Enigmarch 2023: Day 12

[tahnan]

PDF, text below. You can check your answer here. Disclaimer: genuinely my least favorite puzzle so far.

Enigmarch, Day 12: Towering Inferno

Welcome to Day 12, whose prompt is TOWER. The title of this puzzle is "Towering Inferno" not because it has anything to do with the movie, but because it's a disaster that should be set on fire.

Seriously, though, "tower" is such a rich theme, and I wanted to write a tall crossword, I could visualize it, but there was just no way I could execute it. Plus grocery shopping, plus watching the Oscars, plus we lost an hour last night? So I put this together instead, and it's not the puzzle I'd want to write, but this is Enigmarch and the important part is the process, and not producing perfect gems.

So here you go! There's a little missing (notably an "s" very late in the puzzle, but I think it's inferable enough), but at least it's a puzzle.

• AAADEEGGHLMNNNN
• AACCCGIIKLMN
• ABCDEEEEIMNPRRT
• ACCHILNOOORTT
• ACDEHT
• ADEEEFFHLMNOORRTTUUW
• AEEEFHHIILNOPRT
• AEEHMNOPRSS
• AEELLMMOOPRRRT
• AELLRST
• AENSTUW
• BBELMNOO
• CDDELOORRRW
• CEEGHNOPRRSTTTU
• CEGIJNOSTU
• CEGILNNNORSV
• DEEGJLMNNNOOTU
• EEGHHIIIOPRRSSSTY
• EHIILLMRSTW
• FLOOPRTU

Some words, each with at least a vague connection to a word you're looking for:

Language • Falling • Network • Ben • Skyline • Casing • Ship • Plane • Fair • Math • Intellect • Galileo • Princes • Fort • Rockcress • Music • Cohen • Gold • Tank • Sears