Crossword Challenge Puzzle 863 Clues and Answers
This page covers all 31 clues of Crossword Challenge Puzzle 863, 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. 4 clues are pictures, and 3 of those ask you to fill the gaps in a word printed on the image; 3 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, and 1 of it needs only the missing letters. The longest answer runs 9 letters and belongs to “Attainable”.
Here is the shortcut for Puzzle 863: read the first letters of the top-row answers and you get the answer to “Make new”. Read the first letters down the left edge and you get the answer to “Attainable”. 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.
ATTAINABLE
1Attainable
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
R _ _ C _ _ B _ _. Solving “Terrible” first gives you its sixth letter.
REACHABLE
DINE ON
2Dine on
Top row 2/7 · 3 letters · down
Fits E _ _. Solving “Bit of science” first gives you its third letter.
EAT
STARTING POINT
3Starting point
Top row 3/7 · 4 letters · down
Shape: F _ _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Bit of science”.
FROM
AFTER Q
4After q
Top row 4/7 · 1 letter · down
Step one letter forward from Q in the alphabet.
R
rock-
5Picture clue
Top row 5/7 · 2 letters · down
Picture word minus “rock” gives the answer. First letter: E.
ET
USE A BROOM
6Use a broom
Top row 6/7 · 5 letters · down
Shape: S _ _ E _. Its fourth letter is shared with “Bike that zips”.
SWEEP
SWEATSHIRT PART
7Sweatshirt part
Top row 7/7 · 4 letters · down
H _ _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Energy output”.
HOOD
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
MAKE NEW
8Make new
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
Starts with R; pattern R _ _ R _ _ H. Check the fifth letter against the picture clue in the top row.
REFRESH
sp-
9Picture clue
Left column 2/9 · 3 letters · across
The image carries “sp-”. Name the picture and keep only the letters hidden behind the dashes, beginning with E.
EAR
BIT OF SCIENCE
10Bit of science
Left column 3/9 · 4 letters · across
Shape: A _ _ _. Check the third letter against “Starting point”.
ATOM
CAB
11Cab
Left column 4/9 · 1 letter · across
Only one square: take the initial of Cab.
C
-mmer
12Picture clue
Left column 5/9 · 2 letters · across
Say what the picture shows. “-mmer” is printed on it, and the dashes are the letters you type. Starts with H.
HA
TERRIBLE
13Terrible
Left column 6/9 · 5 letters · across
Begins with A. Its fourth letter is shared with “Ski slope bump”.
AWFUL
14Picture clue
Left column 7/9 · 4 letters · across
Describe the picture in one word that fits B _ _ _. The third square is also part of “Run away”.
BALL
UNTRUTH
15Untruth
Left column 8/9 · 3 letters · across
L _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Run away”.
LIE
NEVER-ENDING
16Never-ending
Left column 9/9 · 7 letters · across
Starts with E; pattern E _ _ R _ _ L. Its fifth letter is shared with “Author's note”.
ETERNAL
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
HALF OF FOUR
17Half of four
Row 3, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Fits T _ _. Its third letter is shared with “Sweatshirt part”.
TWO
SKI SLOPE BUMP
18Ski slope bump
Row 3, col 5 · 5 letters · down
Starts with M; pattern M _ _ U _. The fourth square is also part of “Terrible”.
MOGUL
ENERGY OUTPUT
19Energy output
Row 4, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Abbreviate “Energy output” to its initials.
EO
BUDDY
20Buddy
Row 4, col 6 · 3 letters · down
Begins with P. “Terrible” crosses it at the third square.
PAL
BIKE THAT ZIPS
21Bike that zips
Row 5, col 3 · 5 letters · across
M _ _ E _. “Use a broom” crosses it at the fourth square.
MOPED
ARE EXPECTING
22Are expecting
Row 5, col 3 · 5 letters · down
A _ _ I _. Check the fourth letter against “Untruth”.
AWAIT
GLOBAL ACTION PLAN
23Global action plan
Row 6, col 4 · 3 letters · across
Initials: the first letter of each word in “Global action plan”.
GAP
RUN AWAY
24Run away
Row 6, col 4 · 4 letters · down
Starts with F; pattern F _ _ _. Solving “Untruth” first gives you its third letter.
FLEE
BANANA SKIN
25Banana skin
Row 6, col 8 · 4 letters · down
Begins with P. Its third letter is shared with “King kong”.
PEEL
PEOPLE
26People
Row 7, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Just the opening letter of People.
P
MASSAGE HAVEN
27Massage haven
Row 7, col 7 · 3 letters · down
Fits S _ _. Check the third letter against “Never-ending”.
SPA
FAL__
28FAL__
Row 8, col 6 · 2 letters · across
“FAL__” is a word with a gap. Type just the gap, which begins with S.
SE
AUTHOR'S NOTE
29Author's note
Row 8, col 6 · 2 letters · down
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 2 squares.
AN
KING KONG
30King kong
Row 9, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Fits A _ _. “Banana skin” crosses it at the third square.
APE
AFTER Q
31After q
Row 9, col 5 · 1 letter · down
Step one letter forward from Q in the alphabet.
R
Crossword Challenge Level 863 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
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Puzzle 863 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 863 with us. Puzzle 864 is next, with 31 clues on a 8×10 board.