PAIRS XXVI

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

October, 2025 

 

Place the same pair of letters on both dashes to complete the words. The letter pair will be different for each answer. #10 is a valid, but seldom-used word.

 

1. P _ _ IMET _ _

 

2. D _ _ IZ _ _

 

3. BA _ _ STA _ _

 

4. _ _ S _ _ RIZE

 

5. IN _ _ CTI _ _

 

6. _ _ _ _ DLY

 

7. C _ _ TORTI _ _ 

 

8. _ _ L _ _ BLE

 

9.  _ _ ST _ _ CT

 

10. REP _ _ RI _ _ E 

 

Answers:

 

1. pERimetER

2. dENizEN

3. baNDstaND

4. MEsMErize

5. inVEctiVE

6. VIVIdly

7. cONtortiON

8. PAlPAble

9. INstINct

10. repATriATe 

 

  

 

PAIRS XXXV 

Place the same pair of letters on both sets of dashes. The letter pair will be different for each answer.

1. _ _ RLI _ _ E

2. _ _ YLI _ _

3. _ _ CI _ _

4. B _ _ G _ _ E

5. _ _ EEPI _ _

6. C _ _ RTE _ _ S

7. H _ _ N _ _

8. _ _ R _ _ LADE

9. _ _ ST _ _ NE

10. V _ _ AL _ _ Y 

Answers:

1. CUrliCUe 

2. STyliST 

3. DEciDE

4. bAGgAGe

5. SHeepiSH

6. cOUrteOUs

7. hOBnOB

8. MArMAlade

9. POstPOne

10. vITalITy  

PAIRS XXXIV

Place the same pair of letters on both sets of dashes. The letter pair will be different for each answer.

1. _ _ AF _ _ T 

2. _ _ CKLI _ _

2. PA _ _ T _ _ G

4. F _ _ G _ _ NT

5. B _ _ DST _ _ D 

Answers: 

1. LEafLEt

2. NEckliNE

3. paINtINg

4. fRAgRAnt

5. bANdstANd

 

Credit:
Braingle  

PAIRS XXXIII

Place the same pair of letters on both set of dashes. The letter pair will be different for each answer.

1. A _ _ DV _ _ K

2. _ _ R _ _ LADE

3. C _ _ CLUSI _ _

4. P _ _ SSU _ _

5. S _ _ TIM _ _ T

6. _ _ OD _ _ RK

7. _ _ AMMA _ _

8. C _ _ RTE _ _ S

Answers:

1. aARdvARk

2. MArMAlade

3. cONclusiON

4. pREssuRE

5. sENtimENt

6. WOodWOrk

7. TEammaTE

8. cOUrteOUs  

 

PAIRS XXXII

1. Place the same pair of letters on both sets of dashes to complete common words. The letter pair will be different for each answer. 

BEG _ _ N _ _ G

PR _ _ ERV _ _

_ _ TB _ _ ND

H _ _ DG _ _ R 

2. Place the same trio of letters on the dashes to complete common words. The trio of letters will be the same for all three words.

_ _ _ IT

ABS _ _ _

F _ _ _ ID 

 

Answers:

 

1. begINnINg

    prEServES

    OUtbOUnd

    hEAdgEAr 

 

2. ORBit

    absORB

    fORBid 

 

PAIRS XXXI

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

February, 2025

 

Place the same pair of letters on both sets of dashes to complete a common word. The pair of letters will be different for each answer.

 

1. _ _ CTARI _ _

 

2. S _ _ RD _ _ GH

 

3. _ _ VE _ _ NCE

 

4. _ _ TER _ _ Y

 

5. _ _ STER _ _ AR

 

6. K _ _ DL _ _ G

 

7. C _ _ P _ _ ATE

 

8. B _ _ D _ _ NA

 

9. _ _ EPSA _ _

 

10. F _ _ EB _ _ D

 

Answers:

 

1. NECTARINE

2. SOURDOUGH

3. REVERENCE

4. WATERWAY

5. YESTERYEAR

6. KINDLING

7. CORPORATE

8. BANDANNA

9. KEEPSAKE

10. FIREBIRD   

PAIRS XXX

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

March, 2025

 

Place the same pair of letters on both sets of dashes to complete a common word. The pair of letters will be different for each answer. 

