Crossword Challenge Puzzle 553 Clues and Answers
Crossword Challenge Puzzle 553 is an 8×10 board with 32 clues, and every one of them is answered below.
Expect plenty of tiny answers, 11 of them only one or two letters. 4 clues are pictures, and 2 of those ask you to fill the gaps in a word printed on the image; 6 clues want only the initials of the clue words; 2 want just the first letter of a single word. The longest answer runs 9 letters and belongs to “Large music group”.
Start at the edges. The first letters of the 7 answers hanging from the top row spell the answer to “Crime”, and the first letters of the 9 answers along the left edge spell the answer to “Large music group”. 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.
LARGE MUSIC GROUP
1Large music group
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
Begins with O. The sixth square is also part of “Avenue”.
ORCHESTRA
INTENSE ANGER
2Intense anger
Top row 2/7 · 4 letters · down
Fits F _ _ _. The third square is also part of the picture clue in the left column.
FURY
FUSION BLADE
3Fusion blade
Top row 3/7 · 2 letters · down
Abbreviate “Fusion blade” to its initials.
FB
FIFTH LETTER
4Fifth letter
Top row 4/7 · 1 letter · down
Think of one character, not a word, for “Fifth letter”.
E
NO BIG ISSUE
5No big issue
Top row 5/7 · 3 letters · down
Abbreviate “No big issue” to its initials.
NBI
66
Top row 6/7 · 6 letters · down
Look at the picture and fit it to C _ _ P _ _. Its fourth letter is shared with “Piano organ”.
CARPET
GRANT A GIFT
7Grant a gift
Top row 7/7 · 5 letters · down
Begins with E. Its fourth letter is shared with “Piano organ”.
ENDOW
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
CRIME
8Crime
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
Shape: O _ _ E _ _ E. Its fifth letter is shared with “No big issue”.
OFFENCE
HANG-UP
9Hang-up
Left column 2/9 · 3 letters · across
Begins with R. Its third letter is shared with “Fusion blade”.
RUB
-oss
1010
Left column 3/9 · 2 letters · across
Say what the picture shows. “-oss” is printed on it, and the dashes are the letters you type. Starts with C.
CR
BOOST
11Boost
Left column 4/9 · 4 letters · across
Fits H _ _ _. Solving “Role in play” first gives you its third letter.
HYPE
EAR
12Ear
Left column 5/9 · 1 letter · across
Write the first letter of Ear, nothing more.
E
AVENUE
13Avenue
Left column 6/9 · 6 letters · across
S _ _ E _ _. Solving “Suffix for 'app'” first gives you its fourth letter.
STREET
ENTIRE SUM
14Entire sum
Left column 7/9 · 5 letters · across
Shape: T _ _ A _. The fourth square is also part of “Suffix for 'app'”.
TOTAL
RADIO FREQ.
15Radio freq.
Left column 8/9 · 2 letters · across
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 2 squares.
RF
AUDIO INPUT
16Audio input
Left column 9/9 · 3 letters · across
Shape: A _ _. Check the third letter against “Cross mark”.
AUX
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
BLOCK
17Block
Row 3, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Starts with B; pattern B _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Grant a gift”.
BAN
BASE EDITOR
18Base editor
Row 3, col 5 · 2 letters · down
Initials: the first letter of each word in “Base editor”.
BE
NEST BUILDER
19Nest builder
Row 4, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Begins with B. The picture clue in the top row crosses it at the third square.
BIRD
ROLE IN PLAY
20Role in play
Row 4, col 4 · 4 letters · down
P _ _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Avenue”.
PART
PIANO ORGAN
21Piano organ
Row 5, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Take one letter from each word of the clue, in order.
PO
ANTIQUE PIECE
22Antique piece
Row 5, col 6 · 5 letters · down
R _ _ I _. Its fourth letter is shared with “Straight path”.
RELIC
TOP OF ALPHABET
23Top of alphabet
Row 6, col 3 · 1 letter · across
Think of one character, not a word, for “Top of alphabet”.
A
SOYBEAN CURD
24Soybean curd
Row 6, col 3 · 4 letters · down
Shape: T _ _ _. “Radio freq.” crosses it at the third square.
TOFU
REAL EASY WIN
25Real easy win
Row 6, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Abbreviate “Real easy win” to its initials.
REW
SUFFIX FOR 'APP'
26Suffix for 'app'
Row 6, col 5 · 3 letters · down
E _ _. Solving “Straight path” first gives you its third letter.
EAL
-elry
2721
Row 7, col 8 · 3 letters · down
Picture word minus “elry” gives the answer. First letter: J.
JEW
JAW
28Jaw
Row 8, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Jaw starts with the answer.
J
NOT YES
29Not yes
Row 8, col 7 · 2 letters · down
N _. Its second letter is shared with the picture clue in the inside the grid.
NO
STRAIGHT PATH
30Straight path
Row 9, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Shape: L _ _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Not yes”.
LINE
CROSS MARK
31Cross mark
Row 9, col 4 · 1 letter · down
One letter only. It is the standard short form for “Cross mark”.
X
3232
Row 10, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Look at the picture and fit it to C _ _. The picture clue in the inside the grid crosses it at the third square.
COW
Crossword Challenge Level 553 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
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Puzzle 553 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 553 with us. Puzzle 554 is next, with 32 clues on a 8×10 board.