critical thinking riddles for adults

85 Tricky Riddles for Adults That Will Really Test Your Knowledge

These brain-teasers range from super easy to downright mind-boggling.

We've got plenty of clever, hard and downright mind-boggling brain-teasers for you to solve. But if you're looking for something a little easier, we also got a ton of kid-friendly riddles you can figure with your children. There are also plenty of math riddles , too, which will come in handy as icebreakers during work meetings, in the classroom or at a party.

And don't think we just left you hanging with these questions. All of the answers to the mysteries are included.

Be sure to let us know which was your favorite in the comments below!

Easy Riddles

Q: What 5-letter word typed in all capital letters can be read the same upside down?

Q: The more you take, the more you leave behind. What am I?

A: Footsteps.

Q:David's father has three sons: Snap, Crackle, and _____?

Q: What is more useful when it is broken?

Q: I am easy to lift, but hard to throw. What am I?

A: A feather.

Q: Where do you take a sick boat?

A: To the dock-tor.

Q: Which fish costs the most?

A: A goldfish.

Q: What goes up, but never comes down?

Q: A cowboy rode into town on Friday. He stayed for three nights and rode out on Friday. How is this possible?

A: His horse's name is Friday.

Q: What has a neck but no head?

A: A bottle

Q: What is full of holes but still holds water?

A: A sponge

Q: How do you spell COW in thirteen letters?

A: SEE O DOUBLE YOU.

Q: Why is Europe like a frying pan?

A: Because it has Greece at the bottom.

Math Riddles

Q: If 2 is company and 3 is a crowd, what are 4 and 5?

Q: I add 5 to 9 and get 2. The answer is correct, so what am I?

A: A clock. When it is 9 a.m., adding 5 hours would make it 2 p.m.

Q: Rachel goes to the supermarket and buys 10 tomatoes. Unfortunately, on the way back home, all but 9 get ruined. How many tomatoes are left in a good condition?

Q: What is 3/7 chicken, 2/3 cat, and 2/4 goat?

A: Chicago!

Q: If a zookeeper had 100 pairs of animals in her zoo, and two pairs of babies are born for each one of the original animals, then (sadly) 23 animals don’t survive, how many animals do you have left in total?

A: 977 animals (100 x 2 = 200; 200 + 800 = 1000; 1000 – 23 = 977)

Q: I saw my math teacher with a piece of graph paper yesterday.

A: I think he must be plotting something.

Q: If you multiply this number by any other number, the answer will always be the same. What number is this?

Q: I am an odd number. Take away a letter and I become even. What number am I?

Q: What 3 numbers give the same result when multiplied and added together?

A: 1, 2, and 3 (1 + 2 + 3 = 6 and 1 x 2 x 3 = 6).

Q: What's a single-digit number with no value?

Q: A tree doubled in height each year until it reached its maximum height over the course of ten years. How many years did it take for the tree to reach half its maximum height?

A: Nine years.

Funny Riddles

Q: How can you drop a raw egg from a height onto a concrete floor without cracking it?

A: Concrete floors are very hard to crack.

Q: Pronounced as 1 letter, And written with 3, 2 letters there are, and 2 only in me. I’m double, I’m single, I’m black blue, and gray, I’m read from both ends, and the same either way. What am I?

Q: Who has married many women but was never married?

A: The priest

Q: Forward, I am heavy; backward, I am not. What am I?

Q: What can you hold in your right hand, but never in your left hand?

A: Your left hand.

Q: If two snakes marry, what will their towels say?

A: Hiss and hers

Q: What does a man do only once in his lifetime, but women do once a year after they are 29?

Hard Riddles

Q: Four cars come to a four-way stop, each coming from a different direction. They can’t decide who got there first, so they all go forward at the same time. All 4 cars go, but none crash into each other. How is this possible?

A: They all made right-hand turns.

Q: I have a head like a cat and feet like a cat, but I am not a cat. What am I?

A: A kitten.

Q: Who makes it, has no need of it. Who buys it, has no use for it. Who uses it can neither see nor feel it. What is it?

A: A coffin.

Q: What has hands but cannot clap?

A: A clock.

Q: Paul's height is six feet, he's an assistant at a butcher's shop, and wears size 9 shoes. What does he weigh?

Q: What gets broken without being held?

A: A promise.

Q: Poor people have it. Rich people need it. If you eat it you die. What is it?

A: Nothing.

Q: What is the longest word in the dictionary?

A: Smiles, because there is a mile between each ‘s’.

Q: Throw away the outside and cook the inside, then eat the outside and throw away the inside. What is it?

A: Corn on the cob.

Q: What is at the end of a rainbow?

A: The letter W!

Q: What kind of tree can you carry in your hand?

Q: They come out at night without being called, and are lost in the day without being stolen. What are they?

Q: What is always in front of you, but can’t be seen?

A: The future.

Q: You’ll find me in Mercury, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus. But never Neptune, or Venus. What am I?

A: The letter “R”.

Q: How many months have 28 days?

A: Every month has 28 days.

Q: I can be cracked, made, told, and played. What am I?

Q: I cannot talk, but I always reply when spoken to. What am I?

A: An echo.

Q: When is the top of a mountain similar to a savings account?

A: When it peaks one’s interest.

Q: A man goes out for a walk during a storm with nothing to protect him from the rain. He doesn’t have a hat, a hood, or an umbrella. But by the end of his walk, there isn’t a single wet hair on his head. Why doesn’t the man have wet hair?

A: He’s bald.

Q: I love to dance, and twist. I shake my tail as I sail away. When I fly wingless into the sky. What am I?

Q: When you stop to look, you can always see me. But if you try to touch me, you can never feel me. Although you walk towards me, I remain the same distance from you. What am I?

A: The horizon

Q: You see a boat filled with people. It has not sunk. But when you look back, you don’t see a single person on the boat. Why?

A: All the people on board are married.

Q: What is it that no one wants to have, but no one wants to lose either?

A: A lawsuit.

Q: I welcome the day with a show of light, I stealthily came here in the night.I bathe the earthy stuff at dawn, But by noon, alas! I'm gone.

A: The morning dew.

Q: What goes through cities and fields, but never moves?

Q: What can be touched but can't be seen?

A: Someone’s heart.

Q: In a bus, there is a 26-year-old pregnant lady, a 30-year-old policeman, a 52-year-old random woman, and the driver who is 65 years old. Who is the youngest?

A: The baby of the pregnant lady.

Q: When it is alive we sing, when it is dead we clap our hands. What is it?

A: A birthday candle.

Q: What can go through glass without breaking it?

Q: What gets bigger the more you take away?

Q: I have no life, but I can die. What am I?

A: A battery.

Q: What kind of room has no walls, door or windows?

A: A mushroom.

Q: It belongs to you, but your friends use it more. What is it?

A: Your name.

Q: What 2 things can you never eat for breakfast?

A: Lunch and dinner.

Q: I make a loud sound when I’m changing. When I do change, I get bigger but weigh less. What am I?

A: Popcorn.

Q: It has keys, but no locks. It has space, but no room. You can enter, but can’t go inside. What is it?

A: A keyboard.

Q: I’m orange, I wear a green hat and I sound like a parrot. What am I?

A: A carrot.

Q: What runs all around a backyard, yet never moves?

A: A fence.

Q: Take off my skin - I won't cry, but you will! What am I?

A: An onion.

Q: What invention lets you look right through a wall?

A: A window.

Q: What is always on its way but never arrives?

A: Tomorrow.

Q: Two girls were born to the same mother, on the same day, at the same time, in the same month and year, and yet they're not twins. How can this be?

A: The two babies are two of a set of triplets.

Q: What has a bottom at the top?

A: Your legs.

Q: What can you catch but never throw?

Q: What has many teeth but cannot bite?

Q: What has branches, but no fruit, trunk, or leaves?

Q: What thrives when you feed it but dies when you water it?

Q: What do you buy to eat but never consume?

A: Cutlery.

Q: Two fathers and two sons are in a car, yet there are only three people in the car. How?

A: They are grandfather, father, and son.

Q: A bus driver goes the wrong way down a one-way street. He passes the cops, but they don’t stop him. Why?

A: He was walking.

Q: If an electric train is traveling south, then which way is the smoke going?

A: There is no smoke—it's an electric train.

Q: Where is the only place where today comes before yesterday?

A: The dictionary.

Q: What can you put in a bucket to make it weigh less?

Q: How can kids drink beer and not get drunk?

A: By sticking to root beer.

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Critical Thinking Riddles (Sharpen Your Mind)

Critical thinking riddles do more than just amuse; they challenge your brain to look beyond the obvious and engage deeply with problems.

This mental gymnastics sharpens your reasoning skills, boosts creativity, and enhances decision-making. This article unveils a collection of riddles designed to stretch your mental faculties to their limits.

Each puzzle is a journey through complexity, inviting you to solve mysteries that demand a keen eye for detail and a robust problem-solving approach.

Best Critical Thinking Riddles with Answers

1. The Doorkeeper’s Dilemma

I guard a door but hold no key, Voices pass, yet none see me. Decide who enters, without a word, What am I, unseen, unheard?

Answer : A password.

2. The Infinite Library

Endless stories, yet no words are found, Silence reigns, though knowledge bounds. I can take you places, without a step, What am I, where secrets are kept?

Answer : Imagination.

3. The Timeless Navigator

I travel the world but stay in a ring, Marking the moments, yet I have no wing. Capturing memories, I never forget, What am I, that time has set?

Answer : A clock.

4. The Whispering Walls

I speak without a mouth, hear without ears, I’m born in light but disappear in fears. Echoing in the void, I’m often found, What am I, that can astound?

Answer : A shadow.

5. The Invisible Cook

I make a meal that you can’t eat, Served on a plate that’s neat. Ingested by the mind, not the mouth, What am I, that feeds the south?

Answer : Knowledge.

6. The Liquid Stone

Solid as rock, yet flows like a stream, Cold and hot, it’s both in extreme. Used to build, destroy, and clean, What am I, not always seen?

Answer : Ice.

7. The Silent Messenger

I carry words across the land, No wings I have, nor feet to stand. Within my bounds, secrets lie, What am I, that can’t reply?

Answer : A letter.

8. The Mind’s Key

I open doors but not with a twist, Solving problems with a flick of the wrist. In puzzles and mysteries, I’m what you seek, What am I, that makes the solution peek?

Answer : Insight.

9. The Eternal Seed

I grow without water, soil, or light, In minds fertile, I take flight. Harvested in books and tales told, What am I, that’s worth more than gold?

Answer : An idea.

10. The Boundless Bridge

I connect worlds without a span, Hold the universe in a pan. Through me, you can travel afar, What am I, that reaches the star?

Critical Thinking Riddles for Adults

1. The Paradox Box

Locked away, yet open for all, Holds the universe, but remains quite small. It can teach you everything or nothing at all, What am I, that can make you feel tall?

Answer : A book.

2. The Silent Debater

I argue without speaking, present without being, Influence thoughts without seeing. In every decision, I play a part, What am I, that shapes your heart?

Answer : Logic.

3. The Invisible Artist

I paint without a brush, create without hands, My art is seen in the sands. In every vision, dream, and plan, What am I, that shows you can?

4. The Architect of Fate

I build futures without a single brick, Craft destinies, thin and thick. With me, you’ll see the unseen link, What am I, that makes you think?

Answer : Decision.

5. The Timeless Traveler

I visit the past, foresee the future, Yet, in the present, I’m no creature. Guiding through history with a silent whisper, What am I, the temporal twister?

Answer : Memory.

Critical Thinking Riddles for Kids

1. The Invisible Guard

I’m lighter than air but a million men cannot lift me. I keep people away without being seen. What am I, that guards without a screen?

Answer : A secret.

2. The Silent Singer

I sing without a voice, speak without a tongue. In every room and hall, my silent songs are sung. What am I, that rings without a bell?

Answer : An echo.

3. The Colorful Dreamer

I wear a coat of many colors but I am not alive. I appear after the rain, bright and high. What am I, that in the sky does thrive?

Answer : A rainbow.

4. The Night’s Lantern

I’m not a lamp, but I give you light, Only to vanish with the day’s first sight. I’m the night’s lantern, high and bright. What am I, that fades at dawn’s first light?

Answer : The moon.

5. The Time Traveler

I go forward, I go back, yet I never move. I see centuries pass, in silence I groove. What am I, that can the ages prove?

Answer : A history book.

Funny Critical Thinking Riddles

1. The Mischievous Shadow

I dance without feet, I run without legs, At noon, I disappear, no need to beg. By night I’m lost, by day I play, What am I, that follows you all day?

Answer : Your shadow.

2. The Hungry Clock

I eat every moment, but never grow full, I have hands but no mouth with which to pull. Always moving, never walking, time I lock, What am I, that can “talk” but not mock?

3. The Sleepy Book

I open wide but cannot eat, I have a spine but no feet. I can take you places without a look, What am I, that can snore without a nook?

4. The Whispering Wall

I’m not alive, but I can grow. Silent, I can speak, when the winds blow. No mouth, but I tell what you want to know, What am I, that secrets show?

Answer : An ear of corn.

5. The Invisible Chef

I cook without fire, I chill without ice, Invisible meals, served in a trice. I can make your day or give you a fright, What am I, in a food fight?

Answer : Your imagination.

Step into a realm of riddles with RiddlesDigest.com!

From timeless teasers to perplexing puzzles, we offer a universe of enigmas across various famed topics.

Engage your mind and let the mystery-solving expedition begin!

© 2023 RiddlesDigest.com. All Rights Reserved.

20 Tough Riddles for Adults That Will Have You Scratching Your Head

Put your logic and math skills to the test. No cheating!

So go grab a pencil and a piece of scratch paper and prepare to rip your hair out (and we really do mean that in the best way possible). When you think you’ve got the right answer, click the link at the bottom of each riddle to find the solution. Got it wrong? No worries, you have 19 other riddles to test out.

