Crossword Challenge Puzzle 344 Clues and Answers
Stuck somewhere in Crossword Challenge Puzzle 344? 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. 5 clues are pictures, and 2 of those ask you to fill the gaps in a word printed on the image; 6 clues want only the initials of the clue words; 2 want just the first letter of a single word; 1 clue is a fill-in, and 1 of it needs only the missing letters. The longest answer runs 9 letters and belongs to “Day of birth”.
Here is the shortcut for Puzzle 344: read the first letters of the top-row answers and you get the answer to the picture clue in the left column. Read the first letters down the left edge and you get the answer to “Day of birth”. 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.
DAY OF BIRTH
1Day of birth
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
B _ _ T _ _ A _ _. Check the sixth letter against “Sleepy dwarf's pal”.
BIRTHDATE
w-
2Picture clue
Top row 2/7 · 3 letters · down
Work out the object in the picture, then drop the part already written on it (“w-”). What is left starts with A.
AVE
3Picture clue
Top row 3/7 · 4 letters · down
Describe the picture in one word that fits T _ _ _. The third square is also part of “Paper pack”.
TEAR
4Picture clue
Top row 4/7 · 1 letter · down
Name the object in the picture. T.
T
ENTRY HALT
5Entry halt
Top row 5/7 · 2 letters · down
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 2 squares.
EH
BIT OF GOSSIP
6Bit of gossip
Top row 6/7 · 5 letters · down
Shape: R _ _ O _. Solving “Artificial worker” first gives you its fourth letter.
RUMOR
DAY BEFORE TODAY
7Day before today
Top row 7/7 · 9 letters · down
Y _ _ T _ _ D _ _. Check the sixth letter against “River”.
YESTERDAY
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
8Picture clue
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
Describe the picture in one word that fits B _ _ T _ _ Y. “Entry halt” crosses it at the fifth square.
BATTERY
dr-
9Picture clue
Left column 2/9 · 3 letters · across
The image carries “dr-”. Name the picture and keep only the letters hidden behind the dashes, beginning with I.
IVE
PAPER PACK
10Paper pack
Left column 3/9 · 4 letters · across
Begins with R. Its third letter is shared with the picture clue in the top row.
REAM
TASTER
11Taster
Left column 4/9 · 1 letter · across
Only one square: take the initial of Taster.
T
HEWLETT-PACKARD
12Hewlett-packard
Left column 5/9 · 2 letters · across
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 2 squares.
HP
SLEEPY DWARF'S PAL
13Sleepy dwarf's pal
Left column 6/9 · 5 letters · across
Starts with D; pattern D _ _ E _. Check the fourth letter against “Cultural customs”.
DOPEY
SADLY SAID
14Sadly said
Left column 7/9 · 4 letters · across
Shape: A _ _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Contract”.
ALAS
TENDER LOVING CARE
15Tender loving care
Left column 8/9 · 3 letters · across
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 3 squares.
TLC
RIVER MOUTH
16River mouth
Left column 9/9 · 7 letters · across
Begins with E. “British airways” crosses it at the fifth square.
ESTUARY
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
COLOR PROPERTY
17Color property
Row 3, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Shape: H _ _. The third square is also part of “Day before today”.
HUE
CULTURAL CUSTOMS
18Cultural customs
Row 3, col 5 · 5 letters · down
Begins with M. The fourth square is also part of “Sleepy dwarf's pal”.
MORES
MICRO-SOFT
19Micro-soft
Row 4, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Abbreviate “Micro-soft” to its initials.
MS
HARBOR AREA
20Harbor area
Row 4, col 6 · 3 letters · down
Fits B _ _. The third square is also part of “Sleepy dwarf's pal”.
BAY
ARTIFICIAL WORKER
21Artificial worker
Row 5, col 3 · 5 letters · across
Starts with R; pattern R _ _ O _. Solving “Bit of gossip” first gives you its fourth letter.
ROBOT
ELECTION SITES
22Election sites
Row 5, col 3 · 5 letters · down
Begins with P. Check the fourth letter against “Tender loving care”.
POLLS
SCARCE
23Scarce
Row 6, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Shape: R _ _ _. The third square is also part of “Bit of gossip”.
RARE
CONTRACT
24Contract
Row 6, col 4 · 4 letters · down
P _ _ _. The third square is also part of “Tender loving care”.
PACT
RIVER
25River
Row 7, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Only one square: take the initial of River.
R
___KET
26___KET
Row 7, col 7 · 3 letters · down
Only the hidden letters of “___KET” go in the grid. First one: M.
MAR
MEDICAL DOCTOR
27Medical doctor
Row 8, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 2 squares.
MD
BRITISH AIRWAYS
28British airways
Row 8, col 6 · 2 letters · down
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 2 squares.
BA
SHEEP SOUND
29Sheep sound
Row 9, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Starts with B; pattern B _ _. Solving “Day before today” first gives you its third letter.
BAA
AFTER T
30After t
Row 9, col 5 · 1 letter · down
The alphabet letter right after T.
U
Crossword Challenge Level 344 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
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Puzzle 344 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 344 with us. Puzzle 345 is next, with 31 clues on a 8×10 board.