Puzzle: Remove It, Replace It

On-air challenge: I'm going to give you some words that contain the consecutive letters I-T. For each word, change the I-T to two new letters to make a new word. Example: TITULAR --> TUBULAR1. IGNITE2. COMMIT3. CITRUS4. EXCITE5. CITRIC6. INVITE7. FINITE8. MARITAL9. EXPLOIT10. SMITTEN11. BACKBITE

Last week's challenge: This week's challenge comes from listener Harry Hillson of Avon-by-the-Sea, N.J. Think of an 8-letter word for something we all crave now. It consists of three consecutive men's nicknames. What are they?

Challenge answer: Normalcy (Norm + Al + Cy)

Winner: Rachel Cristy of Sacramento, Calif.

This week's challenge: This week's challenge comes from listener Neville Fogarty, of Newport News, Va. Think of a two-word direction or command. Take the first letter of the first word plus the entire second word, in order, and you'll get a common name for one receiving that direction or command. What is it?

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 by Thursday, July 16, at 3 p.m. ET. [Copyright 2020 NPR]