Puzzlecrypt: Puzzles with Cryptic Clues, Archives

Past Puzzles & Solutions

As a result of a meltdown on the part of our host in March of 2013, some files on this site were either lost altogether or altered in some way, for example, the hints for most of the puzzles. If you find anything amiss, please let me know by email, and I will try to fix it. Thank you.

Here are all the puzzles we've published to date. You'll find the first one of June 2001 relatively easy to solve, but many of the later puzzles are more difficult. We hope you enjoy the challenge of solving them.

2019 |2018 |2017 |2016 |2015 |2014 |2013 |2012 |2011 |2010 |2009 |2008 |2007 |2006 |2005 |2004 |2003 |2002 |2001

Puzzle #209 -- November 2018 "Hooha" [solution]

Puzzle #208 -- October 2018 "Early Bird" [solution]

Puzzle #207 -- September 2018 "A Friendly Puzzle" [solution]

Puzzle #206 -- August 2018 "Naturalist" [solution]

Puzzle #205 -- July 2018 "Alphabet Soup" [solution]

Puzzle #204 -- June 2018 "Heretic" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- June 2018 "Gloria Patri" [solution]

Puzzle #203 -- May 2018 "Solve" [solution]

Puzzle #202 -- April 2018 "Let's Play" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- April 2018 "Polo Matches" [solution]

Puzzle #201 -- March 2018 "Far-fetched" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- March 2018 "Revolutionary" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- February 2018 "Curtain Call" [solution]

Puzzle #200 -- January 2018 "Reprise" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- January 2018 "Mirage" [solution]

Puzzle #199 -- December 2017 "Finale" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- December 2017 "Lightning" [solution]

Puzzle #198 -- November 2017 "Philosopher" [solution]

Puzzle #197 -- October 2017 "Zzz" [solution]

Puzzle #196 -- September 2017 "Early Bird" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- September 2017 "Swirl" [solution]

Puzzle #195 -- August 2017 "No Exit" [solution]

Puzzle #194 -- July 2017 "Sleuth" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- July 2017 "Indeterminacy" [solution]

Puzzle #193 -- June 2017 "Seesaw" [solution]

"Who's That" by Arthur Schless [solution]

Puzzle #192 -- May 2017 "Comedy" [solution]

Puzzle #191 -- April 2017 "Film Noir" [solution]

"Unsecured" by Arthur Schless [solution]

Puzzle #190 -- March 2017 "Doctor Statistician" [solution]

Puzzle #189 -- February 2017 "Solve for X" [solution]

Puzzle #188 -- January 2017 "Primer" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- January 2017 "Cleave" [solution]

Puzzle #187 -- December 2016 "Nos Galan" [solution]

Puzzle #186 -- November 2016 "Ballot Box" [solution]

Puzzle #185 -- October 2016 "Poker Hand" [solution]

Puzzle #184 -- September 2016 "Contrapunctus" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- September 2016 "Self Reflection" [solution]

Puzzle #183 -- August 2016 "Countdown" [solution]

Puzzle #182 -- July 2016 "Over and Over" [solution]

Puzzle #181 -- June 2016 "Naturalist" [solution]

Puzzle #180 -- May 2016 "As You Like It" [solution]

Puzzle #179 -- April 2016 "Diarist" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- April 2016 "Look Ma, No Hands" [solution]

Puzzle #178 -- March 2016 "Entanglement" [solution]

Puzzle #177 -- February 2016 "50" [solution]

Puzzle #176 -- January 2016 "Cousins" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- January 2016 "Good Vibes" [solution]

Puzzle #175 -- December 2015 "Carambole" [solution]

Puzzle #174 -- November 2015 "Lagerstätte" [solution]

Puzzle #173 -- October 2015 "Steerage" [solution]

Puzzle #172 -- September 2015 "Hubble" [solution]

Puzzle #171 -- August 2015 "Autodidact" [solution]

Puzzle #170 -- July 2015 "Taste Test" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- July 2015 "Labyrinth" [solution]

Puzzle #169 -- June 2015 "Leporid" [solution]

Puzzle #168 -- May 2015 "The Pour" [solution]

Puzzle #167 -- April 2015 "Cetacea" [solution]

