LOW SCORE WINS XVI

Add the fewest possible letters to each of the groups below - but at least one letter on each side - to complete common words.

1. _____ SEF _____

2. _____ CR _____

3. _____ TAF _____

4. _____ ENR _____

5. _____ AGL _____

6. _____ ERH _____

7. _____ EOR _____

8. _____ RDE _____

9. _____ YEN _____

10. _____ PR _____

HINT:

It can be done by adding 24 letters.

 

Answers:

 

1. USEFUL

2. ECRU

3. STAFF

4. GENRE

5. EAGLE

6. PERHAPS

7. THEORY

8. ORDER

9. HYENA

10. SPRY   

LOW SCORE WINS XV 

Add the fewest possible letters to each of the groups below - but at least one letter on each side - to complete common words.

1. _____ CCR _____

2. _____ IDN _____

3. _____ YPS _____

4. _____ MEO _____

5. _____ TME _____

6. _____ DWO _____

7. _____ K I I  _____  

8. _____ GBO _____

9. _____ HYT _____

10. _____ ADY _____

11. _____ ERA _____

12. _____ RKO _____

13. _____ ATY _____  

HINTS: 

Number of letters to be added for this solution:

1. 3

2. 3

3. 2

4. 4

5. 3

6. 4

7. 3

8. 4

9. 3

10. 4

11. 2

12. 4

13. 4

 

Answers:

 

1. ACCRUE

2. KIDNEY

3. GYPSY

4. SOMEONE

5. NUTMEG

6. WOODWORK

7. SKIING

8. TUGBOAT

9. RHYTHM

10. LADYBUG

11. FERAL

12. WORKOUT

13. KATYDID  

LOW SCORE WINS XIV

Add the fewest letters possible to each of the groups below - but at least one letter on each side - to complete common words. 

1. _____ WTE _____

2. _____ KWA _____

3. _____ DJU _____

4. _____ AGL _____

5. _____ ERH _____

6. _____ PR _____

7. _____ RPH _____

8. _____ ENR _____

9. _____ YEN _____

10. _____ CR _____

11. _____ CHI _____

12. _____ BRI _____  

HINTS: 

Number of letters to be added in this solution:
1. 3

2. 4

3. 3

4. 2

5. 4

6. 2

7. 3

8. 2

9. 3

10. 2

11. 3

12. 3 

 

(Possible) Answers:

 

1. PEWTER

2. AWKWARD

3. ADJUST

4. EAGLE

5. PERHAPS

6. SPRY

7. ORPHAN 

8. GENRE  

9. HYENA

10. ACRE or ECRU

11. ORCHID or  URCHIN

12. DEBRIS  

 

LOW SCORE WINS XIII

Add the fewest possible letters to the groups below - but at least one letter to each side - to complete the words. 

1. _____ EOR _____

2. _____ YM _____

3. _____ ZU _____

4. _____ SM _____

5. _____ BLO _____

6. _____ YEF _____

7. _____ LKM _____

8. _____ IRG _____

9. _____ SIG _____

10. _____ HNI _____

11. _____ DT _____

12. _____ EHI _____  

13. _____ GME _____ 

(Possible) Answers: 

1. THEOREM 

2. HYMN

3. AZURE

4. DISMAY

5. OBLONG

6. EYEFUL

7. MILKMAN

8. DIRGE

9. DESIGN

10. ETHNIC

11. WIDTH

12. BEHIND  

13. AUGMENT 

 

NOTE from JA:

This solution added 41 letters. 

LOW SCORE WINS XII 

Add at least one letter to each side of the partial words below to make the shortest possible new words. It can be done by adding 40 letters.

1. _____ EBB _____

2. _____ MON _____

3. _____ RFO _____

4. _____ GAD _____

5. _____ CIR _____

6. _____ THD _____

7. _____ FAI _____

8. _____ RUE _____

9. _____ RCT _____

10. _____ MBR _____

11. _____ SAT _____

12. _____ WKW _____

 

(Possible) Answers:

 

1. PEBBLE

2. AMONG

3. PERFORM

4. BRIGADE

5. ENCIRCLE

6. WITHDRAW or BIRTHDAY

7. UNFAIR or  AFFAIR

8. CRUET

9. ARCTIC

10. EMBRYO

11. ERSATZ

12. AWKWARD

LOW SCORE WINS XI

Add the fewest letters possible to the partial words below - but at least one per side - to form complete words. It can be done by adding 26 letters.

