XYZ - ALMOST ANAGRAMS

From Reader's Digest

June, 2022

 

[Note from JA: Very difficult, in my opinion.]

The three words that fit in the blanks below are near anagrams of each other. Six of their seven letters are the same. The letter that is different in each word has been filled in for you, but it's up to you to find and re-arrange the remaining six (unique) letters to generate three common English words. 

1. _ _ _ X _ _ _

2. _ _ _ _ _ _ Y

3. _ _ Z _ _ _ _

 

HINTS:
Word #2 is the most common.

Word #1 is sometimes hyphenated.

Word #3 is in its superlative form. 

 

Answers:

 

1. COEXIST

2. SOCIETY

3. COZIEST