Saturday, August 1, 2026

Spy Sudoku for 8/1/2026: COLED

Spy Sudoku is my 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. Fridays and Sundays, you may encounter unfamiliar words. But the logic of Sudoku will lead you to the answers, and you'll learn some new words!

On Sundays, you'll also be challenged to solve a 5x5 puzzle spelling out an anagram of the 5-letter word.

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 COLED.
Drop "C" and use the remaining letters to solve the 4x4 puzzle.
Add "I" to the keyword to supply the letters to solve the 6x6 puzzle.

Today’s hidden words should be familiar to most players.
-C
+I
Solutions tomorrow morning.

Thanks,
--Dave

 

Solutions to yesterday's Spy Sudoku puzzles

Yesterday's Spy Sudoku keyword: FUDGE
4x4 (FUDGE - G): FEUD
6x6 (FUDGE + L): GULFED

Thanks,
--Dave

 

New Word Sudoku (Paraprosdokian Sudoku!) Puzzles for Saturday, 8/1/2026

I would like to take you seriously … but to do so would be an affront to your intelligence.
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.

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

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

POUR
4x4 Word Sudoku Puzzle
Each row, column, 2x2 square and set of circled cells contains the letters in the word exactly once

STOW
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



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

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

KNOT
4x4 Word Sudoku Puzzle
Each row, column, 2x2 square 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 EN + SIX (NIXES) and the 7x7 Hidden Word Sudoku puzzle was based on the letters in OUTED + SX (TUXEDOS).
The Saturday paraprosdokian in a few hours.

Thanks,
--Dave

 

Friday, July 31, 2026

Spy Sudoku for 7/31/2026: FUDGE

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

Today’s keyword is FUDGE.
Drop "G" and use the remaining letters to solve the 4x4 puzzle.
Add "L" to the keyword to supply the letters to solve the 6x6 puzzle.

Today’s hidden words may be unfamiliar; Sudoku logic will reveal them!
-G
+L
Solutions tomorrow morning.

Thanks,
--Dave

 

Solutions to yesterday's Spy Sudoku puzzles

Yesterday's Spy Sudoku keyword: COLBY
4x4 (COLBY - B): CLOY
6x6 (COLBY + K): BLOCKY

Thanks,
--Dave

 

New Word Sudoku Puzzles for Friday, 7/31/2026

EN + SIX
5x5 Hidden Word Sudoku Puzzle
Each row, column and enclosed shape contains these letters exactly once
The hidden word spells out in the shaded cells


OUTED + SX
7x7 Hidden Word Sudoku Puzzle
Each row, column, diagonal and enclosed shape contains these letters exactly once
The hidden word spells out in the shaded cells

Solutions first thing in the morning.

Thanks,
--Dave

 

Solution to Thursday's Word Sudoku Puzzle

Yesterday's AEIOU 10x10 Hidden Word Sudoku puzzle was based on the letters in NEAT DUO + SIX (EXUDATIONS).

Another set of puzzles in a few hours.

Thanks,
--Dave

 

Thursday, July 30, 2026

Spy Sudoku for 7/30/2026: COLBY

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

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

Today’s hidden words should be familiar to most players.
-B
+K
Solutions tomorrow morning.

Thanks,
--Dave

 

Solutions to yesterday's Spy Sudoku puzzles

Yesterday's Spy Sudoku keyword: CLOUR
4x4 (CLOUR - O): CURL
6x6 (CLOUR + A): OCULAR

Thanks,
--Dave

 

New Word Sudoku Puzzle for Thursday, 7/30/2026

NEAT DUO + SIX
AEIOU Sudoku: 10x10 Hidden Word Sudoku Puzzle
Each row, column and 2x5 rectangle contains these letters exactly once
The hidden word spells down the diagonal

Solution first thing in the morning.

Thanks,
--Dave

 

Solution to Wednesday's Word Sudoku Puzzle

Yesterday's 8x8 Hidden Word Sudoku puzzle was based on the letters in N MATH + SIX (XANTHISM).

A new puzzle in a bit.

Thanks,
--Dave

 

Wednesday, July 29, 2026

Spy Sudoku for 7/29/2026: CLOUR

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

Today’s keyword is CLOUR.
Drop "O" and use the remaining letters to solve the 4x4 puzzle.
Add "A" to the keyword to supply the letters to solve the 6x6 puzzle.

Today’s hidden words should be familiar to most players.
-O
+A
Solutions tomorrow morning.

Thanks,
--Dave

 

Solutions to yesterday's Spy Sudoku puzzles

Yesterday's Spy Sudoku keyword: CHIRU
4x4 (CHIRU - U): RICH
6x6 (CHIRU + N): URCHIN

Thanks,
--Dave

 

New Word Sudoku Puzzle for Wednesday, 7/29/2026

N MATH + 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 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.)

 

Solution to Tuesday's Word Sudoku Puzzle

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

A new puzzle in just a bit.

Thanks,
--Dave

 

Tuesday, July 28, 2026

Spy Sudoku for 7/28/2026: CHIRU

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

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

Today’s hidden words should be familiar to most players.
-U
+N
Solutions tomorrow morning.

Thanks,
--Dave

 

Solutions to yesterday's Spy Sudoku puzzles

Yesterday's Spy Sudoku keyword: FLUNK
4x4 (FLUNK - L): FUNK
6x6 (FLUNK + Y): FLUNKY

Thanks,
--Dave

 

New Word Sudoku Puzzle for Tuesday, 7/28/2026

NUT RAG + 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

 

Solutions to Monday's Word Sudoku Puzzles

Yesterday's 4x4 Hidden Word Sudoku puzzle was based on the letters in NY + IX (IYNX) and the 6x6 Hidden Word Sudoku puzzle was based on the letters in NOAH + SX (XHOSAN).

More puzzles in a bit.

Thanks,
--Dave

 

Monday, July 27, 2026

Spy Sudoku for 7/27/2026: FLUNK

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. Fridays and Sundays, you may encounter unfamiliar words. But the logic of Sudoku will lead you to the answers, and you'll learn some new words!

On Sundays, you'll also be challenged to solve a 5x5 puzzle spelling out an anagram of the 5-letter word.

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 FLUNK.
Drop "L" and use the remaining letters to solve the 4x4 puzzle.
Add "Y" to the keyword to supply the letters to solve the 6x6 puzzle.

Today’s hidden words should be familiar to most players.
-L
+Y
Solutions tomorrow morning.

Thanks,
--Dave

 

Solutions to yesterday's Spy Sudoku puzzles

Yesterday's Spy Sudoku keyword: GEOID
4x4 (GEOID - I): DOGE
6x6 (GEOID + C): GEODIC
5x5: DOGIE

Thanks,
--Dave

 

New Word Sudoku Puzzles for Monday, 7/27/2026

NY + 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

NOAH + 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

 

Solutions to the Sunday (Did you hear?) Sudoku Puzzles

Yesterday’s Qudoku puzzle set spelled out a Did you hear? joke.
Did you hear about …
New puzzles in a few hours.

Thanks,
--Dave