Crossword Challenge Puzzle 497 Clues and Answers
This page covers all 29 clues of Crossword Challenge Puzzle 497, an 8×10 grid that mixes picture clues with short word clues.
Short answers dominate here: 10 of 29 fit in one or two squares. 4 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; 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 the picture clue in the top row.
Start at the edges. The first letters of the 7 answers hanging from the top row spell the answer to “Legal fairness”, and the first letters of the 9 answers along the left edge spell the answer to the picture clue in the top row. 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.
1Picture clue
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
Name the object in the picture. J _ _ L _ _ U _ _. “Mine rocks” crosses it at the sixth square.
JAILHOUSE
ULTRA TECH SENTINEL
2Ultra tech sentinel
Top row 2/7 · 3 letters · down
Initials: the first letter of each word in “Ultra tech sentinel”.
UTS
SAY
3Say
Top row 3/7 · 1 letter · down
Say starts with the answer.
S
plas--c
4Picture clue
Top row 4/7 · 2 letters · down
The image carries “plas--c”. Name the picture and keep only the letters hidden behind the dashes, beginning with T.
TI
THOUGHTS
5Thoughts
Top row 5/7 · 5 letters · down
Fits I _ _ A _. Check the fourth letter against “Annoy”.
IDEAS
6Picture clue
Top row 6/7 · 4 letters · down
Look at the picture and fit it to C _ _ _. “England” crosses it at the third square.
CENT
ZEALOUS INTEREST
7Zealous interest
Top row 7/7 · 9 letters · down
E _ _ E _ _ E _ _. Check the sixth letter against “__YTHING”.
EAGERNESS
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
LEGAL FAIRNESS
8Legal fairness
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
Starts with J; pattern J _ _ T _ _ E. Its fifth letter is shared with “Thoughts”.
JUSTICE
ch-
9Picture clue
Left column 2/9 · 2 letters · across
The image carries “ch-”. Name the picture and keep only the letters hidden behind the dashes, beginning with A.
AT
"METRIC" PREFIX
10"metric" prefix
Left column 3/9 · 3 letters · across
Begins with I. Solving “Leer at” first gives you its third letter.
ISO
AFTER K
11After k
Left column 4/9 · 1 letter · across
Step one letter forward from K in the alphabet.
L
DONUT CENTERS
12Donut centers
Left column 5/9 · 5 letters · across
Fits H _ _ E _. “Tree exudates” crosses it at the fourth square.
HOLES
MINE ROCKS
13Mine rocks
Left column 6/9 · 4 letters · across
O _ _ _. “Leer at” crosses it at the third square.
ORES
UGANDA
14Uganda
Left column 7/9 · 2 letters · across
Shape: U _. “Heart or liver” crosses it at the second square.
UG
OPPOSITE OF JOY
15Opposite of joy
Left column 8/9 · 7 letters · across
Shape: S _ _ N _ _ S. Check the fifth letter against “South-east”.
SADNESS
FINISHES
16Finishes
Left column 9/9 · 4 letters · across
Fits E _ _ _. “Dungeons dragons” crosses it at the third square.
ENDS
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
GIST
17Gist
Row 3, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Fits I _ _ _. Solving the picture clue in the top row first gives you its third letter.
IDEA
LEER AT
18Leer at
Row 3, col 4 · 4 letters · down
Starts with O; pattern O _ _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Donut centers”.
OGLE
ENGLAND
19England
Row 4, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Starts with E; pattern E _ _. The third square is also part of “Zealous interest”.
ENG
TREE EXUDATES
20Tree exudates
Row 4, col 5 · 6 letters · down
R _ _ I _ _. Its fourth letter is shared with “Island”.
RESINS
ANNOY
21Annoy
Row 5, col 3 · 5 letters · across
G _ _ T _. The fourth square is also part of the picture clue in the top row.
GRATE
HEART OR LIVER
22Heart or liver
Row 5, col 3 · 5 letters · down
Shape: O _ _ A _. “Opposite of joy” crosses it at the fourth square.
ORGAN
RUNWAY
23Runway
Row 6, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Only one square: take the initial of Runway.
R
LIKEWISE
24Likewise
Row 6, col 7 · 4 letters · down
Shape: A _ _ _. Solving “Opposite of joy” first gives you its third letter.
ALSO
__YTHING
25__YTHING
Row 7, col 6 · 2 letters · across
“__YTHING” is a word with a gap. Type just the gap, which begins with A.
AN
SOUTH-EAST
26South-east
Row 7, col 6 · 2 letters · down
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 2 squares.
SE
ISLAND
27Island
Row 8, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Shape: I _ _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Likewise”.
ISLE
DUNGEONS DRAGONS
28Dungeons dragons
Row 8, col 4 · 2 letters · down
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 2 squares.
DD
OPER. SYS.
29Oper. sys.
Row 10, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Initials: the first letter of each word in “Oper. sys.”.
OS
Crossword Challenge Level 497 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
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Puzzle 497 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 497 with us. Puzzle 498 is next, with 30 clues on a 8×10 board.