Crossword Challenge Puzzle 859 Clues and Answers
This page covers all 30 clues of Crossword Challenge Puzzle 859, an 8×10 grid that mixes picture clues with short word clues.
Expect plenty of tiny answers, 9 of them only one or two letters. 3 clues are pictures, and 2 of those ask you to fill the gaps in a word printed on the image; 1 clue wants only the initials of the clue words; 3 want just the first letter of a single word; 5 clues are fill-ins, and 3 of them need only the missing letters. The longest answer runs 9 letters and belongs to the picture clue in the top row.
The edges of this grid check each other. The top-row answers begin with the letters of the answer to “Ice mass”, read left to right, and the left-column answers begin with the letters of the answer to the picture clue in the top row, read top to bottom.
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.
1Picture clue
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
One word for the picture, starting with G. Check the sixth letter against “Share top billing”.
GYROSCOPE
CRAZY PERSON
2Crazy person
Top row 2/7 · 4 letters · down
Begins with L. Its third letter is shared with “Royal order”.
LOON
pec-
3Picture clue
Top row 3/7 · 2 letters · down
Say what the picture shows. “pec-” is printed on it, and the dashes are the letters you type. Starts with A.
AN
CARBON
4Carbon
Top row 4/7 · 1 letter · down
Write the first letter of Carbon, nothing more.
C
"AM ___ A ROLL!"
5"AM ___ A ROLL!"
Top row 5/7 · 3 letters · down
The missing word in “AM ___ A ROLL!” starts with I.
ION
MAGAZINE MANAGER
6Magazine manager
Top row 6/7 · 6 letters · down
Starts with E; pattern E _ _ T _ _. “Thallium” crosses it at the fourth square.
EDITOR
ANSWER
7Answer
Top row 7/7 · 5 letters · down
Shape: R _ _ L _. The fourth square is also part of “Thallium”.
REPLY
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
ICE MASS
8Ice mass
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
Begins with G. The fifth square is also part of “AM ___ A ROLL!”.
GLACIER
cra-
9Not hither
Left column 2/9 · 3 letters · across
The image carries “cra-”. Name the picture and keep only the letters hidden behind the dashes, beginning with Y.
YON
ROYAL ORDER
10Royal order
Left column 3/9 · 2 letters · across
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 2 squares.
RO
"___ BITTEN, TWICE SHY"
11"___ BITTEN, TWICE SHY"
Left column 4/9 · 4 letters · across
Which word finishes “___ BITTEN, TWICE SHY”? It fits O _ _ _.
ONCE
AFTER R
12After r
Left column 5/9 · 1 letter · across
Step one letter forward from R in the alphabet.
S
SHARE TOP BILLING
13Share top billing
Left column 6/9 · 6 letters · across
Fits C _ _ T _ _. Its fourth letter is shared with “Military lookout”.
COSTAR
NOT HIDDEN
14Not hidden
Left column 7/9 · 5 letters · across
Shape: O _ _ R _. Solving “Military lookout” first gives you its fourth letter.
OVERT
O__RATION
15O__RATION
Left column 8/9 · 2 letters · across
“O__RATION” is a word with a gap. Type just the gap, which begins with P.
PE
BREAK OFF
16Break off
Left column 9/9 · 3 letters · across
Starts with E; pattern E _ _. Check the third letter against “Decide”.
END
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
EPIS___
17EPIS___
Row 3, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Only the hidden letters of “EPIS___” go in the grid. First one: O.
ODE
MILITARY LOOKOUT
18Military lookout
Row 3, col 5 · 6 letters · down
S _ _ T _ _. Its fourth letter is shared with “Share top billing”.
SENTRY
CUT WITH SCISSORS
19Cut with scissors
Row 4, col 4 · 4 letters · across
S _ _ _. The third square is also part of “Magazine manager”.
SNIP
LEGAL MATTER
20Legal matter
Row 4, col 4 · 4 letters · down
Starts with C; pattern C _ _ _. Solving “Share top billing” first gives you its third letter.
CASE
THALLIUM
21Thallium
Row 5, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Starts with T; pattern T _. The second square is also part of “Answer”.
TL
FROM BIRTH
22From birth
Row 5, col 6 · 5 letters · down
Fits N _ _ A _. Its fourth letter is shared with “Pull hard”.
NATAL
BOTHER
23Bother
Row 6, col 3 · 5 letters · across
Starts with A; pattern A _ _ O _. The fourth square is also part of “Magazine manager”.
ANNOY
STOVE
24Stove
Row 6, col 3 · 4 letters · down
Shape: O _ _ _. “O__RATION” crosses it at the third square.
OVEN
BLUE HUE
25Blue hue
Row 7, col 8 · 3 letters · down
Starts with S; pattern S _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Put”.
SKY
SKYHIGH
26Skyhigh
Row 8, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Write the first letter of Skyhigh, nothing more.
S
JOUR__L
27JOUR__L
Row 8, col 7 · 2 letters · down
Fill the gap in “JOUR__L”, but leave out the letters already shown. Starts with N.
NA
PULL HARD
28Pull hard
Row 9, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Fits Y _ _ _. Solving “JOUR__L” first gives you its third letter.
YANK
DECIDE
29Decide
Row 9, col 4 · 1 letter · down
Only one square: take the initial of Decide.
D
PUT
30Put
Row 10, col 5 · 3 letters · across
L _ _. “Blue hue” crosses it at the third square.
LAY
Crossword Challenge Level 859 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
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Puzzle 859 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 859 with us. Puzzle 860 is next, with 32 clues on a 8×10 board.