Crossword Challenge Puzzle 87 Clues and Answers
Crossword Challenge Puzzle 87 is an 8×10 board with 30 clues, and every one of them is answered below.
Short answers dominate here: 9 of 30 fit in one or two squares. 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; 4 clues are fill-ins, and 3 of them need only the missing letters. The longest answer runs 9 letters and belongs to “Upper hand”.
Start at the edges. The first letters of the 7 answers hanging from the top row spell the answer to “Financial record”, and the first letters of the 9 answers along the left edge spell the answer to “Upper hand”. 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.
UPPER HAND
1Upper hand
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
Begins with A. The sixth square is also part of the picture clue in the left column.
ADVANTAGE
DOCTRINE
2Doctrine
Top row 2/7 · 5 letters · down
Begins with C. The picture clue in the left column crosses it at the fourth square.
CREDO
33
Top row 3/7 · 3 letters · down
One word for the picture, starting with C. Its third letter is shared with “Animal doctor”.
CAT
OLYMPIC BEST
4Olympic best
Top row 4/7 · 2 letters · down
Initials: the first letter of each word in “Olympic best”.
OB
UNTO
5Unto
Top row 5/7 · 1 letter · down
Unto starts with the answer.
U
SPANISH FOR 'GIRL'
6Spanish for 'girl'
Top row 6/7 · 4 letters · down
Starts with N; pattern N _ _ _. Solving “SH___” first gives you its third letter.
NINA
BITINGLY SHARP
7Bitingly sharp
Top row 7/7 · 9 letters · down
Begins with T. Check the sixth letter against “Poet's "below”.
TRENCHANT
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
FINANCIAL RECORD
8Financial record
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
A _ _ O _ _ T. Its fifth letter is shared with “Unto”.
ACCOUNT
DULLY COLORED
9Dully colored
Left column 2/9 · 4 letters · across
Fits D _ _ _. Check the third letter against the picture clue in the top row.
DRAB
ANIMAL DOCTOR
10Animal doctor
Left column 3/9 · 3 letters · across
Starts with V; pattern V _ _. Its third letter is shared with the picture clue in the top row.
VET
d-
1111
Left column 4/9 · 2 letters · across
Work out the object in the picture, then drop the part already written on it (“d-”). What is left starts with A.
AD
NOT QUIET
12Not quiet
Left column 5/9 · 5 letters · across
N _ _ S _. The fourth square is also part of “Not new”.
NOISY
-ub
13Picture clue
Left column 6/9 · 1 letter · across
Work out the object in the picture, then drop the part already written on it (“-ub”). What is left starts with T.
T
IN BED
14In bed
Left column 7/9 · 4 letters · across
Fits A _ _ _. Check the third letter against “Clumsy oaf”.
ABED
-her
1515
Left column 8/9 · 3 letters · across
Work out the object in the picture, then drop the part already written on it (“-her”). What is left starts with G.
GOP
MINING TASK
16Mining task
Left column 9/9 · 7 letters · across
Shape: E _ _ R _ _ T. The fifth square is also part of “Free agent”.
EXTRACT
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
INFRA-RED
17Infra-red
Row 3, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 2 squares.
IR
THERE IS, IN FRANCE
18There is, in france
Row 3, col 6 · 4 letters · down
Shape: I _ _ _. “Not quiet” crosses it at the third square.
ILYA
SH___
19SH___
Row 4, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Fill the gap in “SH___”, but leave out the letters already shown. Starts with I.
INE
NOT NEW
20Not new
Row 4, col 5 · 4 letters · down
Starts with U; pattern U _ _ _. The third square is also part of “Poet's "below”.
USED
___ BATOR
21___ BATOR
Row 5, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Complete the phrase “___ BATOR”. Shape: U _ _ _.
ULAN
CLUMSY OAF
22Clumsy oaf
Row 5, col 4 · 5 letters · down
Fits I _ _ P _. Solving the picture clue in the left column first gives you its fourth letter.
INEPT
CREATOR
23Creator
Row 6, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Creator starts with the answer.
C
____TOR
24____TOR
Row 6, col 7 · 4 letters · down
“____TOR” is a word with a gap. Type just the gap, which begins with T.
TRAC
POET'S "BELOW"
25Poet's "below"
Row 7, col 3 · 5 letters · across
Fits N _ _ T _. Check the fourth letter against “____TOR”.
NEATH
PUT IN STORAGE
26Put in storage
Row 7, col 3 · 3 letters · down
Shape: B _ _. Solving “Mining task” first gives you its third letter.
BOX
__TING
27__TING
Row 8, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Fill the gap in “__TING”, but leave out the letters already shown. Starts with R.
RA
FREE AGENT
28Free agent
Row 8, col 6 · 2 letters · down
Take one letter from each word of the clue, in order.
FA
ADMIRER
29Admirer
Row 9, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Starts with F; pattern F _ _. “Bitingly sharp” crosses it at the third square.
FAN
AFTER Q
30After q
Row 9, col 5 · 1 letter · down
Step one letter forward from Q in the alphabet.
R
Crossword Challenge Level 87 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
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Puzzle 87 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 87 with us. Puzzle 88 is next, with 30 clues on a 8×10 board.