Crossword Challenge Puzzle 2553 Clues and Answers
Crossword Challenge Puzzle 2553 is an 8×10 board with 30 clues, and every one of them is answered below.
Short answers dominate here: 9 of 30 fit in one or two squares. 5 clues are pictures, and 2 of those ask you to fill the gaps in a word printed on the image; 2 clues want only the initials of the clue words; 2 want just the first letter of a single word; 4 clues are fill-ins, and 3 of them need only the missing letters. The longest answer runs 9 letters and belongs to “Relative emphasis”.
Here is the shortcut for Puzzle 2553: read the first letters of the top-row answers and you get the answer to “SEVEN _______ OF THE WORLD”. Read the first letters down the left edge and you get the answer to “Relative emphasis”. 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.
RELATIVE EMPHASIS
1Relative emphasis
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
Shape: W _ _ G _ _ I _ _. Its sixth letter is shared with “Cozily warm”.
WEIGHTING
2Picture clue
Top row 2/7 · 4 letters · down
Look at the picture and fit it to O _ _ _. Its third letter is shared with “M__AGE”.
OKRA
NETWORK ENGINE
3Network engine
Top row 3/7 · 2 letters · down
Initials: the first letter of each word in “Network engine”.
NE
NOTE AFTER C
4Note after c
Top row 4/7 · 1 letter · down
A single letter or symbol answers “Note after c”.
D
"ME, ME, ME" ATTITUDE
5"me, me, me" attitude
Top row 5/7 · 3 letters · down
E _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Papal title”.
EGO
6Picture clue
Top row 6/7 · 6 letters · down
What is shown in the image? Shape: R _ _ L _ _. “Lead director” crosses it at the fourth square.
REPLAY
SKETCHY
7Sketchy
Top row 7/7 · 5 letters · down
S _ _ D _. The fourth square is also part of “Lead director”.
SEEDY
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
SEVEN _______ OF THE WORLD
8SEVEN _______ OF THE WORLD
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
Complete the phrase “SEVEN _______ OF THE WORLD”. Shape: W _ _ D _ _ S.
WONDERS
we---nd
9Picture clue
Left column 2/9 · 3 letters · across
Work out the object in the picture, then drop the part already written on it (“we---nd”). What is left starts with E.
EKE
M__AGE
10M__AGE
Left column 3/9 · 2 letters · across
Only the hidden letters of “M__AGE” go in the grid. First one: I.
IR
FANCY PARTY
11Fancy party
Left column 4/9 · 4 letters · across
Starts with G; pattern G _ _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Plant part”.
GALA
BEFORE I
12Before i
Left column 5/9 · 1 letter · across
The alphabet letter right before I.
H
COZILY WARM
13Cozily warm
Left column 6/9 · 6 letters · across
Begins with T. Check the fourth letter against “Thrower of a reception”.
TOASTY
DEDUCE
14Deduce
Left column 7/9 · 5 letters · across
Shape: I _ _ E _. Solving “Thrower of a reception” first gives you its fourth letter.
INFER
15Picture clue
Left column 8/9 · 2 letters · across
One word for the picture, starting with N. Solving “No more than” first gives you its second letter.
NL
WORKOUT SPOT
16Workout spot
Left column 9/9 · 3 letters · across
Fits G _ _. Solving “Moon” first gives you its third letter.
GYM
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
SQUEE___
17SQUEE___
Row 3, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Fill the gap in “SQUEE___”, but leave out the letters already shown. Starts with G.
GEE
THROWER OF A RECEPTION
18Thrower of a reception
Row 3, col 5 · 6 letters · down
Shape: P _ _ S _ _. “Cozily warm” crosses it at the fourth square.
PASSER
PAPAL TITLE
19Papal title
Row 4, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Fits P _ _ _. The third square is also part of the picture clue in the top row.
POPE
PLANT PART
20Plant part
Row 4, col 4 · 4 letters · down
Starts with L; pattern L _ _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Cozily warm”.
LEAF
LEAD DIRECTOR
21Lead director
Row 5, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Take one letter from each word of the clue, in order.
LD
DRINKING TUBE
22Drinking tube
Row 5, col 6 · 5 letters · down
Starts with S; pattern S _ _ A _. The fourth square is also part of “Marathon or sprint”.
STRAW
FORMAL WRITING
23Formal writing
Row 6, col 3 · 5 letters · across
Fits E _ _ A _. Check the fourth letter against the picture clue in the top row.
ESSAY
NO MORE THAN
24No more than
Row 6, col 3 · 4 letters · down
Fits O _ _ _. The picture clue in the left column crosses it at the third square.
ONLY
thir---n
25Picture clue
Row 7, col 8 · 3 letters · down
Work out the object in the picture, then drop the part already written on it (“thir---n”). What is left starts with T.
TEE
THEORY
26Theory
Row 8, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Write the first letter of Theory, nothing more.
T
S__RE
27S__RE
Row 8, col 7 · 2 letters · down
Rebuild the word in “S__RE” and enter only the missing part, starting with C.
CO
MARATHON OR SPRINT
28Marathon or sprint
Row 9, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Shape: R _ _ _. Its third letter is shared with “S__RE”.
RACE
MOON
29Moon
Row 9, col 4 · 1 letter · down
Just the opening letter of Moon.
M
GRIEF
30Grief
Row 10, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Starts with W; pattern W _ _. Solving the picture clue in the inside the grid first gives you its third letter.
WOE
Crossword Challenge Level 2553 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
Next puzzles
Crossword Challenge Puzzle 25548×10 · 32 clues · 4 picturesLongest answer runs 9 letters, and 6 clues are fill-in-the-blanks.See hints and answersCrossword Challenge Puzzle 25558×10 · 32 clues · 4 picturesLongest answer runs 9 letters, and 4 clues are fill-in-the-blanks.See hints and answers
Puzzle 2553 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 2553 with us. Puzzle 2554 is next, with 32 clues on a 8×10 board.