Crossword Challenge Puzzle 453 Clues and Answers
This page covers all 31 clues of Crossword Challenge Puzzle 453, an 8×10 grid that mixes picture clues with short word clues.
10 of the 31 answers are one or two letters long. 5 clues are pictures, and 2 of those ask you to fill the gaps in a word printed on the image; 4 clues want only the initials of the clue words; 3 want just the first letter of a single word. The longest answer runs 9 letters and belongs to “Cheer-leader's move”.
Here is the shortcut for Puzzle 453: read the first letters of the top-row answers and you get the answer to “Kitchen surface”. Read the first letters down the left edge and you get the answer to “Cheer-leader's move”. 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.
CHEER-LEADER'S MOVE
1Cheer-leader's move
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
Starts with C; pattern C _ _ T _ _ E _ _. Check the sixth letter against “High def.”.
CARTWHEEL
SCENT
2Scent
Top row 2/7 · 4 letters · down
O _ _ _. Solving the picture clue in the left column first gives you its third letter.
ODOR
clo-
3Picture clue
Top row 3/7 · 2 letters · down
Say what the picture shows. “clo-” is printed on it, and the dashes are the letters you type. Starts with U.
UD
NO
4No
Top row 4/7 · 1 letter · down
Just the opening letter of No.
N
CLOTHING MAKER
5Clothing maker
Top row 5/7 · 6 letters · down
Begins with T. The fourth square is also part of “Bird's sound”.
TAILOR
6Picture clue
Top row 6/7 · 3 letters · down
Name the object in the picture. E _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Two-wheeler”.
ELK
7Picture clue
Top row 7/7 · 4 letters · down
Describe the picture in one word that fits R _ _ _. “Two-wheeler” crosses it at the third square.
REED
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
KITCHEN SURFACE
8Kitchen surface
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
Fits C _ _ N _ _ R. Its fifth letter is shared with “Clothing maker”.
COUNTER
SUM
9Sum
Left column 2/9 · 3 letters · across
A _ _. The picture clue in the top row crosses it at the third square.
ADD
ze-
10Picture clue
Left column 3/9 · 2 letters · across
Say what the picture shows. “ze-” is printed on it, and the dashes are the letters you type. Starts with R.
RO
BIRD'S SOUND
11Bird's sound
Left column 4/9 · 5 letters · across
Fits T _ _ L _. Check the fourth letter against “Sheep's sound”.
TRILL
WHITE
12White
Left column 5/9 · 1 letter · across
Write the first letter of White, nothing more.
W
HIGH DEF.
13High def.
Left column 6/9 · 2 letters · across
Abbreviate “High def.” to its initials.
HD
14Picture clue
Left column 7/9 · 4 letters · across
What is shown in the image? Shape: E _ _ _. “Small bag” crosses it at the third square.
EAST
ESTIMATED TIME ARRIVAL
15Estimated time arrival
Left column 8/9 · 3 letters · across
Take one letter from each word of the clue, in order.
ETA
GLOSSY FINISH
16Glossy finish
Left column 9/9 · 7 letters · across
L _ _ Q _ _ R. Its fifth letter is shared with “Indiana university”.
LACQUER
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
BAR ORDER
17Bar order
Row 3, col 5 · 3 letters · across
A _ _. Solving the picture clue in the top row first gives you its third letter.
ALE
SHEEP'S SOUND
18Sheep's sound
Row 3, col 5 · 5 letters · down
Fits B _ _ A _. Solving “Water-less area” first gives you its fourth letter.
BLEAT
TWO-WHEELER
19Two-wheeler
Row 4, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Fits B _ _ _. Solving the picture clue in the top row first gives you its third letter.
BIKE
INDIANA
20Indiana
Row 4, col 4 · 2 letters · down
I _. Check the second letter against “Colorful light”.
IN
FOURTH LETTER
21Fourth letter
Row 5, col 7 · 1 letter · across
A single letter or symbol answers “Fourth letter”.
D
NEPHEW'S SISTER
22Nephew's sister
Row 5, col 7 · 5 letters · down
Starts with N; pattern N _ _ C _. The fourth square is also part of “Frozen water”.
NIECE
COLORFUL LIGHT
23Colorful light
Row 6, col 3 · 4 letters · across
Fits N _ _ _. The third square is also part of “Clothing maker”.
NEON
INFO
24Info
Row 6, col 3 · 4 letters · down
D _ _ _. Check the third letter against “Estimated time arrival”.
DATA
ACTIVIST
25Activist
Row 6, col 8 · 4 letters · down
Begins with D. “Frozen water” crosses it at the third square.
DOER
WATER-LESS AREA
26Water-less area
Row 7, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Starts with A; pattern A _ _ _. The third square is also part of “Nephew's sister”.
ARID
SMALL BAG
27Small bag
Row 7, col 4 · 3 letters · down
Starts with S; pattern S _ _. The third square is also part of “Glossy finish”.
SAC
EARTH ORBIT
28Earth orbit
Row 8, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Abbreviate “Earth orbit” to its initials.
EO
INDIANA UNIVERSITY
29Indiana university
Row 8, col 6 · 2 letters · down
Abbreviate “Indiana university” to its initials.
IU
FROZEN WATER
30Frozen water
Row 9, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Fits I _ _. The third square is also part of “Activist”.
ICE
QUICK
31Quick
Row 9, col 5 · 1 letter · down
Just the opening letter of Quick.
Q
Crossword Challenge Level 453 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
Next puzzles
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Puzzle 453 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 453 with us. Puzzle 454 is next, with 29 clues on a 8×10 board.