SOMETHING IN COMMON IV
Credit: GAMES Magazine - Oct. 2006
Stephen Sniderman

In each puzzle below, the blanks before and after each word can be filled in with the same set of letters to form four longer words. For example, given the clue

_ I _ _
_ ID _ _
_ OR _ _
_ ARM _ _ ,

the answer letters would be WTH, and the answer words would be

WITH
WIDTH
WORTH
WARMTH

1)
_ ACHE _
_ TREE _
_ ALIEN _
_ CARRIES _

2)
_ _ _ AGE _
_ _ _ KIN _
_ _ _ DATE _
_ _ _ HANDLE _

3)
_ OUCH _
_ WENT _
_ RAGED _
_ REACHER _

4)
_ ED _ _
_ LOG _ _
_ HAM _ _
_ PART _ _

5)
_ _ GAR _
_ _ WAR _
_ _ LATE _
_ _ BUTTE _

6)
_ _ DOLE _ _
_ _ SURGE _ _
_ _ COHERE _ _
_ _ COMPETE _ _

7)
_ ADD _ _
_ HEED _ _
_ REST _ _
_ RINK _ _

Answers:

1)
SACHET
STREET
SALIENT
SCARIEST

2)
MANAGED
MANKIND
MANDATED
MANHANDLED

3)
TOUCHY
TWENTY
TRAGEDY
TREACHERY

4)
SEDAN
SLOGAN
SHAMAN
SPARTAN

5)
REGARD
REWARD
RELATED
REBUTTED

6)
INDOLENT
INSURGENT
INCOHERENT
INCOMPETENT

7)
WADDLE
WHEEDLE
WRESTLE
WRINKLE