Puzzle #166 -- March 2015 "Practitioners" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- March 2015 "Beware" [solution]

Puzzle #165 -- February 2015 "Where are . . ." [solution]

Puzzle #164 -- January 2015 "Like I Need a Hole in the Head" [solution]

Puzzle #163 -- December 2014 "Bouquet" [solution]

Puzzle #162 -- November 2014 "Bluesman" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- November 2014 "Pareidolia" [solution]

Puzzle #161 -- October 2014 "House of Windsor" [solution]

Puzzle #160 -- September 2014 "Pianoforte" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- September 2014 "Three in a Row" [solution]

Puzzle #159 -- August 2014 "Cataract" [solution]

Puzzle #158 -- July 2014 "Hotspot" [solution]

Puzzle #157 -- June 2014 "Precious Metal" [solution]

Puzzle #156 -- May 2014 "Come to Your Senses" [solution]

Puzzle #155 -- April 2014 "Spaceman" [solution]

Puzzle #154 -- March 2014 "Straight" [solution]

Puzzle #153 -- February 2014 "Portrait of the Artist II" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- February 2014 "Catch me if you can" [solution]

Puzzle #152 -- January 2014 "Proof" [solution]

Puzzle #151 -- December 2013 "Turning Point" [solution]

Puzzle #150 -- November 2013 "Dead or Alive" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- November 2013 "Is it I? It is I" [solution]

Puzzle #149 -- October 2013 "Lullaby" [solution]

Puzzle #148 -- September 2013 "Scorecard" [solution]

Puzzle #147 -- August 2013 "Look-alikes" [solution]

Puzzle #146 -- July 2013 "Skyscraper" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- July 2013 "XGames" [solution]

Puzzle #145 -- June 2013 "Obstruction" [solution]

Puzzle #144 -- May 2013 "Omissions" [solution]

Puzzle #143 -- April 2013 "In Transit" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- April 2013 "Down and Out" [solution]

Puzzle #142 -- March 2013 "Round-Up" [solution]

Puzzle #141 -- February 2013 "What To Wear" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- February 2013 "Down" [solution]

Puzzle #140 -- January 2013 "Boundary" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- January 2013 "ESNASG RTSCG" [solution]

Puzzle #139 -- December 2012 "Hidden Treasure" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- December 2012 "Theaters" [solution]

Puzzle #138 -- November 2012 "Trade" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- November 2012 "Candy Maker" [solution]

Puzzle #137 -- October 2012 "Three Squares" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- October 2012 "Marxism" [solution]

Puzzle #136 -- September 2012 "Face Card" [solution]

Puzzle #135 -- August 2012 "Off to the Races" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- August 2012 "Feel the Beat" [solution]

Puzzle #134 -- July 2012 "Manual" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- July 2012 "Writer's Blocks" [solution]

Puzzle #133 -- June 2012 "Short Cut" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- June 2012 "Not A Clue" [solution]

Puzzle #132 -- May 2012 "Fairy Tale" [solution]

Puzzle #131 -- April 2012 "Fab Four" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- April 2012 "Remains to be Seen" [solution]

Puzzle #130 -- March 2012 "Second Choice" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- March 2012 "Covert" [solution]

Puzzle #129 -- February 2012 "First Choice" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- February 2012 "Unscripted" [solution]

Puzzle #128 -- January 2012 "The Strait" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- January 2012 "Turner Syndrome" [solution]

Puzzle #127 -- December 2011 "Dreaming" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- December 2011 "Acidify" [solution]

Puzzle #126 -- November 2011 "Voyagers" [solution]

Puzzle #125 -- October 2011 "Carrying the Torch" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- October 2011 "Quadruple" [solution]

Puzzle #124 -- September 2011 "Clew" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- September 2011 "Mount Doom" [solution]

Puzzle #123 -- August 2011 "A river runs through it" [solution]

Puzzle #122 -- July 2011 "Attitude" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- July 2011 "Connect the Dots" [solution]

Puzzle #121 -- June 2011 "Birthday" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- June 2011 "Product 19" [solution]

Puzzle #120 -- May 2011 "Side Effects" [solution]