Navigate Through Our Riddles:

Puzzmo / The King’s Orders / How Many Eggs? / The Gold Chain / Pickleball / Circuit Breaker / Two Trains, Two Grandmas / Ant Math / Peppermint Patty / Great American Rail Trail / A Cruel SAT Problem / Movie Stars Cross a River / Tribute to a Math Genius / One Belt, One Earth / Elbow Tapping / Whiskey Problem / Doodle Problem / Stumping Scientists / What ’ s On Her Forehead? / Keanu for President / Who Opened the Lockers?

Riddle No. 1: The King’s Orders Make for One Hell of a Brain Teaser

Difficulty: easy.

King Nupe of the kingdom Catan dotes on his two daughters so much that he decides the kingdom would be better off with more girls than boys, and he makes the following decree: All child-bearing couples must continue to bear children until they have a daughter!

But to avoid overpopulation, he makes an additional decree: All child-bearing couples will stop having children once they have a daughter! His subjects immediately begin following his orders.

After many years, what’s the expected ratio of girls to boys in Catan?

The likelihood of each baby born being a girl is, of course, 50 percent.

Ready for the solution? Click here to see if you’re right .

Riddle No. 2: How Many Eggs Does This Hen Lay?

This problem is in honor of my dad, Harold Feiveson. It’s due to him that I love math puzzles, and this is one of the first problems (of many) that he gave me when I was growing up.

A hen and a half lays an egg and a half in a day and a half. How many eggs does one hen lay in one day?

Riddle No. 3: The Gold Chain Math Problem Is Deceptively Simple

Difficulty: moderate.

You’re rummaging around your great grandmother’s attic when you find five short chains each made of four gold links. It occurs to you that if you combined them all into one big loop of 20 links, you’d have an incredible necklace. So you bring it into a jeweler, who tells you the cost of making the necklace will be $10 for each gold link that she has to break and then reseal.

How much will it cost?

Riddle No. 4: Try to Solve This Pickleball Puzzle

Difficulty: 🚨hard🚨.

Kenny, Abby, and Ned got together for a round-robin pickleball tournament, where, as usual, the winner stays on after each game to play the person who sat out that game. At the end of their pickleball afternoon, Abby is exhausted, having played the last seven straight games. Kenny, who is less winded, tallies up the games played:

Kenny played eight games

Abby played 12 games

Ned played 14 games

Who won the fourth game against whom?

How many total games were played?

Riddle No. 5: Our Circuit Breaker Riddle Is Pure Evil. Sorry.

The circuit breaker box in your new house is in an inconvenient corner of your basement. To your chagrin, you discover none of the 100 circuit breakers is labeled, and you face the daunting prospect of matching each circuit breaker to its respective light. (Suppose each circuit breaker maps to only one light.)

To start with, you switch all 100 lights in the house to “on,” and then you head down to your basement to begin the onerous mapping process. On every trip to your basement, you can switch any number of circuit breakers on or off. You can then roam the hallways of your house to discover which lights are on and which are off.

What is the minimum number of trips you need to make to the basement to map every circuit breaker to every light?

The solution does not involve either switching on or off the light switches in your house or feeling how hot the lightbulbs are. You might want to try solving for the case of 10 unlabeled circuit breakers first.

Riddle No. 6: Two Trains. Two Grandmas. Can You Solve This Tricky Math Riddle?

Jesse’s two grandmothers want to see him every weekend, but they live on opposite sides of town. As a compromise, he tells them that every Sunday, he’ll head to the subway station nearest to his apartment at a random time of the day and will hop on the next train that arrives.

If it happens to be the train traveling north, he’ll visit his Grandma Erica uptown, and if it happens to be the train traveling south, he’ll visit his Grandma Cara downtown. Both of his grandmothers are okay with this plan, since they know both the northbound and southbound trains run every 20 minutes.

But after a few months of doing this, Grandma Cara complains that she sees him only one out of five Sundays. Jesse promises he’s indeed heading to the station at a random time each day. How can this be?

The trains always arrive at their scheduled times.

Riddle No. 7: Here’s a Really F@*#ing Hard Math Problem About Ants

Max and Rose are ant siblings. They love to race each other, but always tie, since they actually crawl at the exact same speed. So they decide to create a race where one of them (hopefully) will win.

For this race, each of them will start at the bottom corner of a cuboid, and then crawl as fast as they can to reach a crumb at the opposite corner. The measurements of their cuboids are as pictured:

If they both take the shortest possible route to reach their crumb, who will reach their crumb first? (Don’t forget they’re ants, so of course they can climb anywhere on the edges or surface of the cuboid.)

Remember: Think outside the box.

Riddle No. 8: This Peppermint Patty Riddle Is Practically Impossible

You’re facing your friend, Caryn, in a “candy-off,” which works as follows: There’s a pile of 100 caramels and one peppermint patty. You and Caryn will go back and forth taking at least one and no more than five caramels from the candy pile in each turn. The person who removes the last caramel will also get the peppermint patty. And you love peppermint patties.

Suppose Caryn lets you decide who goes first. Who should you choose in order to make sure you win the peppermint patty?

First, solve for a pile of 10 caramels.

Riddle No. 9: Can You Solve the Great American Rail-Trail Riddle?

This problem was suggested by the physicist P. Jeffrey Ungar.

Finally, the Great American Rail-Trail across the whole country is complete! Go ahead, pat yourself on the back—you’ve just installed the longest handrail in the history of the world, with 4,000 miles from beginning to end. But just after the opening ceremony, your assistant reminds you that the metal you used for the handrail expands slightly in summer, so that its length will increase by one inch in total.

“Ha!” you say, “One inch in a 4,000 mile handrail? That’s nothing!” But … are you right?

Let’s suppose when the handrail expands, it buckles upward at its weakest point, which is in the center. How much higher will pedestrians in the middle of the country have to reach in summer to grab the handrail? That is, in the figure below, what is h ? (For the purposes of this question, ignore the curvature of the Earth and assume the trail is a straight line.)

Pythagoras is a fascinating historical figure.

Riddle No. 10: This Riddle Is Like an Especially Cruel SAT Problem. Can You Find the Answer?

Amanda lives with her teenage son, Matt, in the countryside—a car ride away from Matt’s school. Every afternoon, Amanda leaves the house at the same time, drives to the school at a constant speed, picks Matt up exactly when his chess club ends at 5 p.m., and then they immediately return home together at the same constant speed. But one day, Matt isn’t feeling well, so he leaves chess practice early and starts to head home on his portable scooter.

After Matt has been scooting for an hour, Amanda comes across him in her car (on her usual route to pick him up), and they return together, arriving home 40 minutes earlier than they usually do. How much chess practice did Matt miss?

Consider the case where Amanda meets Matt exactly as she’s leaving their house.

Riddle No. 11: Can You Get These 3 Movie Stars Across the River?

Three movie stars, Chloe, Lexa, and Jon, are filming a movie in the Amazon. They’re very famous and very high-maintenance, so their agents are always with them. One day, after filming a scene deep in the rainforest, the three actors and their agents decide to head back to home base by foot. Suddenly, they come to a large river.

On the riverbank, they find a small rowboat, but it’s only big enough to hold two of them at one time. The catch? None of the agents are comfortable leaving their movie star with any other agents if they’re not there as well. They don’t trust that the other agents won’t try to poach their star.

For example, Chloe’s agent is okay if Chloe and Lexa are alone in the boat or on one of the riverbanks, but definitely not okay if Lexa’s agent is also with them. So how can they all get across the river?

There isn’t just one way to solve this problem.

Riddle No. 12: This Ludicrously Hard Riddle Is Our Tribute to a Late Math Genius. Can You Figure It Out?

On April 11, John Horton Conway , a brilliant mathematician who had an intense and playful love of puzzles and games, died of complications from COVID-19. Conway is the inventor of one of my favorite legendary problems (not for the faint of heart) and, famously, the Game of Life . I created this problem in his honor.

Carol was creating a family tree, but had trouble tracking down her mother’s birthdate. The only clue she found was a letter written from her grandfather to her grandmother on the day her mother was born. Unfortunately, some of the characters were smudged out, represented here with a “___” . (The length of the line does not reflect the number of smudged characters.)

“Dear Virginia,

Little did I know when I headed to work this Monday morning, that by evening we would have a beautiful baby girl. And on our wedding anniversary, no less! It makes me think back to that incredible weekend day, J___ 27th, 19___ , when we first shared our vow to create a family together, and, well, here we are! Happy eighth anniversary, my love.

Love, Edwin”

The question: When was Carol’s mother born?

This problem is inspired by Conway’s Doomsday Rule .

Riddle No. 13: To Solve This Twisty Math Riddle, You Just Need One Belt and One Earth

Imagine you have a very long belt. Well, extremely long, really … in fact, it’s just long enough that it can wrap snugly around the circumference of our entire planet. (For the sake of simplicity, let’s suppose Earth is perfectly round, with no mountains, oceans, or other barriers in the way of the belt.)

Naturally, you’re very proud of your belt. But then your brother, Peter, shows up—and to your disgruntlement, he produces a belt that’s just a bit longer than yours. He brags his belt is longer by exactly his height: 6 feet.

If Peter were also to wrap his belt around the circumference of Earth, how far above the surface could he suspend the belt if he pulled it tautly and uniformly?

Earth’s circumference is about 25,000 miles, or 130 million feet … but you don’t need to know that to solve this problem.

Riddle No. 14: This Elbow Tapping Riddle Is Diabolical. Good Luck Solving It.

In some future time, when the shelter-in-place bans are lifted, a married couple, Florian and Julia, head over to a bar to celebrate their newfound freedom.

They find four other couples there who had the same idea.

Eager for social contact, every person in the five couples enthusiastically taps elbows (the new handshake) with each person they haven’t yet met .

It actually turns out many of the people had known each other prior, so when Julia asks everyone how many elbows they each tapped, she remarkably gets nine different answers!

The question: How many elbows did Florian tap?

What nine answers did Julia hear?

Riddle No. 15: You’ll Need a Drink After Trying to Solve This Whisky Riddle

Alan and Claire live by the old Scottish saying, “Never have whisky without water, nor water without whisky!” So one day, when Alan has in front of him a glass of whisky, and Claire has in front of her a same-sized glass of water, Alan takes a spoonful of his whisky and puts it in Claire’s water. Claire stirs her whisky-tinted water, and then puts a spoonful of this mixture back into Alan’s whisky to make sure they have exactly the same amount to drink.

So: Is there more water in Alan’s whisky, or more whisky in Claire’s water? And does it matter how well Claire stirred?

The size of the spoon does not matter.

Riddle No. 16: The Doodle Problem Is a Lot Harder Than It Looks. Can You Solve It?

This week’s riddle is relatively simple—but sinister all the same.

The question: Can you make 100 by interspersing any number of pluses and minuses within the string of digits 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1? You can’t change the order of the digits! So what’s the least number of pluses and minuses needed to make 100?

For instance, 98 - 7 - 6 + 54 - 32 shows one way of interspersing pluses and minuses, but since it equals 107, it’s not a solution.

I call this a “doodle problem”: one that’s best worked on during meetings where you might be doodling otherwise.

You might want to start looking for solutions that use a total of seven pluses and minuses (although there are ways to use fewer).

Ready for the solution? Click here to see if you’re right.

Riddle No. 17: This Math Puzzle Stumped Every Scientist but One. Think You Can Crack It?

Difficulty: hard.

In honor of Freeman Dyson, the renowned physicist who died last month , here’s a legendary tale demonstrating his quick wit and incredible brain power.

One day, in a gathering of top scientists, one of them wondered out loud whether there exists an integer that you could exactly double by moving its last digit to its front. For instance, 265 would satisfy this if 526 were its exact double—which it isn’t.

After apparently just five seconds , Dyson responded, “Of course there is, but the smallest such number has 18 digits.”

This left some of the smartest scientists in the world puzzling over how he could have figured this out so quickly.

So given Dyson’s hint, what is the smallest such number?

My second grader has recently learned how to add a 3-digit number to itself using the classic vertical method:

18-digit numbers, of course, can be added in the same way.

Riddle No. 18: Figure Out What’s on Her Forehead

Cecilia loves testing the logic of her very logical friends Jaya, Julian, and Levi, so she announces:

“I’ll write a positive number on each of your foreheads. None of the numbers are the same, and two of the numbers add up to the third.”

She scribbles the numbers on their heads, then turns to Jaya and asks her what her number is. Jaya sees Julian has 20 on his forehead, and Levi has 30 on his. She thinks for a moment and then says, “I don’t know what my number is.” Julian pipes in, “I also don’t know my number,” and then Levi exclaims, “Me neither!” Cecilia gleefully says, “I’ve finally stumped you guys!”

“Not so fast!” Jaya says. “Now I know my number!”

What is Jaya’s number?

Jaya could be one of two numbers, but only one of those numbers would lead to Julian and Levi both not knowing their numbers. Why?

Riddle No. 19: Can You Get Keanu Reeves Elected As President?

It’s 2024, and there are five candidates running in the democratic primary: Taylor Swift, Oprah Winfrey, Mark Cuban, Keanu Reeves, and Dwayne Johnson. (Hey, it could happen.) As usual, the first primary is in Iowa.

In an effort to overcome its embarrassment after the 2020 caucus debacle , the Iowa Democratic Party has just announced a new, foolproof way of finding the best candidate: there will be four consecutive elections.

First, candidate 1 will run against candidate 2. Next, the winner of that will run against candidate 3, then that winner will run against candidate 4, and finally the winner of that election will run against the final candidate. By the transitive property, the winner of this last election must be the best candidate ... so says the Iowa Democratic Party.

