Spy Sudoku for 7/22/2026: BORAX

Add a letter. Drop a letter. Solve the Sudoku puzzles to discover the hidden words.

Spy Sudoku is a new word game based on Word Sudoku. Each day, you're given a 5-letter word, and told which letter to take away or add, to solve a 4x4 and 6x6 Word Sudoku puzzle. Most of the week, the hidden words are ones you'll probably recognize—common and familiar. But Fridays and Sundays, you'll encounter unfamiliar words—no worries, the logic of Sudoku will lead you to the answers, and you'll learn some new words!

And on Sundays, you'll also be challenged to solve a 5x5 puzzle spelling out an anagram of the 5-letter word. I believe this is unique: I haven't seen anyone else providing 5x5 Word Sudoku puzzles.

I've constructed several years of daily puzzle sets I hope to syndicate. I'd love your feedback! Please use the blog comment feature to let me know what works for you, and what doesn't.

Today’s keyword is BORAX.
Drop "X" and use the remaining letters to solve the 4x4 puzzle.
Add "C" to the keyword to supply the letters to solve the 6x6 puzzle.

Today’s hidden words should be familiar to most players.

-X

BORAX

+C

Solutions tomorrow morning.

Thanks,
--Dave

 

Solutions to yesterday's Spy Sudoku puzzles

Yesterday's Spy Sudoku keyword: BOINK
4x4 (BOINK - I): KNOB
6x6 (BOINK + D): BODKIN

Thanks,
--Dave

 

New Word Sudoku Puzzle for Wednesday, 7/22/2026

N FUEL + SIX
8x8 Hidden Word Sudoku Puzzle
Each row, column and 2x4 rectangle contains these letters exactly once
The hidden word spells down the diagonal

Solution tomorrow morning.

Thanks,
--Dave

 

Solution to Tuesday's Word Sudoku Puzzle

Yesterday's 9x9 Hidden Word Sudoku puzzle was based on the letters in NOVATE + SIX (VEXATIONS).

A new puzzle in a few hours.

Thanks,
--Dave

 

Spy Sudoku for 7/21/2026: BOINK

Add a letter. Drop a letter. Solve the Sudoku puzzles to discover the hidden words.

Today’s keyword is BOINK.
Drop "I" and use the remaining letters to solve the 4x4 puzzle.
Add "D" to the keyword to supply the letters to solve the 6x6 puzzle.

Today’s hidden words should be familiar to most players.

-I

BOINK

+D

Solutions tomorrow morning.

Thanks,
--Dave

 

Solutions to yesterday's Spy Sudoku puzzles

Yesterday's Spy Sudoku keyword: BUNKO
4x4 (BUNKO - U): KNOB
6x6 (BUNKO + S): BUNKOS

Thanks,
--Dave

 

New Word Sudoku Puzzle for Tuesday, 7/21/2026

NOVATE + SIX
9x9 Hidden Word Sudoku Puzzle
Each row, column and 3x3 square contains these letters exactly once
The hidden word spells down the diagonal

Solution first thing in the morning.

Thanks,
--Dave

(A reminder that weekday puzzles in 2026 are based on words or phrases containing at least two of the letters in SIX, a puzzle form I call Missing Letter, Hidden Word Sudoku. Please see my amazon puzzle page www.bit.ly/WordSudokuBooks for a series of nine puzzle collections of this form that span the entire alphabet.)

 

Solutions to Monday's Word Sudoku Puzzles

Yesterday's 4x4 Hidden Word Sudoku puzzle was based on the letters in NU + IX (UNIX) and the 6x6 Hidden Word Sudoku puzzle was based on the letters in NATO + SX (TAXONS).

A new set of puzzles in a few hours.

Thanks,
--Dave

 

Spy Sudoku for 7/20/2026: BUNKO

Add a letter. Drop a letter. Solve the Sudoku puzzles to discover the hidden words.

Today’s keyword is BUNKO.
Drop "U" and use the remaining letters to solve the 4x4 puzzle.
Add "S" to the keyword to supply the letters to solve the 6x6 puzzle.

Today’s hidden words should be familiar to most players.

-U

BUNKO

+S

Solutions tomorrow morning.

Thanks,
--Dave

 

Solutions to yesterday's Spy Sudoku puzzles

Yesterday's Spy Sudoku keyword: MUCIN
4x4 (MUCIN - M): UNCI
6x6 (MUCIN + O): CONIUM
5x5: CUMIN

Thanks,
--Dave

 

New Word Sudoku Puzzles for Monday, 7/20/2026

NU + IX
4x4 Hidden Word Sudoku Puzzle
Each row, column and 2x2 square contains these letters exactly once
The hidden word spells out in the shaded cells

NATO + SX
6x6 Hidden Word Sudoku Puzzle
Each row, column and 2x3 rectangle contains these letters exactly once
The hidden word spells down the diagonal

Solutions first thing in the morning.

Thanks,
--Dave

 

Solution to the Sunday Challenge Word Sudoku Puzzle

Yesterday’s Sunday Challenge AEIOU 12x12 Hidden Word Sudoku Puzzle was based on the letters in LOCATE PUN + SIX (EXCULPATIONS).

New puzzles in a bit.

Thanks,
--Dave

 

Spy Sudoku for 7/19/2026: MUCIN

Add a letter. Drop a letter. Solve the Sudoku puzzles to discover the hidden words.

Today’s keyword is MUCIN.
Drop "M" and use the remaining letters to solve the 4x4 puzzle.
Add "O" to the keyword to supply the letters to solve the 6x6 puzzle.
Solve the 5x5 to discover a keyword anagram.

