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Sunday Puzzle: Sandwich the letters

Sunday Puzzle
NPR
Sunday Puzzle

On-air challenge: I'm going to give you some six-letter words. Insert two new letters between the first and second letters of my word to make a familiar eight-letter word.

Example: BEHEAD --> BONEHEAD
1. ATOMIC
2. SUNKEN
3. LAMENT
4. MAROON
5. ORATOR
6. DONATE
7. CINDER
8. INSIDE
9. HACKER

Last week's challenge: The initial letters in the title of a popular movie from this century spell the name of a popular sitcom from the last century. What titles are these?

Challenge answer: "Snakes On A Plane" --> "Soap"

Winner: Mark Englehart of Seattle, Wash.

This week's challenge: This week's challenge comes from listener John Sieger, of Wauwatosa, Wis. Name a famous living movie star. Insert an R in the middle of the first name, and drop the last two letters of the last name. You'll get a familiar French phrase. What is it?

Submit Your Answer

If you know the answer to next week's challenge, submit it here by Thursday, May 19th at 3 p.m. ET. Listeners who submit correct answers win a chance to play the on-air puzzle. Important: Include a phone number where we can reach you.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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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).