 1 letter · down
Think of one character, not a word, for “Self pronoun”.
I
CHEESE WITH HOLES
19Cheese with holes
Row 4, col 3 · 5 letters · across
S _ _ S _. “Less complex” crosses it at the fourth square.
SWISS
TWIST OF FATE
20Twist of fate
Row 4, col 3 · 6 letters · down
Fits I _ _ N _ _. Check the fourth letter against “Prefix with red”.
IRONIC
INTERS. HIGHWAY
21Inters. highway
Row 5, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Take one letter from each word of the clue, in order.
IH
SCHOOL___R
22SCHOOL___R
Row 5, col 6 · 3 letters · down
Rebuild the word in “SCHOOL___R” and enter only the missing part, starting with Y.
YEA
ARTIFICIAL COLOR
23Artificial color
Row 6, col 4 · 3 letters · across
D _ _. The third square is also part of “Less complex”.
DYE
YELLOW FEVER
24Yellow fever
Row 6, col 4 · 2 letters · down
Initials: the first letter of each word in “Yellow fever”.
YF
NERVOUS
25Nervous
Row 6, col 8 · 4 letters · down
Fits E _ _ _. “Video game” crosses it at the third square.
EDGY
FORE
26Fore
Row 7, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Shape: E _ _. “Nervous” crosses it at the third square.
ERE
COMPETE IN A MARATHON
27Compete in a marathon
Row 7, col 5 · 3 letters · down
Begins with R. Its third letter is shared with “Financial system”.
RUN
_UMBBELL
28_UMBBELL
Row 8, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Only the hidden letters of “_UMBBELL” go in the grid. First one: D.
D
VOICE MAIL
29Voice mail
Row 8, col 7 · 2 letters · down
Take one letter from each word of the clue, in order.
VM
UNIVERSE
30Universe
Row 9, col 4 · 1 letter · across
Write the first letter of Universe, nothing more.
U
SPO_N
31SPO_N
Row 9, col 4 · 1 letter · down
Fill the gap in “SPO_N”, but leave out the letters already shown. Starts with O.
O
VIDEO GAME
32Video game
Row 9, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Abbreviate “Video game” to its initials.
VG
LETTER AFTER N
33Letter after n
Row 9, col 6 · 1 letter · down
The alphabet letter right after N.
O
Crossword Challenge Level 2339 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
Next puzzles
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Puzzle 2339 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 2339 with us. Puzzle 2340 is next, with 30 clues on a 8×10 board.