Crossword Challenge Puzzle 55 Clues and Answers
Crossword Challenge Puzzle 55 is an 8×10 board with 30 clues, and every one of them is answered below.
Short answers dominate here: 9 of 30 fit in one or two squares. 4 clues are pictures, and 1 of those asks you to fill the gaps in a word printed on the image; 3 clues want only the initials of the clue words; 2 want just the first letter of a single word; 5 clues are fill-ins, and 5 of them need only the missing letters. The longest answer runs 9 letters and belongs to “Tender love”.
Here is the shortcut for Puzzle 55: read the first letters of the top-row answers and you get the answer to “Leading lady”. Read the first letters down the left edge and you get the answer to “Tender love”. 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.
TENDER LOVE
1Tender love
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
Starts with A; pattern A _ _ E _ _ I _ _. The sixth square is also part of “Choppers”.
AFFECTION
-k
2---k
Top row 2/7 · 3 letters · down
Work out the object in the picture, then drop the part already written on it (“-k”). What is left starts with C.
COO
CREW
3Crew
Top row 3/7 · 4 letters · down
Starts with T; pattern T _ _ _. Its third letter is shared with the picture clue in the left column.
TEAM
4After q
Top row 4/7 · 1 letter · down
Both the picture and the text “AFTER Q” point to the same word. It begins with R.
R
GARD__
5GARD__
Top row 5/7 · 2 letters · down
Fill the gap in “GARD__”, but leave out the letters already shown. Starts with E.
EN
COUPON USER
6Coupon user
Top row 6/7 · 5 letters · down
Begins with S. Solving “Stingy person” first gives you its fourth letter.
SAVER
INFIELD DEFENDER
7Infield defender
Top row 7/7 · 9 letters · down
Begins with S. “Shelf” crosses it at the sixth square.
SHORTSTOP
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
LEADING LADY
8Leading lady
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
Fits A _ _ R _ _ S. Solving “GARD__” first gives you its fifth letter.
ACTRESS
ENEMY
9Enemy
Left column 2/9 · 3 letters · across
Begins with F. The third square is also part of “Crew”.
FOE
10Picture clue
Left column 3/9 · 4 letters · across
Describe the picture in one word that fits F _ _ _. Check the third letter against “Crew”.
FOAM
BR_AD
11BR_AD
Left column 4/9 · 1 letter · across
“BR_AD” is a word with a gap. Type just the gap, which begins with E.
E
CA__US
12CA__US
Left column 5/9 · 2 letters · across
Fill the gap in “CA__US”, but leave out the letters already shown. Starts with C.
CT
13Choppers
Left column 6/9 · 5 letters · across
Both the picture and the text “CHOPPERS” point to the same word. It begins with T.
TEETH
H___ELF
14H___ELF
Left column 7/9 · 3 letters · across
Rebuild the word in “H___ELF” and enter only the missing part, starting with I.
IMS
FIERY GEMSTONE
15Fiery gemstone
Left column 8/9 · 4 letters · across
Begins with O. Check the third letter against “PARM____”.
OPAL
WITHOUT PAUSE
16Without pause
Left column 9/9 · 7 letters · across
Shape: N _ _ S _ _ P. Check the fifth letter against “Tape”.
NONSTOP
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
"NOPE"
17"nope"
Row 3, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Fits N _ _. The third square is also part of “Infield defender”.
NAH
SPRAY
18Spray
Row 3, col 5 · 4 letters · down
M _ _ _. “Arrange” crosses it at the third square.
MIST
VOICE OVER
19Voice over
Row 4, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Abbreviate “Voice over” to its initials.
VO
LONDON AREA
20London area
Row 4, col 6 · 4 letters · down
Shape: S _ _ _. “Choppers” crosses it at the third square.
SOHO
STINGY PERSON
21Stingy person
Row 5, col 3 · 5 letters · across
M _ _ E _. Solving “Coupon user” first gives you its fourth letter.
MISER
MUSICAL SPEED
22Musical speed
Row 5, col 3 · 5 letters · down
Fits T _ _ P _. Solving “Fiery gemstone” first gives you its fourth letter.
TEMPO
ARRANGE
23Arrange
Row 6, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Shape: S _ _ _. Check the third letter against “Coupon user”.
SORT
PARM____
24PARM____
Row 6, col 4 · 4 letters · down
Only the hidden letters of “PARM____” go in the grid. First one: E.
ESAN
SHELF
25Shelf
Row 7, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Shelf starts with the answer.
S
EXPERT
26Expert
Row 7, col 7 · 3 letters · down
Begins with P. Check the third letter against “Without pause”.
PRO
VOTE (FOR)
27Vote (for)
Row 8, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Shape: O _ _. Check the third letter against “Infield defender”.
OPT
LEAST SQUARES
28Least squares
Row 8, col 5 · 2 letters · down
Abbreviate “Least squares” to its initials.
LS
ROYAL ORDER
29Royal order
Row 9, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Take one letter from each word of the clue, in order.
RO
TAPE
30Tape
Row 9, col 6 · 1 letter · down
Write the first letter of Tape, nothing more.
T
Crossword Challenge Level 55 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
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Puzzle 55 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 55 with us. Puzzle 56 is next, with 30 clues on a 8×10 board.