Candidate Keanu has been feeling pretty low, as he knows he is ranked near the bottom by most voters, and at the top by none. In fact, he knows the Iowa population is divided into five equal groups, and that their preferences are as follows:

Keanu is childhood friends with Bill S. Preston, Esq., the new head of the Iowa Democratic Party. Preston, confident that the order of the candidates doesn’t matter for the outcome, tells Keanu he can choose the voting order of the candidates.

So what order should Keanu choose?

How would Keanu fare in one-to-one races against each candidate?

Riddle No. 20: Who Opened All These Damn Lockers?

There are 100 lockers that line the main hallway of Chelm High School. Every night, the school principal makes sure all the lockers are closed so that there will be an orderly start to the next day. One day, 100 mischievous students decide that they will play a prank.

The students all meet before school starts and line up. The first student then walks down the hallway, and opens every locker. The next student follows by closing every other locker (starting at the second locker). Student 3 then goes to every third locker (starting with the third) and opens it if it’s closed, and closes it if it’s open. Student 4 follows by opening every fourth locker if it’s closed and closing it if it’s open. This goes on and on until Student 100 finally goes to the hundredth locker. When the principal arrives later in the morning, which lockers does she find open?

Make sure you pay attention to all of the factors.

Laura Feiveson is an economist for the government, a storyteller, and a lifelong enthusiast of math puzzles.  She lives in Washington, DC with her husband and two daughters. 

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5 Critical Thinking Riddles

Critical thinking is a valuable life skill that helps solve problems at school, in the workplace or in everyday living. Riddles can be a fun way to test, practice and develop your critical thinking skills. Our 5 critical thinking riddles will help you develop your brain power and have fun.

Read what we have to say about critical thinking and riddles below, perhaps look at our simple hints and tips for beginners, and then test your skills with our five simple but stretching critical thinking riddles.

Don’t worry if you don’t get the riddles immediately. We’ve also provided full answers and explanations which should guide you in learning how to think critically and help you to solve future riddles and problems.

Why is critical thinking important?

Life can be complicated and difficult. There is often so much information available, so many options and approaches to choose from, and a host of competing priorities driving us simultaneously in different directions.

How do we know which information is relevant? Which option is most sensible? Or which priority is really most important? Working out the best solution to a problem can feel like a real challenge!

The answer lies in critical thinking. Critical thinking skills can help you to cut through the confusion, organizing and structuring your thought processes and guiding your analysis through to a sound conclusion.

From Socrates to Einstein, and into the present day, some of the wisest minds have been advocates of critical thinking and we agree with them. Practicing critical thinking promotes curiosity, creativity, intellectual independence, and all-round problem-solving ability.

How can I learn critical thinking skills?

Critical thinking includes a number of different skills and their synthesis. It is impossible to exhaustive in setting these out but generally critical thinking can be taken to include competence around:

• Analysis. Understanding and grasping the problem or question; distinguishing relevant from irrelevant information; identifying connections, commonalities and differences; and, producing analogies.
• Inference. Using inductive or deductive reasoning to draw out meanings; identifying assumptions; abstracting ideas; applying analogies and recognizing cause and effect relationships in order to develop theories or potential conclusions.
• Evaluation. Assessing the strength, value, or credibility of a theory; modifying ideas in reaction to counterarguments or new data; understanding the significance of information.
• Decision-making.   Applying the thinking processes above in order to reach conclusions.

In addition to developing the ability to think critically, you must also possess an attitude that inclines you to apply critical thinking when you encounter a problem or puzzle. Dispositions relevant to critical thinking include fairness, open-mindedness, a desire to be well-informed, and the willingness to consider other viewpoints.

As you can see, learning critical thinking is not something that can be quickly picked up by reading a book or listening to a lecture. To develop critical thinking skills, you must practice critical thinking. One of the most fun ways you can do this is through riddles, such as our 5 critical thinking riddles in this article.

Riddles for Smart People: 100+ Original Puzzles to Solve with Friends (Books for Smart People)

These 100+ riddles are designed to:.

• Foster creative thinking
• Encourage critical self-reflection
• Enhance problem-solving abilities
• Broaden your vocabulary

What are riddles?

Riddles are puzzles framed as phrases, statements, questions or short poems. They may use any combination of double-meanings, implicit ideas and logical deduction to set up a thought-provoking challenge for the solver.

We can loosely divide riddles into two main types. Firstly, enigmas, where puzzles are expressed in allegorical or metaphorical terms, requiring the solver to think carefully and creatively in order to reach the solution.

Secondly, conundrums, where puzzles rely on wordplay, especially puns, in either the question or the answer. The solver must pay close attention to wording as much as content in order to solve the puzzle.

Riddles appear to be a universal form of human puzzle, appearing across hundreds of different cultures and languages and existing for thousands of years . Some riddle-themes or specific riddles with wide human relevance appear in multiple countries and times. For example:

Riddle: What has four feet in the morning, two feet at noon, and three feet in the evening?

Answer: a human being.

Explanation: A baby in the morning of life crawls on four feet. An adult in the noon of life walks on two. A senior, in the evening of life, walks with a cane, giving them three feet.

This famous “Riddle of the Sphinx” came originally from ancient Greece but is also found in locations from Estonia to the Marshall Islands.

Unlike more academic textbook problems, riddles are also traditionally intended to be fun, and to be accessible to all. You do not need to be any particular age and should need no special equipment or expert knowledge to tackle riddles. You need only a sharp mind and the ability and will to use it!

Now, let’s take a look at our set of five critical thinking riddles…

1.  Family tree riddle

If A is the sister of B, B is the sister of C, and C is the mother of D, then what relation is D to A?

  D is A’s niece / A is D’s aunt.

Explanation

Riddles often contain some form of misdirection to try and send your train of thought off in the wrong direction (or in multiple directions). They might also imply something which puts your mind unnecessarily into overdrive on complicated ideas so that you miss the simplest explanations.

This particular riddle uses letters instead of names when talking about family members, which may put the solver in mind of mathematics or logic puzzles. This may then cause a set of quite straightforward relationships to seem far more complicated than they actually are.

If reading this type of riddle immediately confuses you, then try assigning names to each letter instead, and/or draw a mini family tree to help you follow through the relationship logically.

2. Riddle at the crossroads

Four cars reach a four-way intersection at the same time, one coming from the north, one from the south, one from the east and one from the west. All are travelling at the same speed and arrive at the stop sign simultaneously so that priority is unclear. All decide to move at the same moment.

Although all four continue driving, none of the cars crash into one another. How is this possible?

  All four cars made right hand turns at the same time.

In contrast to the previous family tree riddle, this intersection riddle tries to misdirect your mind into thinking too simply. It draws up an image in your mind of four cars all facing one another and driving forwards in a straight line, making a crash apparently inevitable.

However, cars obviously do not only move in straight lines at four-way stops. They may also turn and if all four cars are executing a right hand turn at the same moment, then they would avoid any crash.

3. A riddle in time

What occurs twice in every moment, once in every minute, but also never, ever in a hundred thousand years?

The letter “M.”

This riddle misdirects your mind into thinking about time and events as concepts when the actual answer lies in the far simpler and more accessible field of the alphabet! It is an example of a whole class of riddles which are cleverly written but simple letter or word puzzles.

4. Deadly elevator riddle

In a large department store, an empty elevator begins its journey on the ground floor. At the ground floor, four people get in, including me. At the first floor, one person gets out and five more people get in. At the second floor no one gets out and ten more people get in.

As the elevator rises towards the third floor, its cable snaps and it falls down the shaft, crashing to the floor at the bottom. Everyone dies in the elevator, but I am alive. How did I survive?

I was the one person to leave the elevator at the first floor. I was therefore not in the lift when it crashed and I “survived”.

This time the riddle both attempts to bamboozle you with an overload of information and misdirects you further at the end with a question that invites more complex speculation about how to survive an elevator crash.

Most of the information about how many people got in and out at each floor is irrelevant. The answer to the riddle does not lie in devising interesting methods and positions for surviving lift crashes.

The answer actually lies in thinking simply and logically about the facts as stated. We are told that one person got out of the elevator at the first floor. The most logical explanation for my ‘surviving’ the deadly elevator crash, is that I was that one person.

5. Bear color riddle

I am on an expedition far from civilization. This morning I left the campsite and walked south for 1 mile. Changing my mind, I turned east and walked for 1 mile, before turning north and walking for 1 mile. At this point I ended right back where I started…  A bear was inside my tent, eating my food supplies. I shot it. What color was the bear?

Sometimes riddles are not purely logic-based but also rely on the solver knowing or being able to deduce a fundamental piece of general knowledge.

To solve the riddle in this case, you need to know that the North Pole is the only place on earth where you can walk 1 mile south, east, and then north, to turn up back at the same place. You also need to know that polar bears are the only kind of bears living at the North Pole and that polar bears are always white.

Without knowing these things, and putting the pieces together, you would not be able to solve the riddle. This is all part of the broader picture of critical thinking.

Simple hints and tips for solving critical thinking riddles

Beginners may want to think about these simple hints and tips right at the start when approaching a problem for the first time. Or, you may prefer to come back and refer to them later after trying our critical thinking riddles or similar puzzles.

Focus on the wording. Are there multiple meanings for key words? Are the component letters in the words important in some way, as they were in our time riddle? Why might the riddle be worded or framed in a particular way?

Analyse and evaluate the clues given very carefully . One small piece of information could hold the key to solving the complete riddle, while several larger pieces might only be included to distract or misdirect. Think about the elevator riddle and its various clues about how many people got in and out at each floor.

Map out your thinking. Writing down some notes or drawing a diagram can often help to clarify and structure your thoughts. It might also demonstrate that the problem is not as complex as the wording of the riddle suggests. This could be a helpful approach in our family tree riddle.

Identify your own assumptions and preconceptions. It’s impossible to avoid making assumptions entirely but do be wary. Try to be notice when you are making assumptions and question whether your assumptions are reasonable. For example, in the puzzle of the four cars at the intersection, are you automatically assuming that the cars will proceed in a straight line? If so, is this reasonable?

Think far outside your box . For our bear riddle, some of the earlier hints and tips might prove unhelpful if you don’t also think creatively. A diagram of the walking route could make you think: “That’s impossible!”. But it would be useful if it prompted you to ask: “Where is the only place on earth where I could walk in this pattern and end up at the start…?”

A final word…

We hope you have enjoyed our 5 critical thinking riddles. If you have, or you’d like to learn more, why not buy yourself a puzzle book, search out some more critical thinking riddles online or even make up your own…

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• Brain Teasers
• Math Problems
• Trivia Questions
• Logic Puzzles

Riddles for Adults with Answers

Riddles aren't just for kids. Funny puzzles for adults are good for entertainment. Solving clever and hard riddles will help you keep your mind sharp.

LogicLike helps to strengthen critical thinking skills, improve mental abilities, and develop ingenuity.

Hard and Funny Riddles for Adults

People make me, save me, change me, raise me. What am I?

What breaks yet never falls, and what falls yet never breaks?

Day, and night.

What goes through cities and fields, but never moves?

A man looks at a painting in a museum and says, "Brothers and sisters I have none, but that man’s father is my father’s son." Who is in the painting?

The man’s son.

What does man love more than life, hate more than death or mortal strife; that which contented men desire; the poor have, the rich require; the miser spends, the spendthrift saves, and all men carry to their graves?

A hen and a half lays an egg and a half in a day and a half. How many eggs does one hen lay in one day?

If 1.5 hens lay 1.5 eggs in 1.5 days, it must be that one hen would lay one egg in the same time period: 1.5 days. Now, if one hen lays one egg in 1.5 days, it means that one hen would lay only ⅔ of an egg in one day. So the answer is ⅔ of an egg.

NASA was considering sending canaries into space to study them under zero gravity. The project was scrapped when someone realized that in spite of having sufficient water supplies, they could die of dehydration within a few hours. Why?

Birds, unlike humans, need gravity to swallow. Humans can swallow even while hanging upside down.

A certain crime is punishable if attempted but not punishable if committed. What is it?

I have four wings, but cannot fly, I never laugh and never cry; On the same spot I'm always found, toiling away with little sound. What am I?

A Windmill.

What can be touched but can't be seen?

Someone's heart.

Lovely and round, I shine with pale light, grown in the darkness, a lady's delight. What am I?

I am a box that holds keys without locks, yet they can unlock your soul. What am I?

Four cars come to a four way stop, all coming from a different direction. They can't decide who got there first, so they all go forward at the same time. They do not crash into each other, but all four cars go. How is this possible?

They all made right-hand turns.

I weaken all men for hours each day. I show you strange visions while you are away. I take you by night, by day take you back, None suffer to have me, but do from my lack. What am I?

My life is often a volume of grief, your help is needed to turn a new leaf. Stiff is my spine and my body is pale, but I'm always ready to tell a tale. What am I?

Often held but never touched, always wet but never rusts, often bites but seldom bit, to use me well you must have wit. What am I?

Your tongue.

What has no hands but might knock on your door, and if it does you better open up?

Opportunity.

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What can be swallowed, but can also swallow you?

What can be driven although it doesn't have wheels, sliced but stays whole?

A golf Ball.

Two men were playing tennis. They played five sets and each man won three sets. How can this be possible?

The two men were partners playing doubles.

A group of privates were standing in the blistering sun facing due west. Their sergeant shouted at them: Right turn! About turn! Left turn! In which direction are they now facing?

Why is a bullet like a tender glance?

Because it pierces hearts.

A man is discovered dead sitting at his desk, alone in the locked office. He did not commit suicide and there was no weapons in the room. The only clue is a sealed envelope on the desk in front of him. How did he die?

The envelope glue was poisoned and when the man licked the envelope to seal it, he died.

Where is there is no south, west, nor east, and weather not fit for man or beast?

The South Pole.

Thirty white horses on a red hill, First they champ, Then they stamp, Then they stand still.

What goes up but never comes down?

A king, queen and two twins all lay in a large room. How are there no adults in the room?

They’re all beds!

