What do five apparently unrelated clues have in common? The answer is a connecting word. It can name an object, a place, a natural phenomenon or an idea suggested by all five clues. The Italian edition uses 36 puzzles from pages 12–17 of Esercizi per tenere in forma la mente, volume two, by Dario De Toffoli and Dario Zaccariotto (Hachette); their solutions appear on pages 18–21. In the Find the word lab you can instead try 36 new puzzles written in English, one at a time.
How to play
Read the five clues and look for one word that explains them all. The clues may describe different features, uses or contexts of the answer. Enter your guess in the lab and check it. If you get stuck, request the first letter and the word’s length. The full solution remains hidden until you solve the puzzle or choose to reveal it. You can move to another puzzle without losing your solved count during the visit.
A simple example: Wall, Hands, Dial, Tick, Hour
The answer is CLOCK. It can hang on a wall, has hands and a dial, may tick and shows the hour. Notice that no single clue is decisive: a watch also has hands, but the wall clue helps narrow the answer.
A second example: Needle, North, Magnetism, Navigation, Directions
The answer is COMPASS. Its magnetic needle points north, giving directions for navigation. Start with a tentative answer after two clues, then use the remaining three to test it.
Which strategies help?
- Start with the most distinctive clues. A magnetic needle and north suggest a compass; then check the other three.
- Consider several possibilities. Hands and a dial could mean a clock or a watch; the wall clue helps you choose.
- Use the explanation. After solving, read how each clue contributes to the answer.
- Check all five clues. A word that explains only four is not yet a convincing solution.
Why is this a logic exercise?
It is not just a flash of intuition. You form a hypothesis, test it against five conditions and discard it if one does not fit. That is a small constraint-solving problem. The lab also displays an explanation after the answer, so you can discover the link you missed.
Language is part of the puzzle
The supplied book puzzles depend on Italian idioms, anagrams and cultural references. For instance, «DECINI» is an anagram of «INDICE», while «BI» is the provincial abbreviation for Biella. A literal translation would change those puzzles and often make them unsolvable. The Italian lab therefore keeps the book’s 36 puzzles; the English, French and Spanish labs each offer 36 different puzzles devised for their own language. You can switch language to explore another set.
Try it now
Open the interactive lab, choose a number from 1 to 36 or pick one at random. All five clues remain visible while you try; you can go back, ask for a hint or read the explained solution. Puzzles 1 and 2 make a good start before the less familiar themes.