Public Radio East serves Eastern North Carolina by providing news, fine arts, and informational programming that challenges, stimulates, educates, and entertains an intellectually curious audience.

© 2026 Public Radio East

Public Radio East
800 College Court
New Bern, NC 28562

EIN 56-1802728
Public Radio For Eastern North Carolina 89.3 WTEB New Bern 88.5 WZNB New Bern 91.5 WBJD Atlantic Beach 90.3 WKNS Kinston 89.9 W210CF Greenville
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Join our team! Public Radio East is hiring a Financial & Development Associate.

Sunday Puzzle: Palindrome Zone

Sunday Puzzle
NPR
Sunday Puzzle

On-air challenge: Every answer today is a 7-letter palindrome in two words — reading backward and forward the same. Get the palindromes from their clues.

Ex. #1 position (3,4) --> TOP SPOT

1. Indianapolis 500 vehicle (4,3)

2. Vehicle for taking sailors to Annapolis (4,3)

3. Very, very angry (4,3)

4. Call 911, e.g. (4,3)

Last week's challenge: Last week's challenge comes from listener Bob Bickel, of Severna Park, Md. Think of a five-letter word for things a lot of people complain about. Add a letter and rearrange the result to get an example of these things. Then add one more letter and rearrange to get a remedy for these things. Five, six, and seven letters, respectively. What words are these?

Challenge answer: Pains --> sprain --> aspirin

Winner: Karen Brock of Lawrence, KS.

This week's challenge: A tough one from listener Joe Becker, of Palo Alto, Calif. The "zh" sound can be spelled in many different ways in English — like the "s" in MEASURE; like the "g" in BEIGE; like the "z" in AZURE; like the "j" in MAHARAJAH; and like the "x" in LUXURY as some people pronounce it. The "zh" sound can also be spelled as a "t" in one instance. We know of only one common word this is true of, not counting its derivatives. What word is it?

Submit Your Answer

If you know the answer to the challenge, submit it here by Thursday, May 4th at 3 p.m. ET. Listeners whose answers are selected win a chance to play the on-air puzzle. Important: Include a phone number where we can reach you.

Copyright 2024 NPR

NPR's Puzzlemaster Will Shortz has appeared on Weekend Edition Sunday since the program's start in 1987. He's also the crossword editor of The New York Times, the former editor of Games magazine, and the founder and director of the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (since 1978).