How can you drop a raw egg on the concrete floor without cracking it?

The egg won’t crack the concrete floor!

In a bus, there is a 26-year-old pregnant lady, a 30-year-old policeman, a 52-year-old random woman, and the driver who is 65 years old. Who is the youngest?

The baby of the pregnant lady.

What kind of tree can you carry in your hand?

If an electric train is travelling south, which way is the smoke going?

There is no smoke; it is an electric train!

They come out at night without being called, and are lost in the day without being stolen. What are they?

What is the best cure for dandruff?

What do you call a man who does not have all his fingers on one hand?

Normal – You have fingers on both hands!

I don’t have eyes, ears, nose and tongue, but I can see, smell, hear and taste everything. What am I?

I do not speak, cannot hear or speak anything, but I will always tell the truth. What am I?

I can't be bought, but I can be stolen with a glance. I'm worthless to one, but priceless to two. What am I?

When it is alive we sing, when it is dead we clap our hands. What is it?

Birthday candles.

Thousands lay up gold within this house, But no man made it. Spears past counting guard this house, But no man wards it.

I don't have eyes, but once I did see. Once I had thoughts, but now I'm white and empty.

What is bought by the yard by is worn by the foot?

What travels from house to house and is sometimes narrow and sometimes wide but always stays outside?

What can go through glass without breaking it?

What has 3 feet but cannot walk?

What's as small as a mouse but guards a house like a lion?

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More riddles and puzzles by Logiclike

70+ Challenging Riddles for Adults (With Answers)

Test your logical thinking and problem-solving skills with these fun brain teasers and puzzles. These riddles for adults start on a light note with a dirty joke or fun riddle, and then gradually dives into the trickier puzzles. Towards the end, you’ll find the harder riddles, the ones that are more complicated and more difficult to solve… 

Funny Riddles 

Here are some easy riddles , ones that are funny and that you most likely have heard before. Keep in mind that there will be some dirty riddles in here that might not be appropriate for a kid. But if you’re an adult–enjoy! 

I am a rock group with four members. All dead, one was assassinated. What am I?

Mt. Rushmore.

What time is it when an elephant sits on a fence?

It’s time to fix the fence.

What’s messy and can be really annoying and/or tricky to clean up after sex?

I saw a boat full of people, yet there wasn’t a single person on the boat. How is that possible?

They were all married.

Why is Europe like a frying pan?

Because it has Greece at the bottom. 

I go in hard, come out soft, and you love to blow me. What am I?

Chewing gum.

What has ten letters and starts with gas?

Automobile. 

I start with a “p” and ends with “o-r-n,” and I’m a major player in the film industry. What am I?

What goes up but never comes down?

A king, a queen, and two twins all lay in a large room. How are there no adults in the room?

They’re all beds!

Some people prefer being on top, others prefer being on the bottom, and it always involves a bed. What am I? 

A bunk bed.

Why can’t we take a picture of a man with a wooden leg ?

The wooden leg is not a camera.

I assist with erections. Sometimes, giant balls hang from me. I’m known as a big swinger. What am I?

Samuel was out for a walk when it started to rain. He did not have an umbrella and he wasn’t wearing a hat. His clothes were soaked, yet not a single hair on his head got wet. How could this happen?

Because Samuel is bald! 

All-day long it’s in and out. I discharge loads from my shaft. Both men and women go down on me. What am I?

An elevator.

What has four legs like a dog, two eyes like a dog, looks just like a dog but is not a dog?

A picture of a dog! 

What tastes better than it smells?

Your tongue! 

What is as light as a feather, but even the strongest man in the world can’t hold it in for long?

His breath. 

What does a teddy bear do when it rains? 

It gets wet! 

What’s long and hard and has cum in it?

A cucumber.

Challenging Riddles 

Here are some brain teasers that might require some problem-solving skills and logical thinking . They’re tricky, but not impossible to answer . It’s just some good riddles that will get you to really use your brain .  

You walk into a room that contains a match, a kerosene lamp, a candle, and a fireplace. What would you light first?

The match. 

How many letters are in the alphabet?

There are 11 letters in “the alphabet”.

A murderer is condemned to death. He has to choose between three rooms: the first is full of raging fires; the second, assassins with loaded guns, and the third, with lions who haven’t eaten in years. Which room is the safest?

The room with the lions because the lions are already dead. 

What five- letter word stays the same when you take away the first, third, and last letter ?

All 5 sisters are busy. Ann is reading a book, Rose is cooking, Katy is playing chess, and Mary is doing the laundry. What is the 5th sister doing?

She’s playing chess, of course! 

A man is asked what his daughters look like. He answers, “they are all blondes, but two, all brunettes, but two, and all redheads, but two.” How many daughters does he have?

Three. One is blonde, one is brunette, and one is a redhead.

David’s father has three sons: Snap, Crackle and…? 

You always find me in the past, I can be created in the present, but the future can never taint me. What am I?

A man is found hanging dead from the ceiling of a room. The room’s dimensions are 15 x 15 x 15. The man is only 6ft tall and the rope was only 2ft long. There are no windows and only one door into the room. The door is bolted shut from the inside and there is a puddle of water under the man . How did he kill himself?

The man stood on a block of ice.

How can you drop a raw egg on the concrete floor without cracking it?

The egg won’t crack the concrete floor! 

What has thirteen hearts but no other organs?

A deck of cards.

In a bus, there is a 26-year-old pregnant lady, a 30-year-old policeman, a 52-year-old random woman, and the driver who is 65 years old. Who is the youngest?

The baby of the pregnant lady.

Two in a corner, 1 in a room, 0 in a house, but 1 in a shelter. What am I?

The letter “R”

What English word does the following: the first two letters signify a male, the first three letters signify a female, the first four letters signify a great person , while the entire word signifies a great woman. What is the word ?

A boy and an engineer were fishing. The boy is the son of the engineer but the engineer is the father of the boy. Then who is the engineer?

The engineer is the boy’s mother. 

In a one-story pink house, there was a pink person , a pink cat, a pink fish, a pink computer, a pink chair, a pink table, a pink telephone, a pink shower– everything was pink! What color were the stairs?

There weren’t any stairs, it was a one-story house!

A plane crashed between the border of Canada and America. Where do you bury the survivors?

They are survivors, you don’t bury them.

A woman is sitting in her hotel room when there is a knock at the door. She opened the door to see a man whom she had never seen before. He said, “Oh I’m sorry. I have made a mistake. I thought this was my room.” He then went down the corridor and in the elevator. The woman went back into her room and phoned security. What made the woman so suspicious of this man?

You don’t knock on your own hotel room door! 

What is special about the number 854,917,632?

It’s the numbers from 1-9 in alphabetical order.

What word in the English language has three consecutive double letters ?

Bookkeeper.

My first is in chocolate but not in ham, my second’s in cake and also in jam, my third at tea-time is easily found, my whole is a friend who’s often around. What am I?

Two fathers and two sons are in a car, yet there are only three people in the car. How?

They are a grandfather, father, and son.

A woman shoots her husband, then holds him underwater for five minutes. Next, she hangs him. Right after, they enjoy a lovely dinner. Explain.

She took a picture of him and developed it in her darkroom.

A man is trapped in a room. The room has only two possible exits: two doors. Through the first door, there is a room constructed from magnifying glasses. The blazing hot sun instantly fries anything or anyone that enters. Through the second door, there is a fire-breathing dragon. How does the man escape?

He waits until night time and then goes through the first door.

Poor people have it. Rich people need it. If you eat it you die. What is it?

A is the brother of B. B is the brother of C. C is the father of D. So how is D related to A?

A is D’s aunt.

A man was found murdered on Sunday morning. His wife immediately called the police. The police went to the crime scene and question the wife and staff and got these alibis: The wife said she was sleeping, the cook was eating breakfast, the gardener was picking vegetables, the maid was getting the mail, the butler was cleaning the closet. The police instantly arrested the murderer. Who did it and how did they know?

It was the Maid. She said she was getting the mail but there’s no mail on Sundays.

Difficult Riddles

All of the puzzles below are considered to be logic riddles , ones that you’ll really need to think about to get the answer . 

Tim and Mel are long-distance lovers. Tim has just purchased an engagement ring for Mel and wants to mail it to her. Unfortunately, the only way to ensure the ring will be received is to place a lock on the package. Tim has locks and Mel has locks but neither have keys for each others’ locks. How can they ensure the ring isn’t stolen?

Tim places a lock on the package and sends it to Mel. Mel places one of her locks on the package and sends it back to Tim. Tim removes his lock and sends the package back to Mel.

I am a word of 5 letters and people eat me. If you remove the first letter, I become a form of energy. Remove the first two and I’m needed to live. Scramble the last 3 and you can drink me. What am I?

Wheat, heat, eat, tea

Which English word is the odd one out – Stun, Ton, Evil, Letter , Mood, Bad, Snap, Straw?

The person who makes it has no need of it; the person who buys it has no use for it. The person who uses it can neither see nor feel it. What is it?

The answer I give is yes, but what I mean is no. What was the question?

“Do you mind ?”

My buddies and I were inseparable mates Til one by one were we split My teacher, she gave me a smack on the pate And off in the corner I sit. Admittedly still I’m not hitting the books Though now I’m hugging a tree I guess in the end it’s not bad as it looks I went from a C to a B…

(Clue: it’s an object)

What can go up a chimney down, but can’t go down a chimney up?

An umbrella.

What can you hold in your right hand, but never in your left hand?

Your left hand.

A man is found murdered in his office. The suspects are Peter, Julie, Jason, Molly, and Brian. In the office is a calendar with the numbers 6,4,9,10,11 written in blood. Who is the killer?

Jason is the killer. The numbers indicate months and the first letter of each month spells the name of the murderer, e.g. the 6th month is June and the first letter of June is J, the 4th month is April and the first letter of April is a, and so on.

There are 3 switches outside of a room, all in the ‘off’ setting. One of them controls a lightbulb inside the room, the other two do nothing. You cannot see into the room, and once you open the door to the room, you cannot flip any of the switches anymore. Before going into the room, how would you flip the switches in order to be able to tell which switch controls the light bulb?

Flip the first switch and keep it flipped for five minutes. Then unflip it, and flip the second switch. Go into the room. If the lightbulb is off but warm, the first switch controls it. If the light is on, the second switch controls it. If the light is off and cool, the third switch controls it.

You walk into a creepy house by yourself. There is no electricity, plumbing or ventilation. Inside you notice 3 doors with numbers on them. Once you open the doors you will die a particular way. Door #1 You’ll be eaten by a lion who is hungry. Door #2 You’ll be stabbed to death. Door #3 There is an electric chair waiting for you. Which door do you pick?

Door #3, Since There Is No Electricity To Harm You.

With pointed fangs I sit and wait, with piercing force I serve out fate. Grabbing bloodless victims, proclaiming my might; physically joining with a single bite. What am I?

Short Riddles: Math Edition 

Everyone loves a good ol math riddle!   Math riddles are a great way to test your smarts and make sure that you actually did learn something in school: 

I have two coins equaling fifteen cents. One of them is not a nickel. What are the two coins?

A dime and a nickel. One of the coins is not a nickel, but the other one is. 

Mom and dad have four daughters, and each daughter has one brother . How many people are in the family?

If 9999=4, 8888=8, 1816=6, 1212=0, then 1919=? (Clue: Closed areas.)

2. 9999 has 4 closed areas (the top of the ‘9’).8888 has 8 closed areas (the top and bottom parts of 8 and there are no other digits). 1816 has 3 closed areas (top and bottom of 8 and bottom of 6, and it has 2 other digits (3 * 2 = 6)). 1212 has 0 closed areas, (0 * 4 = 0).

If you multiply me by any other number, the answer will always remain the same. What number am I?

Which is correct: 18 plus 19 is 36. Or 18 plus 19 are 36?

Actually, both are incorrect – 18 plus 19 is 37!

When does 11+3=2?

On a clock.

There was a large truck that needed to cross a 20-mile long bridge. Unfortunately, the bridge could only hold the weight of 12000 lbs. Even a single pound extra, the bridge would collapse. However, the weight of the truck is exactly 12000 lbs. The driver carefully drove and crossed almost 85% distance of the bridge. He stopped to get a small break. Suddenly, a bird landed on the truck. Did the bridge collapse? 

No, the bridge doesn’t collapse. The truck almost crossed 85% of total distance. Equivalent diesel would have been lost. So the extra weight of the bridge doesn’t add any extra load to the bridge.

3 hens lay 3 eggs in 3 days. How many eggs do 12 hens give in 12 days?

48 eggs. One hen lays 1 egg in 3 days or 4 eggs in 12 days. 12 hens give 48 eggs in 12 days.

Challenging Adult Riddles 

Here are some fun yet complicated riddles for adults wanting to challenge themselves and really use the depths of their brains to figure out the answer (s).

Hard Mythology Riddle  

There is a mythological story of a Sphinx, a monster with the body of a lion and the head of a woman. Apparently, the Sphinx sat on top of a rock along the road to the city of Thebes, stopping travelers and proposing to them a riddle . The Sphinx claimed that whoever failed the riddle would be killed, and evidently, not pass through to the city. This is the riddle : 

What animal walks on four legs in the morning, two legs during the day, and three legs in the evening?

Oedipus, the king of Thebes, figured out the answer to this logic puzzle :

Man, who in childhood creeps on hands and knees, in manhood walks erect, and in old age with the aid of a staff. (Morning, day, and night are representative of the stages of life.)

Buried Treasure Riddle

The best way to find the right answer to this brainteaser is through logic and deductive reasoning. 