Puzzle #119 -- April 2011 "Avram" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- April 2011 "You Don't Say" [solution]

Puzzle #118 -- March 2011 "Decuple" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- March 2011 "Hoofing It" [solution]

Puzzle #117 -- February 2011 "Pogo" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- February 2011 "Out With the Old" [solution]

Puzzle #116 -- January 2011 "Elementary" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- January 2011 "Banana" [solution]

Puzzle #115 -- December 2010 "Kris Kringle" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- December 2010 "Finger Crosser" [solution]

Puzzle #114 -- November 2010 "Moonshine" [solution]

Puzzle #113 -- October 2010 "Concerti" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- October 2010 "Office Visit" [solution]

Puzzle #112 -- September 2010 "Connections" [solution]

Puzzle #111 -- August 2010 "Don't Miss a Trick" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- July 2010 "Pot" [solution]

Puzzle #110 -- July 2010 "Topless" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- July 2010 "Star Wars" [solution]

Puzzle #109 -- June 2010 "Windings" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- June 2010 "Rumble, Rumble" [solution]

Puzzle #108 -- May 2010 "Digital" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- May 2010 "Wired" [solution]

Puzzle #107 -- April 2010 "Bull" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- April 2010 "Olla Podrida" [solution]

Puzzle #106 -- March 2010 "Seesaw" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- March 2010 "Annual Convention" [solution]

Puzzle #105 -- February 2010 "WiII" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- February 2010 "Draw A Blank" [solution]

Puzzle #104 -- January 2010 "Jumble" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- January 2010 "Novel" [solution]

Puzzle #103 -- December 2009 "The World's Biggest Atoll" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- December 2009 "Hit or Miss" [solution]

Puzzle #102 -- November 2009 "Terra Firma" [solution]

Puzzle #101 -- October 2009 "Cardiogram" [solution]

Puzzle #100 -- September 2009 "Long Time" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- September 2009 "Heaven Help Us" [solution]

Puzzle #99 -- August 2009 "Surfing" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- August 2009 "Toss" [solution]

Puzzle #98 -- July 2009 "Shape Up" [solution]

Puzzle #97 -- June 2009 "Hodgepodge" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- June 2009 "Get the Picture" [solution]

Puzzle #96 -- May 2009 "Child's Play" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- May 2009 "Enough Already" [solution]

Puzzle #95 -- April 2009 "Marketplace" [solution]

Puzzle #94 -- March 2009 "Animal Crackers" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- March 2009 "US Historical Landmark" [solution]

Puzzle #93 -- February 2009 "Eastern Seaboard" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- February 2009 "Word of the Year" [solution]

Puzzle #92 -- January 2009 "SOP" [solution]

Puzzle #91 -- December 2008 "What You Will" [solution]

Puzzle #90 -- November 2008 "Getting on your nerves" [solution]

John and Kevin's Acrostic --October 2008 [solution]

Puzzle #89 -- October 2008 "Euclidian Geometry" [solution]

Puzzle #88 -- September 2008 "Back to Back" [solution]

Puzzle #87 -- August 2008 "Hell's Angels" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- August 2008 "Size Matters" [solution]

Puzzle #86 -- July 2008 "Sphairistike" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- July 2008 "Fortune Cookie" [solution]

Acrostic Puzzle #34 --June 2008 [solution]

Puzzle #85 -- June 2008 "Shall We Dance?" [solution]

Puzzle #84 -- May 2008 "X" [solution]

Puzzle #83 -- April 2008 "Food Chain" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- April 2008 "Shock Value" [solution]

Puzzle #82 -- March 2008 "Exclusive" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- March 2008 "Deliverance" [solution]

Acrostic Puzzle #33 -- February 2008 [solution]

Puzzle #81 -- February 2008 "Unpronounceable" [solution]

Puzzle #80 -- January 2008 "Let's Face It" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- January 2008 "Numbers" [solution]

Puzzle #79 -- December 2007 "Gift Package" [solution]

Puzzle #78 -- November 2007 "Not!" [solution]

Puzzle #77 -- October 2007 "Polly Voo" [solution]

Puzzle #76 -- September 2007 "Special Delivery" [solution]

