Will Shortz

Indiana

Weekend Edition Sunday Puzzle Master at NPR

Crossword Editor at The New York Times

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Sunday Puzzle: Earth Day categories

4 days ago | kpbs.org | Will Shortz

In honor of Earth Day on Tuesday, I've brought a game of Categories based on the word EARTH. For each category I give, name something in it starting with each of the letters E-A-R-T-H. For example, if the category were "Two-Syllable Girls' Names," you might say Ellen, Amy, Rachel, Tina, and Helen. Any answer that works is OK, and you can give the answers in any order. Note: In some cases there may be more than one answer.
Sunday Puzzle: What's that familiar phrase?

2 weeks ago | ctpublic.org | Will Shortz

On-air challenge: Every answer today is a familiar phrase in the form "___ and ___." You'll get the first and last words, but with a letter changed in each one. Figure out the familiar phrase. Ex. CRAZE & BARREN --> CRATE & BARREL1. BREAK & BUTLER2. CLOCK & DANGER3. BLACK & TICKLE4. ROUGE & FUMBLE5. WIELD & STREAK6. BLOCK & DICKER (commercial name)7.
PUZZLE 04062025

2 weeks ago | wesa.fm | Ayesha Rascoe |Will Shortz

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe plays the puzzle with WSHU listener Ted Heyn of Fairfield, Connecticut, along with Weekend Edition puzzlemaster Will Shortz.
Sunday Puzzle: Alphabetical arrangements

1 month ago | tpr.org | Will Shortz

On-air challenge: I'm going to name some things that are in categories -- like days of the week or U.S. states. Each one I name is second alphabetically in its category. You name the one that's first. Ex. Five --> Eight (alphabetically the first two digits)1. August2. Sight3. British Columbia4. Astros5. Columbia6. "Antony and Cleopatra"7. Huron8. BrooklynLast week's challenge: Last week's challenge comes from Joseph Young, who's a frequent contributor here. Name a famous island in eight letters.
Sunday Puzzle: Celebrity jeopardy

1 month ago | kuow.org | Will Shortz

Sunday Puzzle NPR On-air challenge: I'm going to give you clues to some famous people past or present. The first two letters of each clue are the initials of the answer's name. Ex. Master boxer --> Muhammed Ali1. Award-winning pop artist2. Appeared in "Scarface" and "Dog Day Afternoon"3. Eminent French president 4. Inventor of calculus5. Brought fame to the Yankees6. Married to Louis XVI7. Jocular host of HBO's "Last Week Tonight"8.
Sunday Puzzle: Eye-Oh

1 month ago | kuow.org | Will Shortz

Sunday Puzzle NPR On-air challenge: Today's puzzle is called "Eye-Oh." Every answer is a compound word or a familiar two-word phrase in which the first part has a long-I vowel sound, and the second part has a long-O one. Ex. Marker every 5,280 feet on a road --> MILEPOST1. Emergency craft for when a ship sinks2. Eastern, Central, Mountain or Pacific3. It's used to put out a conflagration 4. Rock material used in making the Great Pyramid of Giza5.
SUNDAY PUZZLE 03-09-25

1 month ago | npr.org | Ayesha Rascoe |Will Shortz

Audio will be available later today. NPR's Ayesha Rascoe plays the puzzle with WAMC listener Ellen Triebwasser of Red Hook, N.Y., and puzzlemaster Will Shortz.
Sunday Puzzle: Consonant Countries

1 month ago | boisestatepublicradio.org | Will Shortz

On-air challenge: Every answer today is the name of a country. I'm going to give you some words. For each one, name a country that has exactly the same consonants in the same order but with different vowels. Example: REMAIN --> ARMENIA or ROMANIA1. COMBED 2. FURNACE 3. AROUSES 4. U.S. OPEN 5. AL GORE 6. MANGLE 7. SINGLE 8. CLIMB 9. REWIND 10. CLONED 11. ORIGINATIONLast week's challenge: It comes from from Chad Graham of Philadelphia. Think of two classic music artists with multiple top 40 hits.
Sunday Puzzle: Compound word sets

2 months ago | wesa.fm | Will Shortz

On-air challenge: You'll get three words starting with the letters C, P, and R (as in the life-saving technique). For each set, give a fourth word that can follow to complete compound words or familiar two-word phrases. Example: Chain, Priority, Registered --> MAIL (chain mail, priority mail, registered mail)1. Cable Patrol Race2. Cash Piano Roll3. Cannon Paint Racquet4. Changing Powder Rest5. Card Periodic Round6. Coast Prison Rear7.
Sunday Puzzle: Compound word sets

2 months ago | wunc.org | Will Shortz

On-air challenge: You'll get three words starting with the letters C, P, and R (as in the life-saving technique). For each set, give a fourth word that can follow to complete compound words or familiar two-word phrases. Example: Chain, Priority, Registered --> MAIL (chain mail, priority mail, registered mail)1. Cable Patrol Race2. Cash Piano Roll3. Cannon Paint Racquet4. Changing Powder Rest5. Card Periodic Round6. Coast Prison Rear7.

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