Crossword Challenge Puzzle 74 Clues and Answers
Crossword Challenge Puzzle 74 is an 8×10 board with 30 clues, and every one of them is answered below.
Expect plenty of tiny answers, 8 of them only one or two letters. 4 clues are pictures, and 1 of those asks 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. The longest answer runs 9 letters and belongs to “Licensed business model”.
Here is the shortcut for Puzzle 74: read the first letters of the top-row answers and you get the answer to “Ahead direction”. Read the first letters down the left edge and you get the answer to “Licensed business model”. 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.
LICENSED BUSINESS MODEL
1Licensed business model
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
F _ _ N _ _ I _ _. Its sixth letter is shared with “History”.
FRANCHISE
VERY ECCENTRIC
2Very eccentric
Top row 2/7 · 5 letters · down
Starts with O; pattern O _ _ R _. Check the fourth letter against “Nuclear reactor”.
OUTRE
CAM BUTTON
3Cam button
Top row 3/7 · 3 letters · down
Begins with R. The third square is also part of “Air-traffic control”.
REC
po--er
44
Top row 4/7 · 2 letters · down
Picture word minus “poer” gives the answer. First letter: W.
WD
TOP OF ALPHABET
5Top of alphabet
Top row 5/7 · 1 letter · down
A single letter or symbol answers “Top of alphabet”.
A
66
Top row 6/7 · 4 letters · down
Describe the picture in one word that fits R _ _ _. Check the third letter against “Wheel tooth”.
ROOT
77
Top row 7/7 · 3 letters · down
Look at the picture and fit it to D _ _. Check the third letter against “Wheel tooth”.
DOG
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
AHEAD DIRECTION
8Ahead direction
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
Shape: F _ _ W _ _ D. “Top of alphabet” crosses it at the fifth square.
FORWARD
FELT REMORSE
9Felt remorse
Left column 2/9 · 4 letters · across
Begins with R. Solving “Cam button” first gives you its third letter.
RUED
AIR-TRAFFIC CONTROL
10Air-traffic control
Left column 3/9 · 3 letters · across
Take one letter from each word of the clue, in order.
ATC
NUCLEAR REACTOR
11Nuclear reactor
Left column 4/9 · 2 letters · across
Initials: the first letter of each word in “Nuclear reactor”.
NR
LEBANESE TREE
12Lebanese tree
Left column 5/9 · 5 letters · across
Fits C _ _ A _. Its fourth letter is shared with “Bigheaded”.
CEDAR
HISTORY
13History
Left column 6/9 · 1 letter · across
History starts with the answer.
H
NATIVE OF IRAN
14Native of iran
Left column 7/9 · 7 letters · across
Starts with I; pattern I _ _ N _ _ N. Solving “Heart related” first gives you its fifth letter.
IRANIAN
1515
Left column 8/9 · 3 letters · across
What is shown in the image? Shape: S _ _. “Boringly plain” crosses it at the third square.
SUB
EXAMPLE GIVEN
16Example given
Left column 9/9 · 2 letters · across
Abbreviate “Example given” to its initials.
EG
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
OWNER OPERATOR
17Owner operator
Row 3, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Abbreviate “Owner operator” to its initials.
OO
HEART RELATED
18Heart related
Row 3, col 6 · 7 letters · down
Shape: C _ _ D _ _ C. The fifth square is also part of “Native of iran”.
CARDIAC
WHEEL TOOTH
19Wheel tooth
Row 4, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Fits C _ _. Check the third letter against the picture clue in the top row.
COG
BIGHEADED
20Bigheaded
Row 4, col 5 · 4 letters · down
Begins with V. Solving “Mountain spine” first gives you its third letter.
VAIN
BIG TANK
21Big tank
Row 5, col 4 · 3 letters · across
V _ _. Its third letter is shared with the picture clue in the top row.
VAT
BORINGLY PLAIN
22Boringly plain
Row 5, col 4 · 4 letters · down
Shape: D _ _ _. Solving “Native of iran” first gives you its third letter.
DRAB
HIGH MALE VOICE
23High male voice
Row 5, col 8 · 5 letters · down
Fits T _ _ O _. Check the fourth letter against “_ __-Z”.
TENOR
AFTER S
24After s
Row 6, col 7 · 1 letter · across
The alphabet letter right after S.
T
GARDEN ENTRY
25Garden entry
Row 6, col 7 · 4 letters · down
Begins with G. Solving “_ __-Z” first gives you its third letter.
GATE
MOUNTAIN SPINE
26Mountain spine
Row 7, col 3 · 5 letters · across
Shape: R _ _ G _. Solving “Garden entry” first gives you its fourth letter.
RIDGE
FLOOR COVER
27Floor cover
Row 7, col 3 · 3 letters · down
Starts with R; pattern R _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Example given”.
RUG
_ __-Z
28_ __-Z
Row 9, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Complete the phrase “_ __-Z”. Shape: A _ _.
ATO
INDUSTRY
29Industry
Row 9, col 5 · 1 letter · down
Write the first letter of Industry, nothing more.
I
CAKE DECORATOR
30Cake decorator
Row 10, col 4 · 4 letters · across
I _ _ _. “Garden entry” crosses it at the third square.
ICER
Crossword Challenge Level 74 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
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Puzzle 74 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 74 with us. Puzzle 75 is next, with 29 clues on a 8×10 board.