DROP A LETTER - GET A NEW WORD CXLIV

GAMES/World of Puzzles

June, 2026

FAMILY REUNIONS

Bob Stigger

 

Drop one letter from each word and re-arrange the remaining letters to get ten related words.

 

1. LODGE

2. ROBIN

3. ZELDA

4. SVELTE

5. SABERS 

6. SHRIVEL

7. CLINKER 

8. CANISTER

9. MOOCHER 

10. HUMILITY 

 

HINTS:

First letters of the new words:

1. G

2. I

3. L

4. S 

5. B

6. S

7. N

8. A

9. C

10. L 

 

Answers: 

 

1. GOLD

2. IRON

3. LEAD

4. STEEL

5. BRASS

6. SILVER

7. NICKEL

8. ARSENIC

9. CHROME

10. LITHIUM - - - Metals

 

TRIPLES III

In each compound word or two-word phrase below, the same word can follow the first word and precede the second word to make up two other compound words or two-word phrases. What are the connecting words?

Ex:  HIGH POWER

(Possible) Ans: HORSE (high horse / horsepower)

 

Ex: OUTLINE

(Possible) Ans: SIDE (outside / sideline)

 

1. HOME RUN

2. HIGHBALL

3. LOW NOTE

4. RAP MUSIC

5. CRACK SHOT

6. FRENCH BREAD 

 

Answers:

 

1. FREE

2. JUMP

3. KEY

4. SHEET

5. POT

6. FRY  

 

GAMES/World of Puzzles

June, 2026

Stu Agler 

 

FRONT, MIDDLE, BACK

 

Below are clues - in random order - to words that start and end with the same letter, and also have that same letter somewhere in the middle of the word. The placement of the repeated letters is given below. Can you match them up with the clues?

 

1. Bribe of a sort              R _ _ _ R _ _ R

2. Court presentation       B _ _ B _ B

3. Naval fleet                   M _ _ _ M _ M

4. Garbage dump             E _ _ _ E _ _ E

5. Marijuana cousin         N _ N _ _ _ _ _ _ _ N

6. Direct confrontation     D_ _ _ D _ _ D

7. "Tree of Life"               H _ _ H _ _ H 

8. U of Maine location      K _ _ K _ _ K

9. Stockholder's earning    L _ _ _ _ _ LL

10. Upper limit                  F _ _ _ -_ _ F

10. Elementary school

      musical instrument      A _ M _ _ A 

11. Free from political

      affiliation                     O _ O _ O

 

Answers:

 

1. Bribe of a sort - KICKBACK

2. Court presentation - EVIDENCE

3. Naval fleet - ARMADA

4. Garbage dump - LANDFILL

5. Marijuana cousin - HASHISH

6. Direct confrontation - FACE-OFF

7. "Tree of Life" - BAOBAB

8. U of Maine location - ORONO

9. Stockholder's earning - DIVIDEND

10. Elementary school

      musical instrument - RECORDER

11. Free from political

      affiliation - NONPARTISAN  

WORDS OF A FEATHER

GAMES/World of Puzzles

June, 2026

Shawn Kennedy

 

Each clue answer consists of a type of fowl plus one extra letter - either at the front, middle, or back of the word. The number of blanks indicates the number of letters in the answer. The extra letter added to each fowl - in order - will spell out what you need to solve this puzzle.

