Crossword Challenge Puzzle 421 Clues and Answers
Crossword Challenge Puzzle 421 is an 8×10 board with 32 clues, and every one of them is answered below.
11 of the 32 answers are one or two letters long. 5 clues are pictures, and 1 of those asks you to fill the gaps in a word printed on the image; 7 clues want only the initials of the clue words; 4 want just the first letter of a single word; 3 clues are fill-ins, and 1 of them needs only the missing letters. The longest answer runs 9 letters and belongs to the picture clue in the top row.
Here is the shortcut for Puzzle 421: 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 the picture clue in the top row. 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.
1Picture clue
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
Name the object in the picture. H _ _ C _ _ I _ _. Solving the picture clue in the left column first gives you its sixth letter.
HITCHHIKE
ESTIMATED TIME ARRIVAL
2Estimated time arrival
Top row 2/7 · 3 letters · down
Initials: the first letter of each word in “Estimated time arrival”.
ETA
SHARP-NESS
3Sharp-ness
Top row 3/7 · 6 letters · down
A _ _ I _ _. Solving “Hero” first gives you its fourth letter.
ACUITY
DIRECT HIT
4Direct hit
Top row 4/7 · 2 letters · down
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 2 squares.
DH
SHIP
5Ship
Top row 5/7 · 1 letter · down
Write the first letter of Ship, nothing more.
S
___ GREY TEA
6___ GREY TEA
Top row 6/7 · 4 letters · down
Which word finishes “___ GREY TEA”? It fits E _ _ _.
EARL
7Picture clue
Top row 7/7 · 3 letters · down
What is shown in the image? Shape: T _ _. Solving “___ZEN” first gives you its third letter.
TWO
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
8Picture clue
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
Name the object in the picture. H _ _ D _ _ T. Check the fifth letter against “Ship”.
HEADSET
DESIRE TO SCRATCH
9Desire to scratch
Left column 2/9 · 4 letters · across
Shape: I _ _ _. Solving “Sharp-ness” first gives you its third letter.
ITCH
TACTICAL ASSAULT UNIT
10Tactical assault unit
Left column 3/9 · 3 letters · across
Take one letter from each word of the clue, in order.
TAU
COIN
11Coin
Left column 4/9 · 1 letter · across
Write the first letter of Coin, nothing more.
C
CRITIC OR FOE
12Critic or foe
Left column 5/9 · 5 letters · across
Starts with H; pattern H _ _ E _. Check the fourth letter against “Lucifer”.
HATER
13Picture clue
Left column 6/9 · 1 letter · across
Look at the picture and fit it to H.
H
LIFE __ BEAUTIFUL
14LIFE __ BEAUTIFUL
Left column 7/9 · 2 letters · across
Complete the phrase “LIFE __ BEAUTIFUL”. Shape: I _.
IS
CAUSING DEATH
15Causing death
Left column 8/9 · 7 letters · across
Shape: K _ _ L _ _ G. Its fifth letter is shared with “Night in theater”.
KILLING
WINDUP
16Windup
Left column 9/9 · 3 letters · across
E _ _. “Lead director” crosses it at the third square.
END
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
AIR WORTH
17Air worth
Row 3, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 2 squares.
AW
IN FAVOR OF
18In favor of
Row 3, col 6 · 3 letters · down
Starts with F; pattern F _ _. The third square is also part of “Critic or foe”.
FOR
___ZEN
19___ZEN
Row 4, col 5 · 3 letters · across
“___ZEN” is a word with a gap. Type just the gap, which begins with F.
FRO
LUCIFER
20Lucifer
Row 4, col 5 · 5 letters · down
Fits D _ _ I _. Solving “Old peruvian” first gives you its fourth letter.
DEVIL
HERO
21Hero
Row 5, col 3 · 4 letters · across
Shape: I _ _ _. The third square is also part of “In favor of”.
IDOL
ACTOR
22Actor
Row 5, col 3 · 1 letter · down
Just the opening letter of Actor.
A
ACTOR'S PLATFORM
23Actor's platform
Row 5, col 8 · 5 letters · down
S _ _ G _. The fourth square is also part of “Causing death”.
STAGE
SAT
24Sat
Row 6, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Write the first letter of Sat, nothing more.
S
PIMPLES
25Pimples
Row 6, col 7 · 4 letters · down
Fits A _ _ _. The third square is also part of “Causing death”.
ACNE
YOUR VOICE
26Your voice
Row 7, col 3 · 2 letters · across
Take one letter from each word of the clue, in order.
YV
WRONG
27Wrong
Row 7, col 3 · 3 letters · down
S _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Windup”.
SIN
IN THE VICINITY
28In the vicinity
Row 7, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Shape: A _. Its second letter is shared with “Actor's platform”.
AT
NIGHT IN THEATER
29Night in theater
Row 7, col 6 · 3 letters · down
Initials: the first letter of each word in “Night in theater”.
NIT
OLD PERUVIAN
30Old peruvian
Row 8, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Begins with I. The third square is also part of “Pimples”.
INCA
LEAD DIRECTOR
31Lead director
Row 8, col 4 · 2 letters · down
Take one letter from each word of the clue, in order.
LD
-th
32Golf peg
Row 10, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Say what the picture shows. “-th” is printed on it, and the dashes are the letters you type. Starts with T.
TEE
Crossword Challenge Level 421 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
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Puzzle 421 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 421 with us. Puzzle 422 is next, with 30 clues on a 8×10 board.