Crossword Challenge Puzzle 959 Clues and Answers
This page covers all 30 clues of Crossword Challenge Puzzle 959, an 8×10 grid that mixes picture clues with short word clues.
Short answers dominate here: 11 of 30 fit in one or two squares. 4 clues are pictures, and 1 of those asks you to fill the gaps in a word printed on the image; 7 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 “In essence”.
Here is the shortcut for Puzzle 959: read the first letters of the top-row answers and you get the answer to “Plant science”. Read the first letters down the left edge and you get the answer to “In essence”. 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.
IN ESSENCE
1In essence
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
Shape: B _ _ I _ _ L _ _. “Accept” crosses it at the sixth square.
BASICALLY
RUST, FOR EXAMPLE
2Rust, for example
Top row 2/7 · 5 letters · down
Fits O _ _ D _. The fourth square is also part of “Identity”.
OXIDE
TURN OVER GROSS
3Turn over gross
Top row 3/7 · 3 letters · down
Abbreviate “Turn over gross” to its initials.
TOG
AUTHOR'S NOTE
4Author's note
Top row 4/7 · 2 letters · down
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 2 squares.
AN
BEFORE O
5Before o
Top row 5/7 · 1 letter · down
The alphabet letter right before O.
N
CLICKED IMAGE
6Clicked image
Top row 6/7 · 4 letters · down
Begins with I. Its third letter is shared with “Cow sound”.
ICON
7Picture clue
Top row 7/7 · 6 letters · down
Name the object in the picture. C _ _ C _ _. Solving “Match up” first gives you its fourth letter.
CLOCHE
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
PLANT SCIENCE
8Plant science
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
Begins with B. The fifth square is also part of “Before o”.
BOTANIC
NERVE FIBER
9Nerve fiber
Left column 2/9 · 4 letters · across
Starts with A; pattern A _ _ _. Check the third letter against “Turn over gross”.
AXON
-n
10Picture clue
Left column 3/9 · 3 letters · across
The image carries “-n”. Name the picture and keep only the letters hidden behind the dashes, beginning with S.
SIG
IDENTITY
11Identity
Left column 4/9 · 2 letters · across
Shape: I _. “Rust, for example” crosses it at the second square.
ID
12Picture clue
Left column 5/9 · 5 letters · across
Look at the picture and fit it to C _ _ T _. Solving “Didn't leave” first gives you its fourth letter.
CENTS
ACCEPT
13Accept
Left column 6/9 · 1 letter · across
Write the first letter of Accept, nothing more.
A
LEAP YEAR
14Leap year
Left column 7/9 · 2 letters · across
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 2 squares.
LY
15STATUE OF ___
Left column 8/9 · 7 letters · across
Picture plus words: “STATUE OF ___”. The answer opens with L.
LIBERTY
YES / NO
16Yes / no
Left column 9/9 · 2 letters · across
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 2 squares.
YN
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
CHLORINE SYMBOL
17Chlorine symbol
Row 3, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Begins with C. Its second letter is shared with the picture clue in the top row.
CL
AGATHA CHRISTIE GENRE
18Agatha christie genre
Row 3, col 6 · 7 letters · down
M _ _ T _ _ Y. The fifth square is also part of “Yield energy armor”.
MYSTERY
COW SOUND
19Cow sound
Row 4, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Begins with M. The third square is also part of the picture clue in the top row.
MOO
DIDN'T LEAVE
20Didn't leave
Row 4, col 5 · 6 letters · down
Starts with S; pattern S _ _ Y _ _. Its fourth letter is shared with “Yield energy armor”.
STAYED
MATCH UP
21Match up
Row 5, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Fits S _ _ _. Check the third letter against “Clicked image”.
SYNC
NATIONS LEAGUE
22Nations league
Row 5, col 4 · 2 letters · down
Abbreviate “Nations league” to its initials.
NL
HOUR
23Hour
Row 6, col 7 · 1 letter · across
Hour starts with the answer.
H
OPPOSITE OF LOVE
24Opposite of love
Row 6, col 7 · 4 letters · down
Starts with H; pattern H _ _ _. Solving “STATUE OF ___” first gives you its third letter.
HATE
SHOP TOOL
25Shop tool
Row 7, col 3 · 5 letters · across
L _ _ H _. The fourth square is also part of “Opposite of love”.
LATHE
___ AND YANG
26___ AND YANG
Row 7, col 3 · 3 letters · down
Say “___ AND YANG” out loud and the blank fills itself: Y _ _.
YIN
YIELD ENERGY ARMOR
27Yield energy armor
Row 8, col 4 · 3 letters · across
Initials: the first letter of each word in “Yield energy armor”.
YEA
BRAVE
28Brave
Row 8, col 4 · 1 letter · down
Write the first letter of Brave, nothing more.
B
YEMENI RIYAL
29Yemeni riyal
Row 8, col 8 · 2 letters · down
Abbreviate “Yemeni riyal” to its initials.
YR
TEXTILE ARTIST
30Textile artist
Row 10, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Fits D _ _ _. Solving “Opposite of love” first gives you its third letter.
DYER
Crossword Challenge Level 959 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
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Puzzle 959 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 959 with us. Puzzle 960 is next, with 32 clues on a 8×10 board.