Puzzle #75 -- August 2007 "Hanoi" [solution]

Puzzle #74 -- July 2007 "Flying Colors" [solution]

Puzzle #73 -- June 2007 "Uncut" [solution]

Acrostic Puzzle #31 -- June 2007 [solution]

Puzzle #72 -- May 2007 "Mark My Word" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- May 2007 "To Be or Not To Be" [solution]

Acrostic Puzzle #30 -- April 2007 [solution]

Puzzle #71 -- April 2007 "Unstrung" [solution]

John's Acrostic -- March 2007 [solution]

Puzzle #70 -- March 2007 "Jigsaw Puzzle II" [solution]

Acrostic Puzzle #29 -- February 2007 [solution]

Puzzle #69 -- February 2007 "Lighten Up" [solution]

Bonus Puzzle -- January 2007 "In Vitro" [solution]

Puzzle #68 -- January 2007 "New Beginnings" [solution]

Puzzle #67 -- December 2006 "O What Fun" [solution]

Acrostic Puzzle #28--December 2006 [solution]

Puzzle #66 -- November 2006 "I Got Rhythm" [solution]

Puzzle #65 -- October 2006 "Summit Meeting" [solution]

Puzzle #64 -- September 2006 "Food for Thought" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- September 2006 "Ataxia" [solution]

Acrostic Puzzle #26--August 2006 [solution]

Puzzle #63 -- August 2006 "Portrait of the Artist" [solution]

Puzzle #62 -- July 2006 "Flying Circus" [solution]

Acrostic Puzzle #25--June 2006 [solution]

Puzzle #61 -- June 2006 [solution]

Guest Puzzle May 2006 "Painting by the Numbers" by Arthur Schless [solution]

Puzzle #60 -- May 2006 "The Buck Stops Here" [solution]

Puzzle #59 -- April 2006 "Double Entry" [solution]

Acrostic Puzzle #24--April 2006 by Accipiter [solution]

Puzzle #58 -- March 2006 "A Void" [solution]

Bonus Puzzle � March 2006 "Chessboard" [solution]

Puzzle #57 -- February 2006 "No Problem" [solution]

Acrostic Puzzle #23--February 2006 by Accipiter [solution]

Special Puzzle � January 2006 "Hat Trick " by Arthur Schless [solution]

Puzzle #56 -- January 2006 "Trappings" [solution]

Puzzle #55 -- December 2005 "Christmas Card" [solution]

Acrostic Puzzle -- December 2005 by John deCuevas [solution]

Special Puzzle � November 2005 "Encryption" by Arthur Schless [solution]

Puzzle #54 -- November 2005 "Clippings" [solution]

Puzzle #53 -- October 2005 "Dada" [solution]

Acrostic Puzzle #22 -- September 2005 [solution]

Puzzle #52 -- September 2005 "Rise and Fall" [solution]

Special Puzzle - "Looking High and Low" by Arthur Schless [solution]

Puzzle #51 -- August 2005 "Singularity" [solution]

Puzzle #50 -- July 2005 "A Celebration of Sorts" [solution]

Acrostic Puzzle #21 -- July 2005 [solution]

Puzzle #49 -- June 2005 "A Matter of Degree" [solution]

Puzzle #48 -- May 2005 "Higgledy-piggledy" [solution]

Acrostic Puzzle #20 -- May 2005 [solution]

Special Puzzle #4 -- April 2005 "Tournament" [solution]

Puzzle #47 -- April 2005 "Capital Punishment" [solution]

Puzzle #46 -- March 2005 "And now for something completely different" [solution]

Puzzle #45 -- February 2005 "Surface Tension" [solution]

Guest Puzzle -- February 2005 "Live! At the Apollo Theater" [solution]

Acrostic Puzzle #19 -- January 2005 [solution]

Puzzle #44 -- January 2005 "and the..." [solution]

Puzzle #43 -- December 2004 "Alphabet Soup" [solution]

Puzzle #42 -- November 2004 "1962" [solution]

Puzzle #41 -- October 2004 "Jigsaw Puzzle" [solution]

Acrostic Puzzle #18 -- October 2004 [solution]

Puzzle #40 -- September 2004 "Soliloquy" [solution]

