From The Enigma

National Puzzlers' League Magazine

May, 2026

COUSIN JOE

 

The two keywords, ONE and TWO, are anagrams. 

 

It is Dad to the rescue when the sons need

   advice,

Since a little ONE talk is enough to

   suffice.

For large problems, though, Mom  will

   come and join in,

So her extra TWO guidance helps go for

   the win. 

 

Answers:

 

PATERNAL - PARENTAL  

NPR Weekend Edition Sunday Puzzle

May 24, 2026

Will Shortz (1-10)

 

Change the two words in each clue below to a familiar phrase by anagramming one of them. For example, APPLE DICER would become APPLE CIDER. Which of the words to be anagrammed is for you to determine. 

 

1. Baker pedal

2. Blank serve

3. Legal fiber

4. Maids touch

5. Regal print

6. Dream guard

7. Dutch tater

8. Pearl drive

9. Clean tales

10. Shore sense

11. Quilt trinket

12. Junk reward

 

Answers:

 

1. Brake pedal

2. Blank verse

3. Legal brief

4. Midas touch

5. Large print

6. Armed guard

7. Dutch treat

8. Pearl diver

9. Clean slate

10. Horse sense 

11. Quilt knitter  

12. Junk drawer (perfect anagram) [semordnilap]

 

NPR Weekend Edition Sunday Puzzles 

May 3, 2026

Will Shortz

 

Each of the words and phrases below can be anagrammed into a German word that has been adopted into English. For example, GNATS could be anagrammed into ANGST.

 

1. PILES

2. ELIDES

3. MUTUAL 

4. WE'RE IN

5. POSTAGE 

6. GET LAST 

7. BENT OVER

8. ADULT WRENS 

 

Answers:

 

1. PILES - SPIEL

2. ELIDES - DIESEL

3. MUTUAL - UMLAUT

4. WE'RE IN - WIENER

5. POSTAGE - GESTAPO

6. GET LAST - GESTALT

7. BENT OVER - VERBOTEN

8. ADULT WRENS - WANDERLUST  

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

October 15, 2025

 

Find the names of ten U.S. presidents by adding one of the given letters to each word and re-arranging the letters. Each letter will be used only once.

 

E    F    G    H    K    L    R    S    T     W 

 

1. YENNED + ?             6. PRICE +?

 

2. TREY + ?                   7. LIONS +?

 

3. ARENA + ?                8. DARING + ?

 

4. TRACE + ?                9. ROD + ?

 

5. RANG + ?                 10. DOMAIN + ?

 

Answers:

 

1. K - KENNEDY

2. L - TYLER

3. G - REAGAN 

4. R- CARTER

5. T - GRANT

6. E - PIERCE

7. W- WILSON

8. H - HARDING

9. F - FORD

10. S - MADISON 

  

Each two-word phrase below can be anagrammed into two other words according to a certain pattern. Can you determine the pattern and the new words?

1. DARK BOG

2. COW MEAT

3. HOT WOOL 

4. ROIL ROAN

5. HASH BEEP 

6. ASHES SINK

7. GRAB LOWER 

8. BRANDY YOKE

 

Answers:

 

1. DOG BARK

2. CAT MEOW

3. OWL HOOT 

4. LION ROAR

5. SHEEP BAH 

6. SNAKE HISS

7. BEAR GROWL

8. DONKEY BRAY

 

Credit:

Braingle (1, 2, 6, 8)

From The Enigma

NPL Magazine

December, 2025

WITZ

 

The ONE and TWO keywords that answer this flat are anagrams.

 

His business is pickles and capers and

   such,

And olives well-stuffed are his best-selling 

   wares.

The ONE in the green morsels gives them 

   pizzazz;

Demand is increasing for what he 

   prepares.

 

He favors his family when choosing

   new staff -

His practice of TWO is a matter of trust,

But hires like that in the corporate

   world

Are bad for morale and are met with

   disgust. 

 

Answers:

 

ONE = PIMENTOS

TWO = NEPOTISM  

 

Each word and phrase below can be anagrammed into the name of a country.

1. BIG MULE

2. ROAD CUE

3. COMEDIAN

4. SAND HOUR 

5. OPERA SIGN

6. EARN GRANT  

 

HINTS:

First letters of the countries' names:

1. B

2. E

3. M  

4. H

5. S

6. A     

 

Answers:

 

1. BELGIUM

2. ECUADOR

3. MACEDONIA

4. HONDURAS

5. SINGAPORE

6. ARGENTINA  

 

Credit:
Braingle 

ANAGRAMS LX

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

March, 2025

 

Re-arrange the letters in each pair of words below to make a 6-letter word. The last letter of the word you make will be the first letter of the following word. The last letter of the last word formed will be the first letter of the first word formed.