 

1. FOR _ _ WI _ _

 

2. _ _ NTERPIE _ _

 

3. IN _ _ NTI _ _

 

4. GRA _ _ STA _ _

 

5. TO _ _ TM _ _ TER

 

6. H _ _ B _ _

 

7. _ _ UR _ _

 

8. B _ _ D _ _ NA

 

9. PE _ _ _ _ ON

 

10. A _ _ ND _ _ NT

 

Answers:

 

1. FORTHWITH

2. CENTERPIECE

3. INVENTIVE

4. GRANDSTAND

5. TOASTMASTER

6. HUBBUB

7. CHURCH

8. BANDANNA

9. PETITION

10. AMENDMENT   

PAIRS XXIX

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

February, 2025

 

Place the same pair of letters on both sets of dashes to complete a common word. The pair of letters will be different for each answer.   

 

1. _ _ NC _ _ 

 

2. B _ _ VU _ _

 

3. MO _ _ TO _ _ US

 

4. _ _ RPI _ _ DE

 

5. _ _ N _ _ RE

 

6. _ _ CUR _ _ Y

 

7. _ _ _ _ CRY

 

8. BR _ _ ESMA _ _

 

9. M _ _ NT _ _ N

 

10. _ _ N _ _ CT 

 

Answers:

 

1. HONCHO

2. BRAVURA

3. MONOTONOUS

4. TURPITUDE

5. FANFARE

6. ACCURACY

7. MIMICRY

8. BRIDESMAID

9. MAINTAIN

10. CONCOCT  

PAIRS XXVIII

Place the same pair of letters onto both sets of dashes to complete a common word. The pair of letters will be different for each answer.

1. _ _ VE _ _ NESS

2. _ _ S _ _ DE

3. R _ _ OLV _ _

4. _ _ N _ _ RE

5. DI _ _ A _ _ E

6. _ _ F _ _ ITY

7. _ _ LLY _ _ CK

8. _ _ O _ _ IETY

9. _ _ AT _ _ N

Answers:

1. LIVELINESS

2. CASCADE

3. RESOLVES

4. FANFARE

5. DISTASTE

6. INFINITY

7. HOLLYHOCK

8. PROPRIETY

9. HEATHEN   

PAIRS XXVII

Place the same pair of letters on both sets of dashes to complete a common word. The pair will be different for each answer.

1. _ _ RLI _ _ E

2. _ _ YLI _ _

3. _ _ CI _ _

4. B _ _ G _ _ E

5. _ _ EEPI _ _

6. C _ _ RTE _ _ S

7. H _ _ N _ _

8. _ _ R _ _ LADE

9. _ _ ST _ _ NE

10. V _ _ AL _ _ Y  

Answers: 

1. CURLICUE

2. STYLIST

3. DECIDE

4. BAGGAGE

5. SHEEPISH

6. COURTEOUS

7. HOBNOB

8. MARMALADE

9. POSTPONE

10. VITALITY  

PAIRS XXVI

Place the same pair of letters on both sets of dashes to complete a common word. The pair of letter will be different for each answer.

1. H _ _ DR _ _ 

2. DI _ _ RU _ _ 

3. L _ _ OR _ _ E

4. L _ _ GU _ _ E

5. _ _ DA _ _ TED

6. _ _ QUI _ _

7. H _ _ R _ _ 

8. _ _ CA _ _ NT 

Answers:

1. HUMDRUM

2. DISTRUST

3. LICORICE 

4. LINGUINE

5. UNDAUNTED

6. REQUIRE

7. HORROR

8. DECADENT  

 

PAIRS XXV

Place the same pair of letters onto both sets of dashes to complete a common word. The pair of letters will be different for each answer.

1. CA _ _ F _ _ E

2. P _ _ N _ _

3. _ _TP _ _ RING

4. E _ _ RA _ _

5. _ _ CL _ _ ATION

Answer:

1. CAREFREE

2. PICNIC

3. OUTPOURING

4. ENTRANT

5. INCLINATION   

PAIRS XXIV

Place the same pair of letters onto both sets of blanks to complete a common word. The pair of letters will be different for each answer. 

1. _ _ ND _ _ DY

2. _ _ ABI _ _ TY

3. _ _ OS _ _ ATE

4. _ _ MA _ _

5. D _ _ M _ _ SAL

6. R _ _ TL _ _ S

7. _ _ GIB _ _

8. _ _ CTARIN _ _

Answers:

 1. LANDLADY

2. LIABILITY

3. PHOSPHATE

4. TOMATO

5. DISMISSAL

6. RESTLESS

7. LEGIBLE

8. NECTARINE 

PAIRS XXIII

Place the same pair of letters onto both sets of dashes to complete a common word. The pair of letter will be different for each answer.

1. W _ _ T _ _ R

2. RETI _ _ N _ _

3. L _ _ OR _ _ E

4. _ _ OS _ _ ORUS

5. _ _ EPSI _ _ ER

6. D _ _ _ _ G

Answers:

1. WHETHER

2. RETICENCE

3. LICORICE

4. PHOSPHORUS

5. STEPSISTER

6. DINING

PAIRS XXII

Place the same pair of letters onto both sets of blanks to complete a common word. The pair of letters will be different for each answer.