Today’s hidden words may be unfamiliar; Sudoku logic will reveal them!

-M

MUCIN

+O

Solutions tomorrow morning.

Thanks,
--Dave

All puzzles and text contained in this blog are copyright © 2008-2026, David H. Thompson. All rights reserved. Please tell your puzzle-loving friends to follow this blog. Thank you!

 

Solutions to yesterday's Spy Sudoku puzzles

Yesterday's Spy Sudoku keyword: BLUEY
4x4 (BLUEY - B): YULE
6x6 (BLUEY + R): BURLEY

Thanks,
--Dave

 

Sunday Challenge: New Word Sudoku Puzzle for Sunday, 7/19/2026

LOCATE PUN + SIX
Sunday Challenge: AEIOU Sudoku: 12x12 Hidden Word Sudoku Puzzle
Each row, column and 3x4 rectangle contains these letters exactly once
The hidden word or words spell down the diagonal

Solution first thing in the morning.

Thanks,
--Dave

(All puzzles and text contained in this blog are copyright © 2008-2026, David H. Thompson. All rights reserved. Please tell your puzzle-loving friends to follow this blog. Thank you!)

 

Solutions to the Saturday Paraprosdokian Sudoku Puzzles

Yesterday’s Qudoku puzzle sets spelled out wordplay known as a paraprosdokian.

The Sunday Challenge in a few hours.

Thanks,
--Dave

 

Spy Sudoku for 7/18/2026: BLUEY

Add a letter. Drop a letter. Solve the Sudoku puzzles to discover the hidden words.

Today’s keyword is BLUEY.
Drop "B" and use the remaining letters to solve the 4x4 puzzle.
Add "R" to the keyword to supply the letters to solve the 6x6 puzzle.

Today’s hidden words may be less familiar; Sudoku logic will reveal them!

-B

BLUEY

+R

Solutions tomorrow morning.

Thanks,
--Dave

 

Solutions to yesterday's Spy Sudoku puzzles

Yesterday's Spy Sudoku keyword: EXURB
4x4 (EXURB - X): RUBE
6x6 (EXURB + D): BRUXED

Thanks,
--Dave

 

New Word Sudoku (Paraprosdokian Sudoku!) Puzzles for Saturday, 7/18/2026

A fly was very close to being called a land … because that’s what it does half the time.

A paraprosdokian is wordplay where the latter part of a statement forces you to reinterpret the first part. The phrase intentionally leads you in one direction—misleads you into thinking one way—and then abruptly changes direction, ending with the unexpected twist. The origin of the word is Greek, meaning "against expectation."

Most of the statements in these weekly blog posts are actual paraprosdokians; you might possibly dispute a few. But since they’re still fun plays on words, I’m sharing them anyway.

Because paraprosdokians come in two parts, I present each part as a separate quote, each revealed by solving its own set of word Sudoku puzzles.

VINYLS
6x6 Word Sudoku Puzzle
Each row, column, 2x3 rectangle and set of circled cells contains the letters in the word exactly once

GARBED
6x6 Word Sudoku Puzzle
Each row, column, 2x3 rectangle and set of circled cells contains the letters in the word exactly once

ETCH
4x4 Word Sudoku Puzzle
Each row, column, 2x2 square and set of circled cells contains the letters in the word exactly once
Copy circled letters to the corresponding numbered cells in the quote grid to spell out the quote

WHINGE
6x6 Word Sudoku Puzzle
Each row, column, 2x3 rectangle and set of circled cells contains the letters in the word exactly once

STRAFE
6x6 Word Sudoku Puzzle
Each row, column, 2x3 rectangle and set of circled cells contains the letters in the word exactly once

OVUM
4x4 Word Sudoku Puzzle
Each row, column, 2x2 square and set of circled cells contains the letters in the word exactly once
Copy circled letters to the corresponding numbered cells in the quote grid to spell out the quote

Solutions first thing in the morning.

Thanks,
--Dave

 

Solutions to Friday's Word Sudoku Puzzles

Yesterday's 5x5 Hidden Word Sudoku puzzle was based on the letters in EPY + SX (PYXES) and the 7x7 Hidden Word Sudoku puzzle was based on the letters in TO BE + SIX (BOXIEST).

The Saturday paraprosdokian in a few hours.

Thanks,
--Dave

 

Spy Sudoku for 7/17/2026: EXURB

Add a letter. Drop a letter. Solve the Sudoku puzzles to discover the hidden words.

This month I am introducing a new word game based on Word Sudoku that I'm calling Spy Sudoku. After you ferret out what letters to use, solve two Word Sudoku puzzles to discover two hidden words.

Each day, you're given a 5-letter word, and told which letter to take away or add, to solve a 4x4 and 6x6 Word Sudoku puzzle. On Sundays, you'll also be challenged to solve a 5x5 puzzle spelling out an anagram of the 5-letter word. I believe this is unique: I haven't seen anyone else providing 5x5 Word Sudoku puzzles.

I've constructed several years of daily puzzle sets I hope to syndicate. I'd love your feedback! I may play with wording or puzzle alignment, etc., to try to make it as visually obvious as possible how to play the game. Please use the blog comment feature to let me know what works for you, and what doesn't.

Today’s keyword is EXURB.
Drop "X" and use the remaining letters to solve the 4x4 puzzle.
Add "D" to the keyword to supply the letters to solve the 6x6 puzzle.

Today’s hidden words may be unfamiliar; Sudoku logic will reveal them!

-X

EXURB

+D

Solutions tomorrow morning.

Thanks,
--Dave