Crossword Challenge Puzzle 687 Clues and Answers
This page covers all 30 clues of Crossword Challenge Puzzle 687, an 8×10 grid that mixes picture clues with short word clues.
Short answers dominate here: 10 of 30 fit in one or two squares. 3 clues are pictures, and 3 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; 2 clues are fill-ins, and 1 of them needs only the missing letters. The longest answer runs 9 letters and belongs to “Non-native person”.
Here is the shortcut for Puzzle 687: read the first letters of the top-row answers and you get the answer to “Giving food”. Read the first letters down the left edge and you get the answer to “Non-native person”. 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.
NON-NATIVE PERSON
1Non-native person
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
F _ _ E _ _ N _ _. Solving “Leaves” first gives you its sixth letter.
FOREIGNER
SHE SHEEP
2She sheep
Top row 2/7 · 3 letters · down
Begins with E. Check the third letter against “Reverse direction”.
EWE
ELEGANT
3Elegant
Top row 3/7 · 1 letter · down
Only one square: take the initial of Elegant.
E
DONKEY KONG
4Donkey kong
Top row 4/7 · 2 letters · down
Abbreviate “Donkey kong” to its initials.
DK
___ CHILD (PLAYFUL SIDE)
5___ CHILD (PLAYFUL SIDE)
Top row 5/7 · 5 letters · down
Which word finishes “___ CHILD (PLAYFUL SIDE)”? It fits I _ _ E _.
INNER
NOT FAR
6Not far
Top row 6/7 · 4 letters · down
Starts with N; pattern N _ _ _. “Not a deal” crosses it at the third square.
NEAR
enga-
7ENGA___
Top row 7/7 · 3 letters · down
The image carries “enga-”. Name the picture and keep only the letters hidden behind the dashes, beginning with G.
GED
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
GIVING FOOD
8Giving food
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
Shape: F _ _ D _ _ G. The fifth square is also part of “___ CHILD (PLAYFUL SIDE)”.
FEEDING
wind-
9Picture clue
Left column 2/9 · 2 letters · across
Work out the object in the picture, then drop the part already written on it (“wind-”). What is left starts with O.
OW
REVERSE DIRECTION
10Reverse direction
Left column 3/9 · 3 letters · across
Fits R _ _. “Elect someone” crosses it at the third square.
REV
EFFORT
11Effort
Left column 4/9 · 1 letter · across
Write the first letter of Effort, nothing more.
E
BURY
12Bury
Left column 5/9 · 5 letters · across
Shape: I _ _ E _. Its fourth letter is shared with “Having a stake”.
INTER
LEAVES
13Leaves
Left column 6/9 · 4 letters · across
Shape: G _ _ _. Solving “Elect someone” first gives you its third letter.
GOES
-ne
14Picture clue
Left column 7/9 · 2 letters · across
Work out the object in the picture, then drop the part already written on it (“-ne”). What is left starts with N.
NI
CORE NATURE
15Core nature
Left column 8/9 · 7 letters · across
E _ _ E _ _ E. Its fifth letter is shared with “__IVERSITY”.
ESSENCE
MSNBC HOST JOY
16Msnbc host joy
Left column 9/9 · 4 letters · across
Starts with R; pattern R _ _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Latin for 'yes'”.
REID
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
MIDLEG
17Midleg
Row 3, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Fits K _ _ _. Check the third letter against “Not far”.
KNEE
ELECT SOMEONE
18Elect someone
Row 3, col 4 · 4 letters · down
Shape: V _ _ _. “Bury” crosses it at the third square.
VOTE
NOT A DEAL
19Not a deal
Row 4, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Take one letter from each word of the clue, in order.
NAD
HAVING A STAKE
20Having a stake
Row 4, col 5 · 6 letters · down
Begins with V. Solving “Rotate” first gives you its fourth letter.
VESTED
MORE THAN
21More than
Row 5, col 3 · 4 letters · across
Starts with O; pattern O _ _ _. The third square is also part of “___ CHILD (PLAYFUL SIDE)”.
OVER
LOUD SOUND
22Loud sound
Row 5, col 3 · 5 letters · down
N _ _ S _. The fourth square is also part of “Core nature”.
NOISE
TITLE HOLDER
23Title holder
Row 5, col 8 · 5 letters · down
Shape: O _ _ E _. The fourth square is also part of “Core nature”.
OWNER
ODD
24Odd
Row 6, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Odd starts with the answer.
O
BRIDGE SHAPE
25Bridge shape
Row 6, col 7 · 4 letters · down
Begins with A. Its third letter is shared with “Core nature”.
ARCH
AIR WORTH
26Air worth
Row 7, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Take one letter from each word of the clue, in order.
AW
__IVERSITY
27__IVERSITY
Row 7, col 6 · 2 letters · down
Only the hidden letters of “__IVERSITY” go in the grid. First one: U.
UN
ROTATE
28Rotate
Row 8, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Starts with T; pattern T _ _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Bridge shape”.
TURN
LATIN FOR 'YES'
29Latin for 'yes'
Row 8, col 4 · 2 letters · down
Starts with S; pattern S _. Its second letter is shared with “Msnbc host joy”.
SI
HUMAN RESOURCE
30Human resource
Row 10, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Initials: the first letter of each word in “Human resource”.
HR
Crossword Challenge Level 687 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
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Puzzle 687 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 687 with us. Puzzle 688 is next, with 32 clues on a 8×10 board.