Crossword Challenge Puzzle 856 Clues and Answers
This page covers all 30 clues of Crossword Challenge Puzzle 856, an 8×10 grid that mixes picture clues with short word clues.
Expect plenty of tiny answers, 10 of them only one or two letters. 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; 1 clue is a fill-in. The longest answer runs 9 letters and belongs to “Associate”.
Start at the edges. The first letters of the 7 answers hanging from the top row spell the answer to “Dispute”, and the first letters of the 9 answers along the left edge spell the answer to “Associate”. 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.
ASSOCIATE
1Associate
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
Starts with C; pattern C _ _ P _ _ I _ _. Its sixth letter is shared with “Exigency”.
COMPANION
fl---r
2In debt
Top row 2/7 · 3 letters · down
Say what the picture shows. “fl---r” is printed on it, and the dashes are the letters you type. Starts with O.
OWE
BEFORE O
3Before o
Top row 3/7 · 1 letter · down
Recite the alphabet up to O; the answer is its previous letter.
N
TELE TYPE
4Tele type
Top row 4/7 · 2 letters · down
Abbreviate “Tele type” to its initials.
TT
AT AN EARLY HOUR
5At an early hour
Top row 5/7 · 5 letters · down
Starts with E; pattern E _ _ L _. Solving “Spot of land” first gives you its fourth letter.
EARLY
PIVOT AROUND
6Pivot around
Top row 6/7 · 4 letters · down
Shape: S _ _ _. The third square is also part of “Move quickly”.
SLUE
10TH
710th
Top row 7/7 · 5 letters · down
Fits T _ _ T _. Solving “Spot of land” first gives you its fourth letter.
TENTH
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
DISPUTE
8Dispute
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
Begins with C. Its fifth letter is shared with “At an early hour”.
CONTEST
b--l
9Picture clue
Left column 2/9 · 2 letters · across
Picture word minus “bl” gives the answer. First letter: O.
OW
___ SCHOOL (DOCTOR'S TRAINING)
10___ SCHOOL (DOCTOR'S TRAINING)
Left column 3/9 · 3 letters · across
Which word finishes “___ SCHOOL (DOCTOR'S TRAINING)”? It fits M _ _.
MED
PARIS
11Paris
Left column 4/9 · 1 letter · across
Only one square: take the initial of Paris.
P
ORDERED SET
12Ordered set
Left column 5/9 · 5 letters · across
Fits A _ _ A _. Check the fourth letter against “Make unhappy”.
ARRAY
EXIGENCY
13Exigency
Left column 6/9 · 4 letters · across
Fits N _ _ _. Check the third letter against “Extremely serious”.
NEED
ba-
14Picture clue
Left column 7/9 · 2 letters · across
Picture word minus “ba” gives the answer. First letter: I.
IT
NEAT
15Neat
Left column 8/9 · 7 letters · across
Shape: O _ _ E _ _ Y. Check the fifth letter against “Emergency room”.
ORDERLY
SUBJECT WORD
16Subject word
Left column 9/9 · 4 letters · across
Shape: N _ _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Data unit”.
NOUN
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
FABLE
17Fable
Row 3, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Starts with T; pattern T _ _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Pivot around”.
TALE
EXTREMELY SERIOUS
18Extremely serious
Row 3, col 4 · 4 letters · down
Shape: D _ _ _. Check the third letter against “Ordered set”.
DIRE
MOVE QUICKLY
19Move quickly
Row 4, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Fits R _ _. Its third letter is shared with “10th”.
RUN
MAKE UNHAPPY
20Make unhappy
Row 4, col 5 · 6 letters · down
Shape: S _ _ D _ _. The fourth square is also part of “Opposite of alive”.
SADDEN
SPOT OF LAND
21Spot of land
Row 5, col 3 · 5 letters · across
Starts with I; pattern I _ _ E _. The fourth square is also part of “Pivot around”.
ISLET
VINTAGE LOOK
22Vintage look
Row 5, col 3 · 5 letters · down
Fits R _ _ R _. Check the fourth letter against “Neat”.
RETRO
HANDFUL
23Handful
Row 6, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Write the first letter of Handful, nothing more.
H
RESIST
24Resist
Row 6, col 7 · 4 letters · down
Begins with B. Solving “Neat” first gives you its third letter.
BALK
BIT
25Bit
Row 7, col 6 · 1 letter · across
Bit starts with the answer.
B
EMERGENCY ROOM
26Emergency room
Row 7, col 6 · 2 letters · down
Initials: the first letter of each word in “Emergency room”.
ER
COLORING AGENT
27Coloring agent
Row 7, col 8 · 3 letters · down
Starts with D; pattern D _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Kinetic energy”.
DYE
OPPOSITE OF ALIVE
28Opposite of alive
Row 8, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Starts with D; pattern D _ _ _. “Resist” crosses it at the third square.
DEAD
DATA UNIT
29Data unit
Row 8, col 4 · 2 letters · down
Abbreviate “Data unit” to its initials.
DU
KINETIC ENERGY
30Kinetic energy
Row 10, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Initials: the first letter of each word in “Kinetic energy”.
KE
Crossword Challenge Level 856 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
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Puzzle 856 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 856 with us. Puzzle 857 is next, with 30 clues on a 8×10 board.