1. C _ _ P _ _ AL

2. _ _ TB _ _ ND

3. SO _ _ TI _ _ 

4. _ _ ADAC _ _

5. _ _ RE _ _ CK

6. E _ _ SHE _ _

7. BU _ _ AN _ _ R

8. A _ _ RE _ _ IVE

Answers:

1. CORPORAL

2. OUTBOUND

3. SOMETIME

4. HEADACHE

5. BAREBACK

6. EGGSHELL

7. BUCCANEER

8. AGGRESSIVE

PAIRS XXI

Place the same pair of letters onto both sets of blanks to complete a common word. The pair of letters will be different for each answer.

1. PA _ _ G _ _ PH

2. F _ _ TILIZ _ _

3. DI _ _ LLU _ _ ON

4. _ _ SE _ _ LL

5. _ _ AHOR _ _

6. U _ _ ERHA _ _

7. H _ _ EC _ _ ING

8. _ _ AT _ _ R

9. _ _ FO _ _ DED

Answers:

1. PARAGRAPH

2. FERTILIZER 

3. DISILLUSION

4. BASEBALL

5. SEAHORSE

6. UNDERHAND

7. HOMECOMING

8. HEATHER

9. UNFOUNDED   

PAIRS XX

Place the same pair of letters onto both sets of blanks to complete a common word. The pair of letters will be different for each answer.

1. C _ _ RTE _ _ S

2. K _ _ DL _ _ G

3. _ _ ST _ _ NE

4. S _ _ V _ _

5. _ _ N _ _ N

6. S _ _ UR _ _ E

7. _ _ M _ _ L

8. PI _ _ A _ _ 

Answers:

1. COURTEOUS

2. KINDLING

3. POSTPONE

4. SERVER

5. BONBON

6. SATURATE

7. MAMMAL

8. PIZZAZZ

PAIRS XIX

Dell PennyPress

Volume 129

 

Place the same pair of letters onto both sets of blanks to complete a common word. The pair of letters will be different for each answer.

 

For example, _ _ M _ _ L would be MAMMAL

1. P _ _ SEV _ _ E

2. T _ _ KM _ _ TER

3. R _ _ TL _ _ S

4. _ _ OS _ _ ATE

5. B _ _ K _ _ HE

6. _ _ ND _ _ DY

7. TO _ _ RAB _ _

8. N _ _ S _ _ ER

9. _ _ IL _ _ N 

 

Answers:

 

1. PERSEVERE

2. TASKMASTER

3. RESTLESS

4. PHOSPHATE

5. BACKACHE

6. LANDLADY

7. TOLERABLE 

8. NAYSAYER

9. MAILMAN 

PAIRS XVIII

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

April, 2022

Place the same pair of letters on both sets of blanks to complete a common word. The pair of letters will be different for each answer.

 

For example, _ _ CUR _ _ Y would be ACCURACY.

1. _ _ IT _ _ AT

2. _ _ QUI _ _

3. _ _ MISP _ _ RE

4. _ _ BL _ _

5. _ _ M _ _ L

6. U _ _ AR _ _ D

7. B _ _ _ _ A 

8. LI _ _ RA _ _

9. C _ _ PR _ _ ISE

10. _ _ R _ _ TUAL

Answers:

1. CHITCHAT

2. REQUIRE

3. HEMISPHERE

4. EMBLEM

5. MAMMAL

6. UNEARNED

7. BANANA

8. LITERATE

9. COMPROMISE

10. PERPETUAL

PAIRS XVII

Dell PennyPress Variety Puzzles

February 1, 2021 (1-4)

February 15, 2021 (5-11)

 

Place the same pair of letters onto both sets of blanks to complete a common word. The pair of letters will be different for each answer. For example, B_ _ TL _ _ D would be BOATLOAD.

1. _ _ TP _ _ R

3. _ _ CUR _ _ Y

3. _ _ MAN _ _ D

4. OR _ _ GUT _ _

5. O _ _ P _ _

6. U _ _ O _ _ ZE

7. B _ _ D _ _ NA

8. _ _ RSES _ _ E

9. A _ _ DV _ _ K

10. C _ _ PR _ _ ISE

11. NARC _ _ S _ _ M

 

Answers: 

 

1. OUTPOUR

2. ACCURACY

3. DEMANDED

4. ORANGUTAN

5. OUTPUT

6. UNIONIZE

7. BANDANNA

8. HORSESHOE

9. AARDVARK

10. COMPROMISE

11. NARCISSISM