1. _____ ORL _____

2. _____ ADI _____

3. _____ RMA _____

4. _____ YB _____

5. _____ OUB _____

6. _____ LT _____

7. _____ UBU _____

8. _____ SCU _____

9. _____ DRI _____

10. _____ GIN _____ 

Answers:

1. WORLD

2. RADIO

3. FORMAT

4. MAYBE

5. DOUBT 

6. ALTO

7. SUBURB

8. RESCUE

9. ADRIFT

10. ENGINE

LOW SCORE WINS X

Add the fewest letters possible to the partial words below - but at least one letter per side - to form complete words. It can be done by adding 27 letters.

1. _____ UNS _____

 

2.  _____ BBU _____

3. _____ XC _____

4. _____ PKI _____

5. _____ EHO _____

6. _____ NDU _____

7. _____ OYF _____

8. _____ OX _____

9. _____ MO _____

10. _____ UTP _____

Answers:

1. SUNSET

2. HUBBUB

3. EXCEL

4. NAPKIN

5. BEHOLD

6. UNDUE (ENDUE)

7. JOYFUL

8. BOXY (FOXY)

9. SMOG

10. OUTPUT

LOW SCORE WINS IX

Add the fewest letters possible to the partial words below to make complete words - adding at least one letter to each side. It can be done by adding 21 letters.

1. _____ XCI _____

2. _____ HRO _____

3. _____ WD _____

4. _____ YS _____

5. _____ JEC _____

6. _____ UO _____

7. _____ YEF _____

8. _____ WHI _____

(Possible) Answers:

1. EXCITE

2. THROW

3. ROWDY

4. ABYSS

5. EJECT

6. BUOY

7. EYEFUL

8. AWHILE 

 

Bonus:

_____ YSS _____

 

Bonus Answer:

ODYSSEY

LOW SCORE WINS VIII

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

December, 2019

 

In this puzzle, you seek the lowest score possible. Add at least one letter to both sides of the letter groups to form eight common words - scoring one point per added letter. It can be done with a score of 19. That is, three words require the addition of two letters on one side or the other.

 

1. _____ TU _____

2. _____ VIN _____

3. _____ ADI _____

4. _____ ULG _____

5. _____ FGH _____

6. _____ HNI _____

7. _____BLO _____

8. _____REN _____

 

HINT:

The words that require two additional letters on one side or the other are 5, 6, and 7.

 

Answers:

 

1. STUB or STUD or STUN

2. OVINE

3. NADIR

4. BULGE

5. AFGHAN

6. ETHNIC

7. OBLONG

8. ARENA 

LOW SCORE WINS VII

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

April, 2019

 

In this puzzle, you seek the lowest score possible. Add at least one letter to both sides of the letter groups to form ten common words - scoring one point per added letter. It can be done with a score of 24. That is, four words require the addition of two letters to one side or the other. 

1. _____ POR _____

2. _____ EX _____

3. _____ NR _____

4. _____ ANO _____

5. _____ TRE _____

6. _____ GYL _____

7. _____ ITA _____

8. _____ TI _____

9. _____BY _____

10. _____UBT _____

 

HINT:

The words that require two additional letters on one side or the other are #3, 6, 9, and 10.

Answers:

 

1. SPORT

2. TEXT or  NEXT

3. GENRE

4. MANOR

5. STREW

6. ARGYLE

7. TITAN or VITAL

8. STIR or OTIC

9. ABYSS

10. SUBTLE

 

 

LOW SCORE WINS VI

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

September, 2019

 

In this puzzle, you seek the lowest score possible. Add at least one letter to each side of the letter groups to form fifteen common words - scoring one point per added letter. It can be done with a score of 34. That is, four words require the addition of two letters to one side or the other.

 

1. ______ SC ______

2. ______ RM______

3. ______ HU______

4. ______ JO ______

5. ______ YP ______

6. ______ NC ______

7. ______LTA ______

8. ______ ETT ______

9. ______ ICH ______

10. ______ RAT ______

11. ______ ZYM ______

12. ______ GUA ______

13. ______ PIE ______

14. ______ AGU ______

15. ______ BLI ______

 

HINT:

The words that require two additional letters on one side or the other are #1, 4, 12, and 15.

