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Sunday Puzzle: Math Is Necessary To Solve This One, But Don't Get Fancy

Sunday Puzzle.
NPR
Sunday Puzzle.

On-air challenge: I'm going to give you some 6-letter words. For each one insert two letters in the exact center to complete a familiar 8-letter word.

Ex. INNATE --> INNOVATE

1. ARGENT
2. VANISH
3. CORRAL
4. ROSARY
5. PANAMA
6. THOUGH
7. CARNAL
8. CRUDER
9. MANURE
10. CHAISE
11. ESTATE
12. OFFING
13. SUBTLE

Last week's challenge: Name a creature in 9 letters. It has two words in its name. Drop the consecutive letters U-R, and the result will name a major U.S. city in 7 letters. What is it?

Puzzle answer: Sea turtle --> Seattle

Puzzle winner: Mark Scott of Seattle, Wash.

Next week's challenge: If ELI is 173, and LOIS is 5,107, how much is LESLIE?
I gave this puzzle to a friend, who solved it in 5 seconds. No fancy math is needed.

Submit Your Answer

If you know the answer to next week's challenge, submit it here. Listeners who submit correct answers win a chance to play the on-air puzzle. Important: Include a phone number where we can reach you. The deadline is Thursday, June 1 at 3 p.m. ET.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

NPR's Puzzlemaster Will Shortz has appeared on Weekend Edition Sunday since the program's start in 1987. He's also the crossword editor of The New York Times, the former editor of Games magazine, and the founder and director of the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (since 1978).