Puzzle #39 -- August 2004 "What's Missing?" [solution]

Acrostic Puzzle #17 -- August 2004 [solution]

Puzzle #38 -- July 2004 "From Russia With Love" [solution]

Acrostic Puzzle #16 -- June 2004 [solution]

Puzzle #37 -- June 2004 "Stop By" [solution]

Puzzle #36 -- May 2004 "Safety First" [solution]

Puzzle #35 -- April 2004 "Just Do It" [solution]

Acrostic Puzzle #15 -- April 2004 [solution]

Puzzle #34 -- March 2004 "Fair Play" [solution]

Puzzle #33 -- February 2004 "Go with the Flow" [solution]

Acrostic Puzzle #14 -- February 2004 [solution]

Puzzle #32 -- January 2004 "Retrospective" [solution]

Puzzle #31 -- December 2003 "Yuletide Greetings" [solution]

Acrostic Puzzle #13--December 2003 [solution]

Puzzle #30 -- November 2003 "At Sixes and Sevens" [solution]

Puzzle #29 -- October 2003 "On the Up and Up" [solution]

Acrostic Puzzle #12--October 2003 [solution]

Puzzle #28 -- September 2003 "You are there" [solution]

Acrostic Puzzle #11--September 2003 [solution]

Puzzle #27 -- August 2003 "What is the title of this puzzle?" [solution]

Acrostic Puzzle #10--August 2003 [solution]

Acrostic Puzzle #9--July 2003 [solution]

Puzzle #26 -- July 2003 "Movie Stars" [solution]

Puzzle #25 -- June 2003 "Stompin' at the Savoy" [solution]

Acrostic Puzzle #8--June 2003 [solution]

Puzzle #24 -- May 2003 "Flights of Fancy" [solution]

Acrostic Puzzle #7--May 2003 [solution]

Puzzle #23 -- April 2003 "Minnie's Boys" [solution]

Acrostic Puzzle #6--April 2003 [solution]

Acrostic Puzzle #5--March 2003 [solution]

Puzzle #22 -- March 2003 "New Directions" [solution]

Special Puzzle #3--March/April 2003 "Off the Wall" [solution]

Puzzle #21 -- February 2003 "By the Horns" [solution]

Puzzle #20 -- January 2003 "On The Rise" [solution]

Acrostic Puzzle #4--January 2003 [solution]

Puzzle #19 -- December 2002 "Bargain Sale" [solution]

Acrostic Puzzle #3--December 2002 by Accipiter [solution]

Puzzle #18 -- November 2002 "Topsy-Turvy" [solution]

Acrostic Puzzle #2--November 2002 [solution]

Puzzle #17 -- October 2002 "Chicago Cubs" [solution]

Acrostic Puzzle #1--October 2002 [solution]

Puzzle #16 -- September 2002 "On the Couch" [solution]

Special Puzzle #2--August 2002 "E X I T" [solution]

Puzzle #15 -- August 2002 "Just Deserts" [solution]

Puzzle #14 -- July 2002 "Æstival" [solution]

Puzzle #13 -- June 2002 "Far Flung" [solution]

Puzzle #12 -- May 2002 "Treasure Hunt" [solution]

Guest Puzzle #1--April 2002 Contributed by Michael Warburton [solution]

Special Puzzle #1--April 2002 "Jumping Genes" [solution]

Puzzle #11 -- April 2002 "April" [solution]

Puzzle #10 -- March 2002 "Headless Feline" [solution]

Puzzle #9 -- February 2002 "Two Days" [solution]

Puzzle #8 -- January 2002 "Happy New Year" [solution]

Contest Puzzle #1-December 2001 "Solver's Delight" [solution]

Puzzle #7 -- December 2001 "A Visit from Saint Nick" [solution]

Puzzle #6 -- November 2001 "November" [solution]

Puzzle #5 -- October 2001 "October" [solution]

Puzzle #4 -- September 2001 "Labor Day" [solution]

Puzzle #3 -- August 2001 "August" [solution]

Puzzle #2 -- July 2001 "Born on the fourth of July" [solution]

Puzzle #1 -- June 2001 "Welcome" [solution]

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