After a storm tears through the Hex Archipelago, you find five grizzled survivors in the water. Shivering their timbers, they explain that they’re the former crew of the great pirate Greenbeard, who marooned them after they tried to mutiny. Each was bound up in a different spot on a small island, until the storm washed them out to sea. In gratitude for saving them, they reveal a secret: the island they were on is also where Greenbeard has buried his treasure hoard. But when the sailors try to describe the island, something seems off. All agree it was flat and barren with no prominent features except for some trees. Yet each pirate claims they saw a different number of trees, ranging from two to six. The pirate who saw two trees says the treasure was buried right at his feet. When you fly your hot air balloon over the area to investigate, you see hundreds of small islands, each with exactly six trees. The next storm will be here soon, so you’ll have to hurry and narrow your search. What does the island with Greenbeard’s treasure look like from the sky? And where will the treasure be on that island? 

• All islands have exactly 6 trees of equal height. 
• The islands are all flat, have no obstructions other than trees and their precise shapes aren’t important.
• Each pirate was confined in a specific spot and saw a different number of trees, ranging from 2 to 6. They could look all around but not move. 
• The treasure was buried at the feet of the pirate who saw 2 trees.

No, the pirates aren’t delirious from dehydration. Remember, each was confined to a separate point on the island, and no two of them could see the same number of trees. That means that for all but one pirate, something was blocking their view. And since there are no other features on the island, that something could only have been other trees.

A pirate would see fewer trees when two or more fell along a straight line from their vantage point. So we need to find the island where five different pirates standing in different spots would each see a different number of trees. Virtually every island has a position from which you can see six trees. And on most islands there’s a position where 5 trees can be seen by standing in line with two of them. It turns out that the hardest locations to find are those with fewer visible trees precisely because they require more trees to line up with the viewer’s position. So how can we see just two trees. One way would be if all the trees were lined up in single file, such as on this island. Then, you could stand at the end of the line and see one, stand in the middle and see two, or stand anywhere else and see all six. But there’s no place from which you can see only three, four, or five, so one straight line of trees is out. So what about two lines of trees? So long as the lines aren’t parallel and they intersect over land, there’ll always be a position where the two lines converge from which you could see exactly two trees. And if they’re grouped two and four, or three and three, there are many arrangements in which you could also see three, four, five, and six trees. 

Fortunately for us, there’s only one island in the archipelago with two non-parallel lines of trees, and it’ll be buried at the intersection of the two lines. (X marks the spot!) You land on this island and dig up a chest containing a massive pile of tree seeds. 

Prisoner Hat Riddle

Here’s a great mind -boggling riddle :

100 prisoners are lined up single file. A blue or red hat is placed on each of their heads randomly. The prisoners cannot see the color of the hat on their own head, but they can see the colors of all the hats in front of them. The prisoner in the back can clearly see all 99 hats in front of him. The 50th prisoner in line can see the 49 hats in front of him, and the prisoner in the front of the line cannot see anything but the forest before him. Also, the prisoners don’t know the proportion of red hats to blue hats in advance—it could be 50/50, but it could also be any combination that adds to 100.

A guard is going to walk down the line, starting in the back, and ask each prisoner what color hat they have on. They can only answer “blue” or “red.” If they answer incorrectly or say anything else, they will be shot dead on the spot. If they answer correctly, they will be set free. Each prisoner can hear all of the other prisoners’ responses, as well as any gunshots that indicate an incorrect response. They can remember all of this information.

Before the executions begin, the prisoners get to huddle up and make a plan. How can the prisoners ensure that most people possible survive?

The prisoners come up with the following plan: 

If the first prisoner to speak—the one in the back of the line—sees an even number of blue hats, he will yell out “blue.” If he sees an odd number of blue hats, he will yell out “red.”

Let’s assume the first prisoner to speak yells out “blue,” indicating that he sees an even number of blue hats. Then the next prisoner to speak can look at the line in front of him, and if he sees an odd number of blue hats, he knows his hat must be blue to make the number even. Similarly, if he sees an even number of blue hats, he knows his hat must be red to keep it that way. The same logic works if the first prisoner yells out “red,” indicating that there are an odd number of blue hats.

The next prisoner in line listens to the prisoner behind him and takes that information into consideration. If he sees an even number of blue hats and the prisoner behind him yells “blue,” making the total number of blue hats odd, then he knows his hat must be blue to make the total number even again (of the 99 seen by the first prisoner). In the same situation, if his hat were red, the total number of blue hats would be odd (of the 99 seen by the first prisoner).

As you go down the line, each prisoner must count how many blue hats are behind them. Then he must consider the blue hats in front of him. If the number of blue hats behind a prisoner plus the blue hats he can see in front of him equals an odd number, then he knows his hat must be blue to make the total number even, or red to make the total number odd (not counting the very first prisoner).

The very first prisoner is the maybe-martyr of the group. He is imparting information to the rest of the group that has nothing to do with the hat on his own head, which he cannot know, and so his chances of living are only 50%.

More Riddles

• Riddles with Answers
• Short Riddles
• Riddles for Adults
• Riddles for Teens
• Riddles for Kids
• Funny Riddles
• Tricky Riddles
• Hard Riddles
• Easy Riddles
• Math Riddles

January Nelson

January Nelson is a writer, editor, and dreamer. She writes about astrology, games, love, relationships, and entertainment. January graduated with an English and Literature degree from Columbia University.

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97+ Riddles & Brain Teasers for Adults

Riddles and brain teasers have been a popular form of entertainment and mental exercise for centuries.

While they are often associated with children, there is a growing interest in riddles and brain teasers for adults.

These mind-bending puzzles not only provide a fun challenge but also offer numerous cognitive benefits .

In this article, we will explore the world of riddles and brain teasers for adults, their benefits, and provide some examples to get you started.

Table of Contents

Riddles and Brain Teasers with Answers

Here are some riddles and brain teasers for you:

• Riddle: I’m not alive, but I can grow; I don’t have lungs, but I need air; I don’t have a mouth, but water kills me. What am I? Answer: Fire.
• Riddle: What has an endless supply of letters and starts empty but can fill up over time? Answer: A mailbox.
• Riddle: What comes once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years? Answer: The letter ‘M’.
• Riddle: What has a head and a tail but no body? Answer: A coin.
• Riddle: The more you take away from it, the bigger it becomes. What is it? Answer: A hole.
• Riddle: What belongs to you, but other people use it more than you do? Answer: Your name.
• Riddle: I’m tall when I’m young and short when I’m old. What am I? Answer: A candle.
• Riddle: I have keys but open no locks, I have space but no room, You can enter, but you can’t go outside. What am I? Answer: A keyboard.
• Riddle: What has one word, but comes apart into two words when separated? Answer: Anywhere (any + where).
• Riddle: What comes down but never goes up? Answer: Rain.
• Riddle: What has a heart that doesn’t beat? Answer: An artichoke.
• Riddle: What begins and ends with the letter ‘E’ but only has one letter? Answer: An envelope.
• Riddle: What has many keys but can’t open a single lock? Answer: A piano.
• Riddle: What is full of holes but can still hold water? Answer: A sponge.
• Riddle: I fly without wings. I cry without eyes. Wherever I go, darkness follows me. What am I? Answer: A cloud.
• Riddle: What is so fragile that saying its name breaks it? Answer: Silence.
• Riddle: What can be cracked, made, told, and played? Answer: A joke.
• Riddle: I am always hungry and will die if not fed, but whatever I touch will soon turn red. What am I? Answer: Fire.
• Riddle: What has a neck but no head? Answer: A bottle.
• Riddle: I am not a bee, but I can sting. What am I? Answer: A hornet.

Hard Riddles

Hard Riddles:

• Riddle: I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body, but I come alive with the wind. What am I? Answer: An echo.
• Riddle: The more you take, the more you leave behind. What am I? Answer: Footsteps.
• Riddle: I have cities, but no houses. I have mountains, but no trees. I have rivers, but no water. What am I? Answer: A map.
• Riddle: What has keys but can’t open locks? Answer: A piano.
• Riddle: What has an endless supply of letters but starts empty? Answer: A mailbox.
• Riddle: What has a heart that doesn’t beat? Answer: An artichoke.
• Riddle: What begins and has no end? What is the key to success and power? Answer: Knowledge.
• Riddle: What comes before thunder? Answer: Lightning.
• Riddle: I am not alive, but I can grow. I don’t have lungs, but I need air. What am I? Answer: Fire.

Funny Riddles with Answers

Funny Riddles with Answers:

• Riddle: Why did the scarecrow win an award? Answer: Because he was outstanding in his field!
• Riddle: What has one eye but can’t see? Answer: A needle.
• Riddle: What do you call fake spaghetti? Answer: An “impasta”!
• Riddle: Why was the math book sad? Answer: Because it had too many problems.
• Riddle: What kind of tree fits in your hand? Answer: A palm tree.
• Riddle: How do you organize a space party? Answer: You planet!
• Riddle: What do you call a bear with no teeth? Answer: A gummy bear.
• Riddle: What has ears but can’t hear? Answer: A cornfield.
• Riddle: Why did the tomato turn red? Answer: Because it saw the salad dressing.
• Riddle: What’s orange and sounds like a parrot? Answer: A carrot.

Easy Riddles

Easy Riddles:

• Riddle: What has a head, a tail, but no body? Answer: A coin.
• Riddle: What comes up but never goes down? Answer: Your age.
• Riddle: What has to be broken before you can use it? Answer: An egg.
• Riddle: What gets wetter as it dries? Answer: A towel.
• Riddle: What has keys but can’t open doors? Answer: A piano.
• Riddle: What is full of holes but still holds water? Answer: A sponge.
• Riddle: Which letter of the alphabet has the most water? Answer: The letter ‘C’.
• Riddle: What begins with T, ends with T, and has T in it? Answer: A teapot.
• Riddle: What is always in front of you but can’t be seen? Answer: The future.

Good Riddles

Good Riddles:

• Riddle: The person who makes it sells it. The person who buys it never uses it. The person who uses it never knows they’re using it. What is it? Answer: A coffin.
• Riddle: I fly without wings. I cry without eyes. Whenever I go, darkness flies. What am I? Answer: Clouds.
• Riddle: What comes once in a lifetime, but twice in a week? Answer: The letter ‘E’.
• Riddle: What has many keys but can’t open a single door? Answer: A computer keyboard.
• Riddle: What can travel around the world while staying in a corner? Answer: A stamp.
• Riddle: I am taken from a mine and shut up in a wooden case, from which I am never released, and yet I am used by almost every person. What am I? Answer: Pencil lead.
• Riddle: What gets bigger the more you take away? Answer: A hole.
• Riddle: What belongs to you but is used more by others? Answer: Your name.
• Riddle: I am not alive, but I can die. What am I? Answer: A battery.

Kid Riddles

Kid Riddles:

• Riddle: What animal can jump higher than a building? Answer: Any animal, because buildings can’t jump!
• Riddle: What is black, white, and read all over? Answer: A newspaper.
• Riddle: What has a face and two hands but no arms or legs? Answer: A clock.
• Riddle: What is so delicate that saying its name breaks it? Answer: Silence.
• Riddle: What has one head, one foot, and four legs? Answer: A bed.
• Riddle: What is full of keys but can’t open locks? Answer: A piano.
• Riddle: What is round and red all over? Answer: An apple.
• Riddle: What has a ring but no finger? Answer: A telephone.
• Riddle: What is tall when it’s young and short when it’s old? Answer: A candle.

Funny Riddles for Adults

Funny Riddles for Adults:

• Riddle: Why did the coffee file a police report? Answer: It got mugged!
• Riddle: I am not a clock but I tell time. What am I? Answer: A calendar.
• Riddle: What has a bottom at the top? Answer: Your legs.
• Riddle: What do you call a snowman with a six-pack? Answer: An abdominal snowman.
• Riddle: What kind of room has no doors or windows? Answer: A mushroom.
• Riddle: Why was the belt arrested? Answer: For holding up a pair of pants.
• Riddle: What’s brown and sticky? Answer: A stick.
• Riddle: I am taken from a cow, left in the sun, and I become food. What am I? Answer: Cheese.
• Riddle: Why do seagulls fly over the sea? Answer: Because if they flew over the bay, they’d be bagels.
• Riddle: Why did the scarecrow win the talent show? Answer: Because he was outstanding in his field.

Math Riddles

Math Riddles:

• Riddle: If two’s company and three’s a crowd, what are four and five? Answer: Nine.
• Riddle: I am a three-digit number. My tens digit is five more than my ones digit, and my hundreds digit is eight less than my tens digit. What number am I? Answer: 193.
• Riddle: If you multiply me by any other number, the answer will always remain the same. What number am I? Answer: Zero.
• Riddle: Forward I am heavy, but backward I am not. What am I? Answer: The number ‘ton’.
• Riddle: There are three apples and you take away two. How many apples do you have? Answer: Two apples.
• Riddle: If a red house is made of red bricks and a yellow house is made of yellow bricks, what is a greenhouse made of? Answer: Glass.
• Riddle: A dad and his son were riding their bikes and crashed. Two ambulances came and took them to different hospitals. The man’s son was in the operating room and the doctor said, “I can’t operate on you. You’re my son.” Who is the doctor? Answer: The doctor is his mother.
• Riddle: If you have 10 apples and you take away 2, how many do you have? Answer: You have 2 apples.
• Riddle: What three positive numbers give the same result when multiplied and added together? Answer: 1, 2, and 3.
• Riddle: If there are three apples and you take away two, how many do you have? Answer: You have two apples.

Benefits of Riddles & Brain Teasers for Adults

Engaging in riddles and brain teasers can have several positive effects on the brain and overall cognitive abilities.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the key benefits:

1. Cognitive Stimulation

Riddles and brain teasers require critical thinking, problem-solving, and creative thinking skills.

By regularly engaging in these activities, adults can keep their minds sharp and active.

The mental effort involved in solving riddles helps to exercise the brain, improving cognitive function and memory.

2. Improved Problem-Solving Skills

Riddles and brain teasers often present complex problems that require logical thinking and reasoning to solve.

