Sunday Puzzle: 5-To-7

On-air challenge: For each 5-letter word, add two letters at the end to complete a common, uncapitalized 7-letter word that is unrelated in meaning to the first one.

Example: UNCLE --> UNCLEAN or UNCLEAR

1. EXTRA

2. SURGE

3. MARSH

4. PLACE

5. SHELL

6. BLANK

7. INFER

8. INTER

9. COMMA

10. COLON

11. WHIST

12. FINES

13. MAXIM

14. AGAIN

15. VIOLA

16. DISCO

17. PLATE

18. BREAD

Last week's challenge: This week's challenge comes from listener Tyler Lipscomb of Hamden, Conn. If five = four, six = nine, and seven = five, what does twelve equal?

Challenge answer: 55. Consecutive letters in each number represent a number in Roman numerals: f(IV)e, s(IX), se(V)en, twe(LV)e

Winner: Adam Boyette of Fort Worth, Texas

This week's challenge: This is a two-week challenge from Lee Zion, of Lafayette, Minn. It may sound impossible, but it's not. You wake up trapped in a round room with six doors. A voice over a loudspeaker tells you that five of the doors are booby-trapped and will bring instant death if you try to open them. Only one door provides an opening that will get you out safely. The doors are evenly spaced around the room. They look exactly alike. Your only clue is that on the wall between each pair of doors is a large letter of the alphabet. Going clockwise, the letters are H, I, J, K, L and M. Which is the correct door that will get you out ... and why?

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 Wednesday, Sept. 4 at 3 p.m. ET. [Copyright 2019 NPR]