 

 

1. AKC-recognized dog breed _ _ _ _ _ _

 

2. The world largest furniture retailer _ _ _ _

   

3. Took the car _ _ _ _ _

 

4. What three is, so they say _ _ _ _ _

 

5. Streamlet _ _ _ _ _

 

6. Be remorseful about _ _ _ _ _ 

 

7. Red Planet inhabitant _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 

 

8. Male suitor, in literature _ _ _ _ _ 

 

9. Like an apartment ready for immediate occupancy

    _ _ _ _ _ _ _   

 

10. Back of a boat _ _ _ _ _  

 

Answers:

 

1. BEAGLE (EAGLE + B)

2. IKEA (KEA + I)

3. DROVE (DOVE + R)

4. CROWD (CROW + D)

5. BROOK (ROOK + B)

6. REGRET (EGRET + R)

7. MARTIAN (MARTIN + A)

8. SWAIN (SWAN + I)

9. TURNKEY (TURKEY + N) 

10. STERN (TERN + S)  - - - - - - -  BIRDBRAINS

MIND FLEXERS CXLIV

Answer each clue by matching it with one of the choices below. The relationships are disguised by double meanings, altered spacing within words, and/or other wordplay.

1. Twin city

2. Microwave 

3. Visitor center 

4. Invasive plant 

5. Preacher's gift 

6. Go to the dogs 

7. Oak, Ruth, Pine

8. Place to be spotted 

9. He's met his match 

10. Take second or third

 

CHOICES:

a. Babe in the woods

b. Spy

c. Ripple

d. Bridegroom

e. Sit

f. Mush

g. Rome 

h. Past or present

i. Gym

j. Steal

 

Answers:

 

1. g - Rome (Romulus and Remus)

2. c - Ripple (micro wave)

3. e - Sit (viSITor)

4. b - Spy

5. h - Past or present (pastor present)

6. f - Mush

7. a - Babe in the woods (Babe Ruth)

8. i - Gym

9. d - Bridegroom

10. j - Steal (baseball) 

 

Credits:

1: Jack Hatchett

2: John Peterman

3: Scott Hogan

4: Brain Callahan

5: John Kugelman

6: Zhouqin Burnikel  

7: Rich Katz

8. Joe Marangell

9: Will Shortz

10. Craig Stowe  

  

CRYPTO CLUES CCXXXII

GAMES Magazine  

March, April 1982 

Games Editors (1-4) 

Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon (5-8)

 

All of the clues are hidden words.

 

1. Fabric seen in gray only

 

2. Truck on the outskirts of Londonderry 

 

3. Cheer leaders in rugby against Harvard

 

4. Italian greeting odd characters in Chicago

 

5. Heads of state are spared some impudence.

 

6. Luxury car seen at the fringe of Liberty, Mo.

 

7. Truck turned around in dime store

 

8. Ariadne, oddly, is a helper 

 

Answers:

 

1. RAYON (gRAY ONly)

2. LORRY  (LOndondeRRY)

3. RAH (Rugby Against Harvard)

4. CIAO (ChIcAgO)

5. SASS (State Are Spared Some)

6. LIMO (LIberty, MO)

7. SEMI (dIME Store)

8. AIDE (ArIaDnE) 

 

 

 FOUR-WORD MATCH

GAMES/World of Puzzles

June, 2026

Shawn Kennedy

 

In each grid, on each row, enter the same 3-letter word in the three blank squares to form 6-letter words reading across.

 

1. _ _ _ E R Y

    C _ _ _ ON

    HE _ _ _ H

    DEP _ _ _ 

 

2. _ _ _ DLE

    S _ _ _ TY

    VA _ _ _ T

    TOU _ _ _

 

3. _ _ _ ORE

    C _ _ _ EW

    FL _ _ _ Y

    THR _ _ _

 

4. _ _ _ GLE

   S _ _ _ CE

   BO _ _ _ Y

   TAR _ _ _

 

5. _ _ _ DOR

    S _ _ _ CE

    SE _ _ _ D

    FAL _ _ _

 

Answers:

 

1. ARTERY

    CARTON

    HEARTH

    DEPART

 

2. CANDLE

     SCANTY

     VACANT

     TOUCAN

 

3. ASHORE

    CASHEW

    FLASHY

    THRASH

 

4. TANGLE

    STANCE

    BOTANY

    TARTAN

 

5. CONDOR

    SCONCE

    SECOND

    FALCON