By regularly practicing these puzzles, adults can enhance their problem-solving skills and develop a systematic approach to tackling challenges in various aspects of life.

3. Enhanced Creativity

Riddles and brain teasers often require thinking outside the box and coming up with creative solutions.

Engaging in these activities can help adults develop their creative thinking abilities, enabling them to approach problems from different perspectives and find innovative solutions.

4. Stress Relief

Solving riddles and brain teasers can be an excellent way to relax and unwind.

Focusing on a challenging puzzle can divert attention from daily stressors and provide a mental break.

It can also promote a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction when a difficult riddle is successfully solved.

5. Social Interaction

Riddles and brain teasers can be a great way to engage in social activities and connect with others.

Solving puzzles together with friends, family, or colleagues can foster teamwork, communication, and bonding.

It can also be an enjoyable and intellectually stimulating group activity.

More Examples of Riddles & Brain Teasers for Adults

Now that we understand the benefits of riddles and brain teasers for adults, let’s explore some examples to give you a taste of the challenges that await:

1. The Missing Dollar

Three friends decide to split the bill for their dinner equally. The total bill comes to $30, so each friend contributes $10.

However, the waiter realizes there was a mistake and the bill should have only been $25.

The waiter gives $5 back to the friends, but they decide to give the waiter a $2 tip.

Now, each friend has paid $9, totaling $27, and the waiter has $2. What happened to the missing dollar?

2. The Man in the Elevator

A man lives on the 10th floor of a building. Every day, he takes the elevator down to the ground floor to go to work.

When he returns in the evening, he takes the elevator to the 7th floor and walks up the stairs to his apartment on the 10th floor. Why does he do this?

3. The Two Doors

You are standing in front of two doors. One door leads to certain death, and the other door leads to freedom.

There are two guards, one in front of each door. One guard always tells the truth, and the other guard always lies.

You do not know which guard is which or which door leads to freedom. You can ask one guard one question to determine which door to choose.

What question should you ask?

FAQs – Riddles & Brain Teasers for Adults

1. are riddles and brain teasers only for children.

No, riddles and brain teasers are enjoyed by people of all ages. They provide mental stimulation and entertainment for adults as well.

2. How can solving riddles and brain teasers benefit adults?

Solving riddles and brain teasers can improve cognitive function, problem-solving skills, creativity, and provide stress relief.

3. Can solving riddles and brain teasers help with memory?

Yes, regularly engaging in these activities can exercise the brain and improve memory function.

4. Are there any specific brain teasers that can help with decision-making skills?

Yes, certain brain teasers involve decision-making and can help develop critical thinking skills in that area.

5. Can solving riddles and brain teasers be a social activity?

Absolutely! Solving puzzles with friends, family, or colleagues can be a fun and engaging social activity.

6. Are there any online resources for finding riddles and brain teasers?

Yes, there are numerous websites and apps dedicated to providing riddles and brain teasers for adults.

Some popular ones include Riddles.com, Braingle.com, and PuzzlePrime.com.

7. How often should I engage in solving riddles and brain teasers?

There is no set frequency, but regular engagement is recommended to reap the cognitive benefits.

You can start with a few puzzles per week and adjust according to your preference.

8. Can solving riddles and brain teasers improve problem-solving skills in other areas of life?

Yes, the problem-solving skills developed through solving riddles and brain teasers can be applied to various real-life situations, such as work challenges or personal dilemmas.

9. Are there any specific brain teasers that can help with lateral thinking?

Yes, lateral thinking puzzles are designed to challenge conventional thinking and encourage creative problem-solving.

They can be excellent for developing lateral thinking skills.

10. Can solving riddles and brain teasers be a form of mental exercise?

Yes, solving riddles and brain teasers requires mental effort and can be considered a form of mental exercise to keep the brain active and sharp.

Summary – Riddles & Brain Teasers for Adults

Riddles and brain teasers are not just for children; they offer numerous benefits for adults as well.

Engaging in these mind-bending puzzles can stimulate cognitive function, improve problem-solving skills, enhance creativity , provide stress relief, and promote social interaction.

Solving riddles and brain teasers can be an enjoyable and intellectually stimulating activity that exercises the brain and keeps it sharp.

So, challenge yourself with some riddles and brain teasers today and reap the cognitive rewards!

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101 Riddles for Adults That Will Test Your Intelligence

• Published on September 23, 2023

Mark Simons

Let’s see who’s got the brains the size of chewing gum. With these 101 adult riddles up your sleeves-there is no doubt that you’ll be the party’s MVP, taking the fun to a whole new level.

If you are no Jerry Seinfield , then coming up with a few intriguing riddles will make you stand out in the crowd. The fun begins when everyone puts their critical thinking to the test. Even the simplest riddles can really tease your brain. But don’t worry. All the mysterious questions and their answers are present in this post.

With 101 adult riddles, everyone can put their brain power to constructive use. Try memorizing a few to shock your friends with your strong intellect. These riddles are a great way to make the conversation more interesting and foster a comfortable and fun interaction among friends.

So, grab some beers , and let’s dive into the article to explore some mind-bending grown-up riddles to make your evening a blast!  

Table of Contents

Fun Adult Riddles

• Name the dress that can’t be worn by anyone? Address 
• What needs to be broken every time before you use it? Egg
• What thing can hold water but contains holes in it? Sponge
• What is one thing that doesn’t cry after getting cut but makes you cry every time? Onion
• What goes up as a result of rain pouring down? Umbrella 
• What is something that only you can see but others can’t? Your dream
• How can you make a bucket weigh lighter? Put a hole in it
• I have no hands, but I can knock on your door, and you would gladly take me in? Opportunity
• Where can you see today before yesterday? Dictionary 
• What has 13 hearts but doesn’t breathe? Deck of cards
• What kind of ship would all couples go into? A relationship 
• What happens to a stone when you throw it in the middle of the ocean? It gets wet
• What stands straight when young and diminishes as it ages? A candle
• What is always ahead of you but is not visible to your eyes? Future
• A single-floor house has everything blue – blue doors, blue walls, blue bedroom, and furniture- What is the color of the stairs? None, single floor house doesn’t have stairs
• A boy is playing in the rain, but none of his hair gets wet. How? Because he is bald
• I can pass through the window without breaking it. Light
• Which letter, when written in capitalized form, looks the same when viewed upside down? SWIMS
• Jim’s father has 3 sons- Tim, Grim and _____? Jim

Best Adult Riddles

• Which fish has the most chance of getting stolen? Goldfish
• What keeps increasing but never decreases? Age
• What does a beer bottle have in common with a human? Neck
• What can be caught but never thrown? A Joke
• I have hands, but I can’t eat. What am I? Clock
• Which 4-letter word becomes longer when you add 2 more alphabets in it? Long
• How do you spell dog in 8 characters? Dee oo gee
• I don’t have a heart, but I feel down sometimes. A Battery
• You bury me when I am alive and pull me out when I am dead? A Plant  
• You will find me in oranges, apples, bananas, and apricots, but never in melon, coconut, and cherry. The Letter A
• I fly with the wind. Kids adore me. I don’t have wings, but a tail that keeps shaking. What am I? A Kite
• What dress would a lawyer wear to an official court hearing? Lawsuit
• I can be touched without hands, but you can never see me- What am I? Heart
• I have a head and a tail but no hands and feet or stomach. Coin
• I have 4 feet and 1 top, but I never move on my own. A bed
• I am hot when I am new, but people forget about me as I age. News
• I am a word that spells the same even if you take away the rest of the 4 characters- What am I? Queue
• He shaves every day, but his mustaches remain the same in length, is he? Barber
• We are partners for a lifetime. Even in the worst times, you’ll never lose me- I keep following you and keep an eye on your every step. A shadow
• Mike is racing with his friends. He passed a guy in second position. What place is Mike now? Second
• It has so many holes in it, but is it considered a symbol of beauty? Moon

Mind-Boggling Adult Riddles

• I am the most well-known band, but I have never played a single musical note. A Rubber Band
• I am full of words but can’t talk. What am I? A book
• Sam has 3 baby girls, with each of them having a brother. How many children does Sam have? 4- All girls have the same brother
• People make me but don’t need me. People buy me but never for themselves. A person using me can never see me? A Coffin
• What is at the end of Miller’s Street? The Letter T
• Max is 6″3 inches tall, works at a vegetable store, and eats 3 chocolates every day. What does he weigh? Vegetables 
• You visit this place every day. Even though you don’t like it, it provides you a peace of mind and a sense of relaxation. You don’t stay there for long but can’t help yourself from going there again and again? Toilet 
•  An Audi driver goes the wrong way down a road, yet none of the cops asks him to stop. One cop even waved at him. Why? Because he was on foot and not in the car
• It becomes hard to catch me when you run at a high speed. Your Breath 
• I don’t have a body or wings, but I can reach the sky within a few minutes. Smoke
• I am spelled incorrectly in every dictionary in the world. Which word am I? Incorrectly 
• You don’t care for me when I am with you but miss me dearly when I have flown away? Time
• I got 3 feet. I sleep in the yard. What am I? Yardstick 
• I am a force that pulls you downward, but I am weaker on the moon and in outer space. What am I? Gravity
• I am a close pair, yet never touch. In the sky above, we shine so much. One is brighter, and one is near. What celestial relationship do you have? The Sun and Moon
• I am black when you buy me, and I turn red when I am angry. In the end, I am thrown away when I turn gray. Charcoal
• You can always count on us. What are we? Your Fingers
• I can’t walk, but I can run. Water
• Thirty-two white horses were standing on a red hill. You knock them once, and they will come back, only to stand stronger again? Teeth
• What is bigger than a dinosaur but weighs nothing? Ego

Random Adult Riddles

• I am a black and white guy who tells you about the world- You can read and reuse me. What am I? Newspaper
• What is the center of Earth? Letter r
• A bullet train is moving at 600 mph speed. How much smoke will it release in a minute? None. Bullet trains don’t produce smoke
• Which letter looks the same if seen from upside down and from left-to-right and right-to-left? Noon
• Only cats can have us. What are we? Kittens
• I am the only word that has a double o,e, and k inside. Guess what word am I? Bookkeeper
• A cruise ship sank, and every single person was reported dead. Two people survived. How’s that possible? Because they were a couple
• Marie’s mother has 4 daughters- East, West, North, and _____? Marie
• I belong solely to you, but everyone else keeps using me when they interact with you. Your Name
• What was the coldest area of the world before Antarctica was discovered? Antarctica-It just hasn’t been discovered
• Which rock group got famous without even singing a single song? The 4 Presidents on Mount Rushmore
• Even though you always want to keep me, yet end up breaking me? Promise  
• I am the last thing you take off when you go to bed. Your feet(off the floor)
• I am a color, but you can also eat me? Orange
• I live to eat and drink to die? Fire
• What do you call a room without windows or doors? Mushroom
• You are my sister, but I am not your sister. Who am I? Your brother
• Which table is edible? Vegetable
• What begins with e but contains only one letter inside?  Envelope
• You’ll see me break, but you’ll never witness me fall? Day

Logic Riddles for Adults

• What goes away immediately after hearing its name? Silence
• What can you never eat for dinner? Breakfast and Lunch
• There are 4 brothers in the room. Mike is doing his homework, Jake is reading a storybook, and Sam is playing with Jenga blocks. What is the fourth brother doing? Playing Jenga game with Sam
• 2 fathers and 2 sons went to grab some pizza. They all ate 1 slice each. Only 3 pizza slices were eaten. How is that possible? 3- There were 3 people all together. Grandfather, father and son
• There is a frog in the center, 2 frogs are in front of the frog, and 2 frogs are behind the frog. How many frogs are there? 3
• If it takes a person six minutes to make a toy car, then how long will it take 100 people to make 100 toy cars? 6 minutes
• What is the only question in the world that the person asked to never respond with “Yes”? Are you dead? When asked to a dead person
• You are sitting in a library with an eagle, a monkey, and a cat. Which animal is most cunning? You
• How many blocks does it take to complete a tower? One , the last block will finish its construction.
• Whenever it goes shopping with us, it never comes back? Money 
• How many burgers can you eat on an empty stomach? 1- After that, your belly won’t be called ” empty”.
• Lanny and Jack went to a pub to enjoy some beers. Lanny was thirsty, so he drank 4 by the time Jack drank 1. The drinks turned out to be poisoned, but only Jack died. How did that happen? The ice was poisoned. Since Lanny didn’t give it time to melt, he was not poisoned. Jack drank slowly till the whole ice melted and got poisoned.
• If there are 13 crabs and 7 of them drown. How many survived? All 13- crabs are sea animals
• Name the country that goes by 3 names. India, Hindustan, Bharat
• What goes away and never comes back? Time
• What would you say to a murderer who is being chased by a police car? Nothing- you will run away as fast as you can.
• Whenever it goes to buy 
• I am a letter that contains 6 characters- take out one, and I am left with 12. What word am I? Dozens
• I never ask a question, but you answer me every time you hear me. Cellphone
• I may smell yucky, but it tastes good. Tongue
• What did one psychopath say to his girl? “ You’re my type.”

Conclusion 

Voila! The ultimate recipe for a fantastic night with your buddies. Whether you want to break the ice , challenge your own smarts, or ignite a spark at the party, these 101 adult riddles are your go-to sources for keeping your buddies entertained and engaged.

So, the next time you are on the hunt for a mental workout or just wanna spice your evening at a local pub, give these fun adult riddles a shot. Cheers, and have fun!

I am a passionate beer connoisseur with a deep appreciation for the art and science of brewing. With years of experience tasting and evaluating various beers, I love to share my opinions and insights with others and I am always eager to engage in lively discussions about my favorite beverage.

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Riddles for All Ages: How Puzzles Stimulate Cognitive Development

Riddles have been used as teaching tools and brain teasers across cultures for centuries. Though often dismissed as silly wordplay, riddles provide meaningful cognitive stimulation across all ages. Solving riddles exercises our critical thinking, expands perspectives, and strengthens social bonds. While riddles entertain, they also impart important developmental benefits that can last a lifetime.

