SHUFFLE 'EM LXV

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

December, 2025

 

Two unrelated six-letter words with their letters in correct, but not consecutive order are combined in each row of letters below. To solve the puzzle, separate the two words. There are no extra letters and each letter is used only once. 

 

1. S B E Q F U O R A E R E

 

2. P R H A E A N R C T E H 

 

3. N U D O M U B E B L R E

 

4. S B R T E R A I T K E H

 

5. B L F R O I L U S L E Y

 

Answers:

 

1. SQUARE -  before

2. PRANCE - hearth

3. NUMBER - double

4. STRIKE - breath

5. BLOUSE - frilly  

 

 

CLEVER ENDEAVOR IV

Find rhyming synonyms (or near synonyms) for the two words in each pair.

Ex. RESOUNDING - An abrupt shift in topic

Ans. PLANGENT - TANGENT

 

1. HOLINESS - LIMITLESSNESS

2. ENIGMA - Mouth guard/restraint for a dog

3. NIMBLE - DELICATE

4. HINDER - ADMIT DEFEAT 

5. WALKER - HORSEBACK RIDER

6. THRIVE - SUSTAIN, as with food  

7. WILD - GERM-FREE

8. SMALL RESTAURANT - STRUT  

9. RE-CREATE A ROLL - LOATHE 

10. HELP - FIGHT BACK

 

Answers:

 

1. DIVINITY - INFINITY

2. PUZZLE - MUZZLE

3. AGILE - FRAGILE

4. IMPEDE - CONCEDE

5. PEDESTRIAN - EQUESTRIAN

6. FLOURISH - NOURISH

7. FERAL - STERILE

8. CAFE - SASHAY

9. REPRISE - DESPISE

10. ASSIST - RESIST  

FOODIE EXPRESSIONS II

Answer each clue with an expression containing a type of food or drink.

1. Pregnant

2. Earn a living 

3. Reveal a secret 

4. Calm and relaxed

5. Difficult situation  

6. Fail in public way

7. What's done is done 

8. VIP - sometimes said light-heartedly

9. Praise and flatter with a hidden motive 

10. You have to make a choice between two things

 

Answers:

 

1. Have a bun in the oven

2. Bring home the bacon

3. Spill the beans

4. Cool as a cucumber

5. In a pickle

6. Lay an egg

7. Don't cry over spilled milk.

8. Big cheese

9. Butter up

10. You can't have your cake and eat it too.  

CRYPTO CLUES CCXXVIII

GAMES Magazine  

August, 1986 

Mike Shenk (1-4)

Timothy Martin (5-7)

GAMES/World of Puzzles

September, 2015

Pam Wylder (8-10)

Bob Stigger (11)

 

1. Dried plum crop

 

2. Discover bananas in splits

 

3. Doctor Pasteur destroys papers

 

4. Central American nation hiding or in open view

 

5. Change lodgings

 

6. With a cab, circling a town in New York 

 

7. Dog and Hiawatha capturing famous Indian

 

8. Worker residing in modest hut

 

9. Ugly hat priced at a huge discount

 

10. Discover the traps out in the open

 

11. Oz tale involved a fanatic 

 

HINTS:

1. Homograph (two meanings)

2. Anagram

3. Anagram

4. Container

5. Homograph

6. Hidden word

7. Hidden word

8. Container

9. Anagram

10. Hidden word

11. Anagram 

 

Answers:

 

1. PRUNE

2. DIVORCES (discover)

3. TEARS UP (pasteur)

4. PANORAMA (pan or ama)  

5. QUARTERS

6. ITHACA (wITH A CAb)

7. GANDHI (doG AND HIawatha)

8. SHANTY (sh ant y)

9. DIRT CHEAP (hat priced)

10. OVERT (discOVER The traps)

11. ZEALOT (oz tale)  

 

 

NPR Weekend Edition Sunday Puzzle

August 2, 2026

Will Shortz 

 

Ex. A hand soap in reverse means "placed"

Ans: DIAL - LAID

 

1. A laundry soap in reverse means to make changes in text

 

2. A powdered drink mix in reverse means a flying insect pest

 

3. A canned meat in reverse means the contents of an atlas

 

4. A chewable antacid in reverse means obscene material

 

5. A cosmetic and skin care company in reverse means an exploding star

 

6. A rental car company in reverse means part of a Hindu trinity

 

7. A bygone Swedish car in reverse means the sounds of sheep

 

8. A brand of bottled water in reverse means easily fooled

 

9. Japanese watch maker in reverse means residents of the Sooner State 

 

10. A wafer cookie in reverse means a bold poker bet

 

11. A candy bar with chocolate covered wafers in reverse means (phonetically) a bit of strategy 

 

Answers:

 

1. TIDE - EDIT

2. TANG - GNAT

3. SPAM - MAPS

4. TUMS - SMUT

5. AVON - NOVA

6. AVIS - SIVA

7. SAAB - BAAS

8. EVIAN - NAIVE

9. SEIKO - OKIES

10. NILLA - ALL IN

11. KITKAT - TAKTIK (tactic)  

ANIMAL PHRASES III

Answer each clue with a two-word phrase in which one of the words is the name of an animal.

Ex. Swallow food quickly

Ans. WOLF DOWN

 

1. Informer, snitch

2. He "gets the worm" 

3. One who stays up late 

4. Very active and hardworking 

5. Having exceptionally good vision 

6. Treacherous/vicious/chaotic place 

7. Complex, time-consuming distraction

8. The best - cool and stylish in every way 

9. Very small, paltry - as an amount of money

10.  High, tight-fitting collar that folds over on itself

 

Answers:

 

1. Stool pigeon

2. Early bird

3. Night owl

4. Busy bee

5. Eagle-eyed

6. Snake pit

7. Rabbit hole

8. The cat's pajamas or The bee's knees

9. Chicken feed

10. Turtleneck  

 

EVERYBODY TALKS ABOUT IT  I

Answer each clue with a phrase containing a word related to weather.

Ex. Extremely parched

Ans. Bone dry  

 

1. Something good can come from a bad situation

 

2. Have a casual, friendly, but not serious conversation

 

3. An exaggerated problem - a big fuss over something small 

 

4. A brief moment of peace and calm before a busy or difficult period arrives

 

5. Confused, mixed-up

 

6. Sudden idea

 

7. On earth - where there's nothing new

 

8. Postpone or decline until a later date 

 

9. Extremely busy with work or other obligations 

 

10. Something will happen regardless of any other factors  

 

Answers:

 

1. Every cloud has a silver lining.

2. Shoot the breeze

3. Tempest in a teapot

4. Calm before the storm

5. In a fog

6. Brainstorm

7. Under the sun

8. Take a rain check

9. Snowed under

10. Come rain or come shine