(Possible) Answers:

 

1. ASCOT or DISCO

2. ARMY

3. CHUM or SHUT or THUS

4. MAJOR

5. TYPE or TYPO

6. INCH

7. ALTAR

8. JETTY

9. NICHE 

10. GRATE or CRATE

11. ENZYME

12. IGUANA

13. SPIEL

14. VAGUE

15. PUBLIC or OBLIGE

LOW SCORE WINS V

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

August, 2019

 

In this puzzle, you seek the lowest score possible. Add at least one letter to each side of the letter groups below to form ten common words - scoring one point per added letter. It can be done with a score of 20. That is, every entry can be made into a word by adding one letter to each side.

 

1. ___ OIC ___

2. ___ PPE ___

3. ___ IFL ___

4. ___ RRA ___

5. ___YRU ___

6. ___ NFE ___

7. ___ IAN ___

8. ___ WIC ___

9. ___ XIS ___

10. ___ NNO ___

 

Answers:

 

1. VOICE

2. UPPER

3. RIFLE

4. ARRAY

5. SYRUP

6. INFER

7. PIANO (or VIAND)

8. TWICE

9. EXIST 

10. ANNOY 

LOW SCORE WINS IV

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

March, 2019

 

In this puzzle, you seek the lowest score possible. Add at least one letter to both sides of the letter groups below to form ten common words - scoring one point per letter added. It can be done with a score of 26. (Six words require the addition of two letters to one side or the other.) No plural S is allowed.

1. _____ ICT _____

2. _____ CR _____

3. _____ RET _____

4. _____ SCO _____

5. _____ AID _____

6. _____ CST _____

7. _____ RED _____

8. _____ NU _____

9. _____ CEB _____

10. _____ DIA _____

Answers:

 

1. VICTOR/VICTIM/ DICTUM

2. ACRE

3. ARETE*

4. ASCOT

5. MAIDEN

6. ECSTACY

7. EUREKA

8. SNUB/ONUS

9. ICEBOX

10 MEDIAN/INDIAN

 

*ARETE (a narrow ledge) is an obscure word in normal language, but a common one in crosswords. The original puzzle used PRETTY, which would increase the score to 27.

 

LOW SCORE WINS III

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

July, 2020

In this puzzle you seek the lowest score possible. Add at least one letter to both sides of the letter groups below to form eight common words - scoring one point per added letter. It can be done with a score of 26. (Six words require the addition of two letters to one or both sides)

1. _____ IA _____

2. _____ FE _____

3. _____ XT _____

4. _____ WK _____

5. _____ KR _____

6. _____ ZY _____

7. _____ FU _____

8. _____ HU _____

9. _____ SM _____ 

HINT:

The two words that require two letters added to each side are #6 and 9.

Answers:

 

1. BIAS or DIAL

2. OFFER

3. EXTOL or SIXTY

4. GAWKY

5. OKRA

6. ENZYME

7. AWFUL

8. SHUT or THUS 

9. DISMAY

LOW SCORE WINS II

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

December 15, 2018 

In this puzzle, you seek the lowest score possible. Add at least one letter to each side of the letter groups below to form ten common words - scoring one point per added letter. It can be done with a score of 25. (Four words require the addition of two or more letters to one side or the other.)

 

1. _____ GO _____

2. _____ BE _____

3. _____ XO _____

4. _____ TC _____

5. _____ PTU _____

6. _____ AUG _____

7. _____ BSC _____

8. _____ KEI _____

9. _____ OWT _____

10. _____ SUL _____

 

HINT:

The words that require two or more additional letters on one side or the other are #5, 7, 9, and 10.

Answers:

 

1. AGOG

2. OBEY or ABET

3. AXON

4. ETCH or ITCH

5. UPTURN

6. LAUGH

7. ABSCOND or OBSCENE

8. SKEIN

9. GROWTH or  BOWTIE

10. RESULT or INSULT

LOW SCORE WINS I
Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles
March, 2019

In this puzzle, you seek the lowest score possible. Add at least one letter to each side of the letter groups below to form ten common words - scoring one point per added letter. It can be done with a score of 25. That is, five words require the addition of two letters to one side or the other.

1. _____ CTE _____
2. _____ EOR _____
3. _____ RLA _____
4. _____ CH _____
5. _____ OG _____
6. _____ UE _____
7. _____ NDO _____
8. _____ BLI _____
9. _____ GUA _____
10. _____ SEF _____

HINT:
The words that require two additional letters on one side or the other are #2, 3, 8, 9, and 10.

(Possible) Answers:

1. OCTET
2. THEORY
3. BURLAP or PARLAY 
4. ACHE
5. LOGO or LOGE
6. DUET
7. ENDOW
8. PUBLIC or OBLIGE 
9. IGUANA
10. USEFUL