Table of Contents

The Cognitive Boost of Riddles

Riddles are, at their core, complex puzzles that require deductive reasoning, flexibility of thought, and quick problem-solving skills to unravel. Unlike trivia questions that rely on memorized facts, riddles force us to think in new ways to find solutions. The mental effort involved in deciphering riddles provides the brain intensive exercise.

Solving riddles activates regions of the brain associated with critical thinking, language processing, and working memory. Riddle-solving requires holding information in your head while manipulating it to unpack the puzzle, strengthening short-term memory. The “aha!” moment when the riddle’s meaning clicks provides instant gratification and a rush of dopamine, reinforcing learning. With continued riddle practice, these cognitive skills are honed over time.

Studies suggest that exposing children to wordplay, including riddles, appears to accelerate language development. The playfulness of riddles creates excitement around words, increasing vocabulary. Attempting to solve verbal puzzles helps children connect words with deeper meanings.

Beyond language, regularly tackling riddles may improve children’s abstract and divergent thinking abilities. Riddles require identifying key details while disregarding irrelevant information to find the answer. This analytical thinking style strengthens problem-solving and reasoning skills. The boost in cognitive function from riddles can translate to better academic performance.

Even into adulthood, engaging with riddles provides continued cognitive exercise to build mental acuity. Challenging yourself to solve witty word puzzles may help sharpen focus, improve memory retention, and delay age-related cognitive decline.

Riddles as Educational Tools for Children

Riddles have served as educational tools to nurture children’s imaginative thinking for generations. Riddles provide a playful way for kids to build the reasoning skills necessary for success in school and life.

Preschool aged children enjoy simple riddles with rhyming and exaggerated humor that hint at an obvious answer. Practicing these riddles helps develop phonetic awareness and vocabulary. For early readers, following along with the verbal puzzle of a riddle helps connect sounds with words on the page.

As children’s cognition advances in elementary school, they can comprehend more complex riddle structures, including longer setups with wordplay teasers. Teachers use narrative riddles to reinforce literary elements such as foreshadowing, metaphor, and personification. Classroom riddle breaks provide academic variety while cultivating critical thinking.

Tweens and teens thrive on brain teasers with multiple answer layers and clever misdirection. Applying different thinking strategies to solve multifaceted riddles strengthens deductive reasoning, an asset for math and science concepts. Riddles keep curious pre-teen minds engaged, while also fostering creativity and confidence.

With guidance, caregivers can use riddles tailored to their child’s level as opportunities to nurture language, reading comprehension, reasoning abilities, listening skills, and imagination. Playful riddle solving lays a foundation for scholastic achievement through cognitive stimulation.

The Role of Critical Thinking and Deductive Reasoning

At their core, riddles are complex questions that require unraveling logical connections. Solving riddles involves deductive reasoning skills – using available information to arrive at a specific solution. We analyze riddle clues and eliminate possible but illogical answers to identify the intended meaning.

This process activates critical thinking by challenging us to evaluate key details that may reveal the riddle’s secret meaning. Riddles stretch our thinking in provocative ways that defy initial assumptions. Identifying the subtle wordplay and ironic twists in riddles requires imagination to see beyond the expected.

Repeated practice with deductive reasoning strengthens mental reflexes, allowing quicker analysis and filtering of extraneous details. Speed in unraveling riddles indicates improvement in cognitive flexibility and problem-solving skills. Deductive reasoning aptitude translates to better judgment calls in real life situations.

Riddles also build mindfulness around language and its nuances. Appreciating how diction, syntax, and double entendres function in riddles increases meta-cognition . This awareness aids reading comprehension and discernment. Critical thinking fortified by riddles becomes an invaluable, lifelong skill.

Riddles in Early Childhood Development and Education

Riddles have served an important role in early childhood development and education for generations. Solving age-appropriate riddles provides young children cognitive stretching in a fun, engaging format during key developmental windows.

Between ages 2-4, simple riddles help toddlers and preschoolers make connections between words, sounds, meanings, and associations. Rhyming riddles reinforce phonetic patterns, expanding vocabulary. This fortifies pre-reading skills such as rhyme recognition.

At ages 5-7, riddles allow grade school children to play with language and reasoning. Following riddle narratives strengthens listening skills and introduces story structure. Solving novel riddles expands perspective and creativity.

Riddles improve concentration, an asset for academic success. When stumped by a riddle, kids utilize metacognition to think through the puzzle, developing critical analysis abilities.

Incorporating riddles into lessons adds an interactive element to increase student engagement. Riddles lay a foundation in literary techniques and logical thinking that provides benefits across subject mastery.

Age-Appropriate Riddles for All Ages

Part of the delight of riddles is that they evolve in complexity and nuance across our lifespan. Age-appropriate riddles tailored to a child’s cognitive level and interests maximize enjoyment and developmental benefits.

Ages 2-4 benefit from riddles with simple language and obvious rhyming patterns:

• I’m tall when I’m young and short when I’m old. What am I? A candle.

Ages 5-7 can follow longer riddle narratives and wordplay:

• The more you take away, the larger I become. What am I? A hole.

Ages 8-12 thrive on riddles with double meanings to unpack:

• What gets wetter the more it dries? A towel.

Teens relish challenging riddles with metaphors and layered meanings:

• I have cities but no houses, forests but no trees, and water but no fish. What am I? A map.

While kids love stumping their parents, adults can turn the tables with sophisticated riddles to engage teens:

• What occurs once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in one thousand years? The letter M.

As adults, we continue enjoying riddles that require wit and wisdom to solve:

• What always ends everything? The letter G.

Riddles provide fun cognitive exercise across generations. Adjusting riddle difficulty and subject matter to match maturing thinking skills ensures riddles remain engaging and educational.

Encouraging Problem-Solving with Riddles

Riddles are inherently fun puzzles that require creative problem-solving abilities. The challenges of deciphering a riddle’s hidden meanings encourages the development of problem-solving skills.

Solving a new riddle involves:

• Careful listening and analysis of clues
• Eliminating unlikely solutions
• Trying out various interpretations
• Arriving at non-obvious solutions

This process strengthens skills in inductive reasoning, pattern recognition, strategic thinking, and mental flexibility. With practice, these skills improve efficiency in identifying connections between riddle elements that reveal the solution.

Riddles also foster habits of persistence and resilience. Initially puzzling over a riddle can be frustrating. Yet repeatedly mulling over its clues and possible interpretations teaches perseverance that leads to the “aha!” breakthrough moment. Solving riddles builds confidence in tackling tricky problems.

Enjoying riddles as mental challenges encourages the mindset of playful inquisitiveness. Riddles develop capacities for investigation and discovery that aid real-world problem-solving. Learning to unravel riddles empowers logical thinking to overcome cognitive obstacles.

Riddles Build Intergenerational Bonds

Part of the enduring appeal of riddles is that they provide an entertaining and meaningful activity for interaction between children and adults. Riddles create opportunities for modeling and transferring critical thinking skills across generations.

Exchanging riddles allows children and grandparents to playfully engage with each other’s intellect. Kids feel a sense of achievement when they can stump elder family members with a clever riddle. In turn, experienced adults provide a wise sounding board to help children unpack thorny riddles.

The two-way exchange builds respect between generations while forging patience and listening skills. Cooperative riddle solving becomes quality time together filled with learning, laughter, and deepening family bonds.

In classrooms, teachers who regularly exchange riddles with students gain lively engagement. Riddles allow teachers to act as academic guides, facilitating critical thinking growth through interactive challenges.

Making riddles part of intergenerational activities provides cognitive stimulation while also strengthening relationships and solidarity across age groups. Riddles create connections through shared mirth and mental gymnastics.

Lifelong Benefits of Riddles

The joy and cognitive benefits of riddles are lifelong. As our reasoning skills deepen with age, riddles provide continuing challenges that exercise the brain’s flexibility, analysis, and logic functions.

Puzzling over riddles’ metaphorical twists, ironic innuendos, and clever wordplay keeps aging minds nimble. Attempting to solve riddles may help counter cognitive decline by activating new neural pathways and reinforcing connections.

In addition to mental calisthenics, riddles provide opportunities for amusement and bonding. Riddle exchanges break the ice between strangers and ignite friendly competition. The open-ended nature of riddles invites speculation and dialogue.

Beyond mental exercise, unraveling riddles provides feelings of satisfaction, achievement, and connection. Riddles delight all ages by rewarding intellect with surprise, insight, and laughter.

Though often dismissed as trivial, riddles develop critical thinking abilities that benefit learners throughout life. Parents can foster children’s potential by nurturing joy and skill in solving riddles. Between generations, exchanging age-appropriate riddles builds cognitive skills while creating shared understanding. For old and young alike, riddles challenge us to find wisdom in wit.

Frequently Asked Questions About Riddles

Are some people just better at solving riddles than others.

Certainly some individuals excel at riddles more than others. However, the ability to solve riddles relies on skills that can be developed with practice over time, rather than fixed innate aptitude. Trying lots of different riddles exercises cognitive flexibility, deduction, and verbal comprehension to improve proficiency.

Are riddles only for children?

Not at all! While children enjoy age-appropriate riddles, the mental challenge is stimulating at any age. Riddles continue honing critical thinking skills even as adults. Different riddle types appeal across various life stages.

Do riddles really make kids smarter or just entertain them?

Well-constructed riddles do both! Riddles exercise the developing mind in children while also providing amusement. Following riddle narratives promotes focus and comprehension too. The combination of engagement and cognitive effort enhances learning.

If kids don’t solve a riddle quickly, should you just give them the answer?

Resist the urge to supply the solution too quickly. Allowing time to unravel a riddle’s complexity exercises cognitive persistence. If a riddle elicits frustration, provide gentle guidance toward the “aha” moment. The feeling of solving a brain teaser provides a sense of mastery and accomplishment.

Do riddles have any downsides?

Riddles are an overall positive tool, but those with hurtful stereotypes should be avoided. Choose riddles that spark insight rather than promote outdated biases. As brain training tools, even clever riddles should be balanced with real world learning applications.

Riddles often get dismissed as frivolous pastimes. Yet puzzling out riddles delivers meaningful cognitive benefits across our lifespans. Riddles exercise our deductive reasoning, spur imaginative connections, and provide feelings of satisfaction when solved.

Children thrive when given riddles tailored to expand their developing intellect. Tackling age-appropriate riddles helps young minds strengthen skills in concentration, logic, language, and metaphorical thinking. Shared riddles provide opportunities for modeling reasoning strategies.

For adults too, riddles supply continued cognitive calisthenics. Puzzling out perplexingverbal conundrums keeps aging minds flexible and engaged. Across generations, exchanging riddles forges bonds through cooperative problem-solving and laughter.

Riddles deserve recognition for their role in nourishing minds young and old. The essence of a riddle – prompting unconventional thinking to reveal truths – makes the form timeless. Riddles entertain and enlighten; their lasting cognitive gifts are worth celebrating and cultivating.

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Samson Norkz

Samson is an experienced comedy writer with over 15 year s writing in the industry. He has a degree in English Literature from UCLA, giving him a strong foundation in language and wordplay. This aids him in crafting clever puns, one-liners, and short-form humor.In addition to his literature degree, John has a diploma in Psychology. This understanding of human nature and what makes things funny informs his viral content. John enjoys dissecting why certain jokes work while others fall flat.

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30 Interesting Riddles for Adults - Challenge Your Brain Now!

Home » Riddles » 30 Interesting Riddles for Adults - Challenge Your Brain Now!

by Kyle Boureston | June 2nd, 2023

Kyle is the founder of Mantelligence, a relationship & dating coach, and a conversation & communication expert. His work has been featured on Marriage.com, Reader's Digest, Vice, Ask Men, and Refinery29. He ... Read Full Bio

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In this post, we're breaking down interesting  riddles for adults  to test your brain.

Aside from knock-knock jokes and trivia , I've always loved a good brain teaser. Solving  riddles and brain teasers is an awesome way to exercise the mind, sharpen your thinking process, and improve your creativity.

I've scoured the  best riddles for adults to help train your brain. If you love a good mind game, these tricky riddles for adults  will challenge your brain power.

10 Best Riddles For Adults to Challenge Your Mind

via: Pexels / fauxels

1. What runs but never walks? Murmurs but never talks. Has a bed but never sleeps. And has a mouth but never eats?

View answer, 2. it has keys but no locks. it has space but no room. you can enter but can’t go inside. what is it, 3. the person who makes it has no need for it; the person who buys it has no use for it. the person who uses it can neither see nor feel it. what is it, 4. what is the smallest number that increases by 12 when it is flipped and turned upside-down.

86. When turned upside-down and flipped, it becomes 98.

5. Take one out and scratch my head; I am now black, but once was red. What am I?

6. what is so fragile that saying its name breaks it, 7. i have four wings but cannot fly. i never laugh and never cry. in the same spot, i’m always found toiling away with little sound. what am i.

A windmill.

8. Pronounced as 1 letter, And written with 3, 2 letters there are, and 2 only in me. I’m double, I’m single, I’m black blue and gray, I’m read from both ends, and the same either way. What am I?

9. what gets broken without being held, 10. i have cities but no houses. i have forests but no trees. i have water but no fish., ultimate list of riddles guaranteed to baffle adults.

via: Unsplash / Samsung UK

Your brain is like a muscle - the harder you work it, the stronger it gets. In fact, according to psychiatrist Daniel Amen , your brain starts dying the moment you stop learning. I mean, who wants that?

What better way to make yourself smarter than by answering a clever riddle? Answer this ultimate list of riddles to level up your logic building skills!

Riddle Categories

5 Easy Puzzles That Will Get Your Friends Addicted to Mind Games

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If you're not in the mood the solve difficult riddles, how about trying your luck with these funny riddles for adults ? These easy riddles with answers are perfect for round-robin games.