 

1. DUO + IMP 

2. ARM + LOT

3. CAY + GEL

4. LYE + OWL

5. ONE + PAW

6. MEN + RUB

7. NET + PER 

8. PIT + RUN

 

Answers:

 

1. PODIUM

2. MORTAL

3. LEGACY

4. YELLOW

5. WEAPON

6. NUMBER

7. REPENT

8. TURNIP  

 

 ANAGRAMS LIX

SWITCHEROO II

NY Times Puzzle Mania

Will Shortz

 

Switch two letters in each word below to make a new word. For example, given the word LATENT, you could switch the L and T to get TALENT.

 

1. PARTLY

2. BUSTLE

3. RESIDE

4. ENSURED

5. LATITUDE

6. MILESTONE

7. INTERS

8. MISLEAD

9. BOLSTER

10. CONDOR

11. IMPUTES

12. CONVERSATION

13. CROONER

14. FLOAT

15. PATIOS

16. MILDNESS

17. IMPURE

 

Answers:

 

1. PALTRY

2. SUBTLE

3. DESIRE

4. ENDURES

5. ALTITUDE

6. LIMESTONE

7. INSERT

8. MISDEAL

9. LOBSTER

10. CORDON

11. IMPETUS

12. CONSERVATION

13. CORONER

14. ALOFT

15. PATOIS

16. MINDLESS

17. UMPIRE  

ANAGRAMS LVIII

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

April, 2025

 

FIND-A-WORD

 

What is the longest possible word that you can anagram from the letters of the words below? You may not use any letter more times than it appears in the listed word, and you may not be able to use all the letters of the listed word in your new word. As a hint, the number of letters in the anagrammed word is given in ( ).

 

1. MEDIAN (6)

2. RUMBLE (6)

3. JOURNAL (5)

4. ETHANOL (6)

5. HESITATE (7)

6. VENATION (8)

7. MATRIARCH (8)

8. YARDSTICK (7)

9. MICROSCOPE (8)

10. WHEELBARROW (7)

 

Answers:

 

1. MAIDEN

2. LUMBER

3. LUNAR

4. LOATHE

5. ATHEIST

6. INNOVATE

7. ARMCHAIR

8. DRASTIC

9. COMPOSER

10. LABORER   

ANAGRAMS LVII

 

SWITCHEROO I

NY Times Puzzle Mania

Will Shortz

 

Switch two letters in each word below to make a new word. For example, given the word TOILER, you might switch the T and L to make LOITER.

 

1. EXPECT

2. LATENT

3. MANTEL

4. REBATE

5. HURTLES

6. INTEND

7. SHAPE

8. GLOVER

9. SILVER

10. GATEWAY

11. RECOURSE

12. CANTON

13. RAMBLE

14. DAIRY

15. GRANDAM

16. CLANGING

17. MELON

18. LISPED 

19. WADDLE

20. SPRITE

 

Answers:

 

1. EXCEPT

2. TALENT

3. MANTLE or MENTAL

4. BERATE

5. HUSTLER

6. INDENT

7. PHASE

8. GROVEL

9. SLIVER 

10. GETAWAY

11. RESOURCE

12. CANNOT

13. MARBLE

14. DIARY

15. GRANDMA

16. GLANCING

17. LEMON

18. DISPEL

19. DAWDLE

20. STRIPE  

 

  

 

ANAGRAMS LVI

ANAGRAM SEXTETS

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles  

Volume 71 

 

Anagram each word or phrase to get new words that have something in common.

 

1. Rich sooner

    Led website 

    The plane 

    One petal 

    Log rail 

    Paroled  

 

2. Horrid chaps 

    Tenor mob

    Near obit 

    Clan rite

    Cop loci

    Groan 

 

Answers:

 

1. Rhinoceros

    Wildebeest

    Elephant

    Antelope

    Gorilla

    Leopard

 

2. Harpsichord

    Trombone

    Baritone 

    Clarinet

     Piccolo

     Organ        

       

     

ANAGRAMS LV

Anagram the two words below into names from Greek mythology.

1. ROAM + UNIT

2. EACH + SILL

3. ODIN + PESO

4. CUBE + ERRS

 

HINTS:

1. Beast

2. Hero

3. God 

4. Dog

 

Answers:

 

1. MINOTAUR

2. ACHILLES

3. POSEIDON

4. CERBERUS  

ANAGRAMS LIV

Use the hints to find anagrams for these words and phrases - some apt, some inapt, and some unrelated to the original word or phrase.

