Crossword Challenge Puzzle 405 Clues and Answers
This page covers all 30 clues of Crossword Challenge Puzzle 405, an 8×10 grid that mixes picture clues with short word clues.
10 of the 30 answers are one or two letters long. 3 clues are pictures, and 3 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; 4 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 “Plane's control system”.
Start at the edges. The first letters of the 7 answers hanging from the top row spell the answer to “Mean value”, and the first letters of the 9 answers along the left edge spell the answer to “Plane's control system”. 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.
PLANE'S CONTROL SYSTEM
1Plane's control system
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
Shape: A _ _ O _ _ L _ _. The sixth square is also part of “Furious”.
AUTOPILOT
VISIBLE
2Visible
Top row 2/7 · 1 letter · down
Only one square: take the initial of Visible.
V
ADAM'S MADAM
3Adam's madam
Top row 3/7 · 3 letters · down
Fits E _ _. The third square is also part of “Definite article”.
EVE
-ccoon
4Picture clue
Top row 4/7 · 2 letters · down
The image carries “-ccoon”. Name the picture and keep only the letters hidden behind the dashes, beginning with R.
RA
CAR
5Car
Top row 5/7 · 4 letters · down
Begins with A. “Child's delight” crosses it at the third square.
AUTO
SPLENDOR
6Splendor
Top row 6/7 · 5 letters · down
Begins with G. “Earth digger” crosses it at the fourth square.
GLORY
WORD ORIGIN
7Word origin
Top row 7/7 · 9 letters · down
E _ _ M _ _ O _ _. Check the sixth letter against “Left”.
ETYMOLOGY
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
MEAN VALUE
8Mean value
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
Begins with A. The fifth square is also part of “Car”.
AVERAGE
UNIQUE
9Unique
Left column 2/9 · 1 letter · across
Unique starts with the answer.
U
DEFINITE ARTICLE
10Definite article
Left column 3/9 · 3 letters · across
Fits T _ _. “Adam's madam” crosses it at the third square.
THE
sh-
11Picture clue
Left column 4/9 · 2 letters · across
Work out the object in the picture, then drop the part already written on it (“sh-”). What is left starts with O.
OE
FATHER
12Father
Left column 5/9 · 4 letters · across
P _ _ _. The third square is also part of “Public address”.
PAPA
FURIOUS
13Furious
Left column 6/9 · 5 letters · across
Shape: I _ _ T _. “Power bit” crosses it at the fourth square.
IRATE
bal-
14Picture clue
Left column 7/9 · 2 letters · across
The image carries “bal-”. Name the picture and keep only the letters hidden behind the dashes, beginning with L.
LS
ACORN PRODUCER
15Acorn producer
Left column 8/9 · 3 letters · across
Shape: O _ _. “Kickoff returner” crosses it at the third square.
OAK
DESPOT'S REGIME
16Despot's regime
Left column 9/9 · 7 letters · across
Fits T _ _ A _ _ Y. Its fifth letter is shared with “Gain”.
TYRANNY
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
BANK STORAGE
17Bank storage
Row 3, col 3 · 5 letters · across
Fits V _ _ L _. The fourth square is also part of “Splendor”.
VAULT
RUMOR OR GOSSIP
18Rumor or gossip
Row 3, col 3 · 7 letters · down
Fits H _ _ R _ _ Y. Solving the picture clue in the left column first gives you its fifth letter.
HEARSAY
CHILD'S DELIGHT
19Child's delight
Row 4, col 5 · 3 letters · across
T _ _. Check the third letter against “Word origin”.
TOY
POWER BIT
20Power bit
Row 4, col 5 · 4 letters · down
Starts with W; pattern W _ _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Furious”.
WATT
EARTH DIGGER
21Earth digger
Row 5, col 4 · 4 letters · across
W _ _ _. “Splendor” crosses it at the third square.
WORM
PUBLIC ADDRESS
22Public address
Row 5, col 4 · 2 letters · down
Abbreviate “Public address” to its initials.
PA
__UNG
23__UNG
Row 6, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Fill the gap in “__UNG”, but leave out the letters already shown. Starts with Y.
YO
GAIN
24Gain
Row 6, col 6 · 4 letters · down
Starts with E; pattern E _ _ _. Solving “Tease” first gives you its third letter.
EARN
LEFT
25Left
Row 7, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Left starts with the answer.
L
METALLIC VESSEL
26Metallic vessel
Row 7, col 7 · 3 letters · down
Begins with C. Check the third letter against “Despot's regime”.
CAN
MEXICAN DISH
27Mexican dish
Row 8, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Starts with T; pattern T _ _ _. Check the third letter against “Metallic vessel”.
TACO
KICKOFF RETURNER
28Kickoff returner
Row 8, col 4 · 2 letters · down
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 2 squares.
KR
TEASE
29Tease
Row 9, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Fits R _ _. The third square is also part of “Word origin”.
RAG
ADD
30Add
Row 9, col 5 · 1 letter · down
Only one square: take the initial of Add.
A
Crossword Challenge Level 405 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
Next puzzles
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Puzzle 405 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 405 with us. Puzzle 406 is next, with 30 clues on a 8×10 board.