1. PEUNUMBRAS - S_ _ _ _ _ _ _

2. APPLE CRISP - P_ _ _ _   C_ _ _ _ 

3. GRANDMOTHER - A_ _ _ _  T_ _ _ _ _ 

4. DISPASSIONATELY - A  D_ _  I_  P_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

5. STAR TORCH SINGER - S_ _ _ _ _   O_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 

6. VANILLA ICE CREAM - A_ _  A_ _ _ _ _ _ _  V_ _ _ 

7. MARGARET THATCHER - T_ _ _  G_ _ _ _  C_ _ _ _ _ _ 

Answers:

1. SUPERMAN

2. PAPER CLIPS

3. ARMED THRONG

4. A DAY IS POINTLESS

5. STRING ORCHESTRA

6. ALL AMERICAN VICE

7. THAT GREAT CHARMER  

 

Credits:

1: Bob Stigger

5-6: Stella Zawistowski  

 

  

ANAGRAMS LIII

GAMES/World of Puzzles

September, 2025

Shawn Kennedy

 

Arrange the letters below to spell something to eat in 8 letters. Then drop one letter and arrange the remaining 7 letters to spell something else to eat. Finally, drop a letter from those letters and arrange the remaining 6 letters to again spell something to eat. 

 

FLEA  ATOM

 

Answers:

 

MEATLOAF

OATMEAL

TAMALE  

 

ANAGRAMS LII

BIRDAGRAMS

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

July, 2025

 

Can you anagram these phrases into the names of birds?

 

1. GOADS A CANOE

    C_____   G_____

 

2. THE CALF CRY

     F_____

 

3. TRANSLATE GRACE

    S_____   T_____

 

4. TAN SHAPE

    P_____

 

Answers:

 

1. CANADA GOOSE

2. FLYCATCHER

3. SCARLET TANAGER

4. PHEASANT  

 

 

ANAGRAMS LI

1. Can you anagram these phrases into the names of flowers, beginning with the given letter?

DOFF A LID - D

ANY HITCH - H

HANDY GEAR - H

A SILLY ARM - A

 

2. Can you anagram these phrases into the names of birds, beginning with the given letter?

 

HANGING TILE - N_____

UNDOING MOVER - M_____   D______ 

 

3. Can you anagram this phrase into a common family dinner staple?

 

AUTO CLEANSERS

T_____   C_____ 

 

4. An eye doctor was losing patients to LensCrafters. LensCrafters was his

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

 

5. Can you anagram these four words into three apt ones?

 

BUILT TO STAY FREE 

 

HINTS:

4: O_____    C_____ 

5: S_____  _____  _____ 

 

Answers:

 

1. DAFFODIL

    HYACINTH

    HYDRANGEA

    AMARYLLIS

 

2. NIGHTINGALE

    MOURNING DOVE

 

3. TUNA CASSEROLE

 

4. OPTOMETRIC COMPETITOR

 

5. STATUE OF LIBERTY 

 

Credit:

4: BARTOK 

    The Enigma

    July, 2025  

 

 

 

ANAGRAMS L 

Anagram the two words below into common phrases in the form of ______ and ______. 

1. VIDEO LOG

2. SEE IMPACT

3. REBATE OFFER

4. PERSONAL PAGES 

 

HINT 1:

1. G_____ and _____

2. S_____ and _____

3. B_____ and _____

4. A_____ and _____

 

HINT 2:

1. G_____ and E_____

2. S_____ and T_____

3. B_____ and A_____

4. P_____ and O_____ 

 

Answers:

 

1. Good and Evil

2. Space and Time

3. Before and After

4. Apples and Oranges  

 

ANAGRAMS XLIX

Use the hints to find anagrams:

1. MANUAL - A graduate

2. TAVERN VOICES - A political persuasion

3. COW MEAT - Animal sound

4. ASHES STINK - Animal sound

5. BRANDY YOKE - Animal sound

6. HOT ONUS - US City 

7. EACH ORGAN - US City

8. NOT A SCREAM - US City

9. SAFARI TOUCH - Country 

Answers:

1. ALUMNA

2. CONSERVATIVE 

3. CAT MEOW

4. SNAKE HISS

5. DONKEY BRAY

6. HOUSTON

7. ANCHORAGE

8. SACRAMENTO

9. SOUTH AFRICA  

 

ANAGRAMS XLVIII

ANAGRAM WORLD GEOGRAPHY

Can you anagram each phrase below into a capital city and its country?

1. ROYAL SWOON

2. PRINCES AFAR

3. IN MAD RAPIDS

4. DULLED RAIN BIN 

Answers:

1. OSLO, NORWAY

2. PARIS, FRANCE

3. MADRID, SPAIN

4. DUBLIN, IRELAND