11. What time is it when an elephant sits on the fence?

Time to fix the fence.

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That sounds about right. Although, your fence is probably no match for a 6,000 kg African bush elephant.

12. What can you catch but not throw?

via: Pexels / cottonbro studio

13. What has one eye but can't see?

Here's a fun fact about needles: the earliest known needle was not made of metal but of bone and ivory. Many archaeologists believe that people used needles to sew together fur, hide, skin and bark for clothing as far back as 25,000 years ago. Metal needles were invented much later in human history.

14. What has a head and a tail but no body?

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15. If you multiply this number by any other number, the answer will always be the same. What number is this?

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5 Simple Ice Breakers That Will Jumpstart Your Brain

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How about a round of simple riddles to kick-start your brain power? I mean, you have to walk before you run. These funny riddles for adults are super easy but nothing short of a tease.

16. What has many teeth but can't bite?

Did you know that the earliest known comb is made of animal bones and was discovered in Syria ? Cleopatra and Napoleon's wife, Josephine, all had the same comb.

17. What asks no questions but must be answered?

via: Unsplash / Hassan OUAJBIR

18. What two things can you never eat for breakfast?

Lunch and dinner

The term breakfast was first coined during the 15th century as the opposite of dinner to describe a morning meal. It literally means “breaking the fasting period of the night just ended.”

19. What kind of coat is always wet when you put it on?

A coat of paint.

via: Pexels / Blue Bird

20. What has many hearts but no other organs?

A deck of cards

A pack of cards includes 13 ranks in each French suit: clubs, diamonds, hearts, and spades. There are 13 hearts in a standard deck of cards.

5 Clever Brain Teasers That Will Make You Seem Like a Genius

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Working on your logic and creativity is one way to strengthen your memory. If you're looking for riddles with answers for adults , the following clever riddles are designed to challenge your interpretation and analytical skills.

21. How do you spell "cow" in 13 letters?

See o double you.

A tricky riddle that would really squeeze the juices out of your brain. I know, I know. It's pretty silly, but it made you think.

Did you know that cows are intelligent animals ? They have the ability to form bonds and can even hold grudges against other cows who treat them badly.

22. The lone ranger rode into town on Friday. He stayed for five days and left that Friday. How could this be?

The horse's name is Friday.

You would think this is some math riddle, but it's just about a horse strong enough to travel to town for five days straight.

via: Pexels / Bozan Güzel

23. Forwards I'm heavy. Backwards I'm not. What am I?

Another clever wordplay. Speaking of tons, did you know that the largest black hole ever discovered was named TON 618? It has a mass of 66 billion solar masses and is approximately 18.2 billion light-years from Earth.

24. What has a bottom at the top?

via: Unsplash / Jakob Owens

25. Who has married many women but was never married?

A not so clever riddle that you can basically figure out in under 5 minutes. Did you know that the Catholic church is the only religion that doesn't allow its clergy to marry?

5 Hard Puzzles For Your Friends That Are Real Head Scratchers

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Every single person in my friend group loves a difficult riddle.

Brain exercises such as playing chess, completing puzzles, and engaging in other fun activities that challenge the brain are proven to help prevent memory problems and boost brain function. Plus, if you're doing it with your friends, it's also a great way to ward off stress and depression.

Solving these hard riddles for adults is a fun way to stimulate the mind and, quite frankly, earn bragging rights.

26. What four-letter word can be written forward, backward, or upside down and can still be read from left to right?

There are a lot of words in the English language, so good luck figuring that one out.

Here's a fun fact: the word noon comes from the Latin word " nona hora ," which translates to "ninth hour." During medieval times , noon fell every 3 PM. The timing changed to 12 PM as noon became synonymous in English with midday.

27. A plane crashed between the border of France and Belgium. Where were the survivors buried?

They weren't. Survivors don't need to be buried.

Difficult riddles are supposed to test your brain and encourage you to be more mindful. This brain teaser is a perfect example.

via: Unsplash / Josue Isai Ramos Figueroa

28. Take one out and scratch my head. I am now black but once was red. What am I?

This is one of my favorite classic riddles as a child. It's a thinker, but it's actually pretty simple once you figure it out.

Here's a fun fact about matches: during the 1820s, match factory workers developed a condition called " phossy jaw " that often starts with a toothache and jaw pain and then death. Doctors eventually realized the problem was the kind of phosphorus used in the matches at the time.

29. What is 3/7 chicken, 2/3 cat, and 2/4 goat?

via: Unsplash / Neal Kharawala

30. What are the next 2 letters in this riddle? O T T F F S S E

N T. Each letter represents the first letter of each number one to eight.

This is the kind of challenging riddle that Sherlock Holmes would probably enjoy. Only a really cunning person can figure this out.

Downloadable and Printable List of Riddles for Adults

Here is a downloadable and printable jpg/pdf list of riddles for adults (right-clicked the image and select Save Image As...):

3 Benefits of Playing Mind Games With Your Friends

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Anyone who has yet to play a match of riddles would probably think it's a boring hobby, but the truth is, it's the opposite. It's fun! I like to think of it as some sort of brain gym. If you or a friend needs more convincing, here are some benefits of playing mind games with your friends.

1. It improves your social skills.

via: Pexels / Antony Trivet

These days the only interaction I get with my friends is online, which is why it is a breath of fresh air when I get to meet them to play puzzles or mind games.

One of the obvious benefits of engaging in brain games with your friends is the social stimulation it provides. Aside from providing an opportunity to stay connected with your friends, it also teaches you teamwork and how to build strong relationships. It also encourages you to use your social instinct by forcing you to “read the room” every time you play a match of charades or a one-word exercise.

2. It promotes critical thinking.

via: Pexels / Ron Lach

Games are purposely designed to challenge your critical thinking abilities. In fact, functional MRI brain scans have found that people who play video games for three or more hours per day showed higher brain activity in regions of the brain associated with attention and memory than those who never play.

Any game that encourages you to practice decision-making and critical thinking benefit your mental health. Games such as chess, 4-in-a-row, backgammon, 2048, and minesweeper encourage players to think strategically with every move to trick and beat their opponent.

3. It provides stress relief.

via: Pexels / PICHA

Playing games is fun, and when you're having fun, you trigger a release of dopamine in your body that helps you feel good and cope with the stresses of everyday life.

There are a lot of studies that prove that playing any type of game, whether it be video games or mind games, can help reduce stress and alleviate symptoms of anxiety, depression, and loneliness.

How To Make Riddles More Exciting To Play (give it a twist!)

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Level up your brain games and the fun by following these tips to make solving riddles more exciting.

1. Make a bet out of it.

via: Pexels / Luis Quintero

Solving riddles can be fun, but it can also get pretty boring when you're just sitting there, waiting to figure out the right answer. If you and your friends are up for it, how about making it more competitive with a bet?

It could be anything from the winner getting more chances to guess the riddle during the next round to the loser buying your gang a glass of beer the next time you catch up.

2. Time it.

via: Pexels / Castorly Stock

If you and your friends consider yourselves expert "riddlers," why not make your games exciting by timing them? This should be a race against each other, trying to beat each other's personal best time to solve a riddle.

Frequently Asked Questions

via: Pexels / Sora Shimazaki

I've answered more frequently asked questions to help you get a head start on the exciting world of mind games.

Can people of all ages enjoy puzzles?

Yes. Anyone can do it, no matter what your age is. However, it's worth remembering that there are different types of puzzles for a specific age group.

Can I use riddles as icebreakers for my party/events?

Absolutely! You can even make a game out of it. Anyone loves a good challenge, and anyone who's in the mood to party is also probably in the mood to solve a riddle. It's also a good way to ease any nervous tension and encourage a good laugh among your peers.

What is a fun way to deliver riddles?

If you're making your own riddle, which is 100% possible, by the way, I recommend taking your time to work it out until it makes you happy. I also suggest testing it on a few people. If they can answer it without breaking a sweat, then your riddle might be too easy. If that's the case, you can always go back to your clues to see how you might make it more challenging.

Should riddles always be challenging?

The goal of any riddle is to stimulate your mind and encourage your critical thinking and problem-solving skills, so yes. Riddles should always be challenging. However, you can always choose to pick one that best fits the mental capacity of your players.

More Great Riddles For Your Brain

When you're done having a go at solving brain teasers, how about calming your mind by learning some interesting trivia?

• This list of impossible riddles  is nothing short of interesting.
• These  fun riddles  are perfect for boring afternoons or a round-robin game.
• How about a round of  what am i riddles  just because?

About The Author

Kyle Boureston

Kyle is the founder of Mantelligence, a relationship & dating coach, and a conversation & communication expert. His work has been featured on Marriage.com, Reader's Digest, Vice, Ask Men, and Refinery29. He lives in Austin, TX with his loving wife and his energetic Border Collie.

One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn’t do.

101 Best Riddles for Adults That'll Have You Scratching Your Head

Get ready to stump your friends and family with these brainteasers.

Easy Riddles for Adults

Hard riddles for adults, logic riddles for adults.

Whether you’re looking for a brain teaser or a new and exciting way to break the ice during an introduction, riddles are a fun way to connect with other people, which is why we think you’ll benefit from having a list of the best riddles with answers in your back pocket (figuratively speaking) for your next meet and greet.

We’ve put together a list of 101 riddles that will have you scratching your head as you try and figure out what the answer is. Some of them are funny, some of them are logic-based, and a few will really test your critical thinking skills — we’re confident that there’s something on this list for everyone!

Funny Riddles for Adults

1. What can you put in a bucket to make it weigh less?

Answer: A hole.

2. What is at the end of a rainbow?

Answer: The letter W!

3. What is the longest word in the dictionary?

Answer: Smiles, because there is a mile between each ‘s’.

4. If two snakes marry, what will their towels say?

Answer: Hiss and hers

5. How can you drop a raw egg from a height onto a concrete floor without cracking it?

Answer: Concrete floors are very hard to crack.

6. What is 3/7 chicken, 2/3 cat, and 2/4 goat?

Answer: Chicago!

7. Where do you take a sick boat?

Answer: To the dock-tor.

8. Why is Europe like a frying pan?

Answer: Because it has Greece at the bottom.

9. When is a door no longer a door?

Answer: When it's ajar.

10. What tastes better than it smells?

Answer: Your tongue.

11. What building has the most stories?

Answer: A library.

12. What has a bottom at the top?

Answer: Your legs.

13. What has four wheels and flies?

Answer: A garbage truck.

14. What month of the year has 28 days in it?

Answer: All of them.

15. What kind of tree can you carry in your hand?

Answer: A palm!

16. What starts with T, ends with T, and has T in it?

Answer: A teapot.

17. Where is the only place where today comes before yesterday?

Answer: The dictionary.

18. What goes all around the world but stays in a corner?

Answer: A stamp.

19. What has 13 hearts but no other organs?

Answer: A deck of cards.

20. What comes at the end of everything?

Answer: The letter "g."

21. What do the letter "t" and an island have in common?

Answer: They're both in the middle of water.

22. What type of cheese is made backwards?

Answer: Edam.

23. What kind of ship has two mates but no captain?

Answer: A relationship.

24. Who has married many people but has never been married himself?

Answer: A priest.

25. If you throw a blue stone into the Red Sea, what will it become?

Answer: Wet.

26. Which word in the dictionary is spelled incorrectly?

Answer: Incorrectly.

27. What has three feet but cannot walk?

Answer: A yardstick.

28. What do you call a nose that's 12 inches long?

Answer: A foot.

29. What begins with an "e" and only contains one letter?

Answer: An envelope.

30. I am easy to lift, but hard to throw. What am I?

Answer: A feather.

31. What has a neck but no head?

Answer: A bottle.

32. What has hands but cannot clap?

Answer: A clock.

33 . What has to be broken before you can use it?

Answer: An egg.

34. What gets shorter as it grows older?

Answer: A candle.

35. What can you catch but never throw?

Answer: A cold.

36. What runs around a whole yard without moving?

Answer: A fence.

37. Which fish costs the most?

Answer: A goldfish.

38. What five-letter word becomes shorter when you add two letters to it?

Answer: Short.

39. What has a face and two hands but no arms or legs?

40. What has many keys but cannot open a single lock?

Answer: A piano.

41. What's always found on the ground but never gets dirty?

Answer: A shadow.

42. What gets wet while drying?

Answer: A towel.

43. What has a head and a tail but no body?

Answer: A coin.

44. What is full of holes but still holds water?

Answer: A sponge.

45. What has many teeth but cannot bite?

Answer: A comb.

46. What has one head, one foot, and four legs?

Answer: A bed.

47. What goes up but never comes down?

Answer: Your age.

48. What can you find in a cupboard that can never be put in a saucepan?

Answer: Its lid.

49. What's a single-digit number with no value?

Answer: Zero.

50. What gets smaller every time it takes a bath?

Answer: Soap.

51. What's always running but never gets hot?

Answer: A refrigerator.

52. What occurs once in a minute, twice in a moment, and never in 1,000 years?

Answer: The letter "m."

53. Throw away the outside and cook the inside, then eat the outside and throw away the inside. What is it?

Answer: Corn on the cob.

54. What 5-letter word typed in all capital letters can be read the same upside down?

Answer: SWIMS.

55. How do you spell "cow" in thirteen letters?

Answer: SEE O DOUBLE YOU.

56 . What do you see once in June, twice in November, and not at all in May?

Answer: The letter "e."

57. What word is pronounced the same if you take away four of its five letters?

Answer: Queue.

58. What can fill a room but takes up no space?

Answer: Light.

59. What is so fragile that saying its name breaks it?

Answer: Silence.

60. What five-letter word has one left when two letters are removed?

Answer: Stone.

61. What has branches, but no fruit, trunk, or leaves?

Answer: A bank.

62. What word contains 26 letters but has only three syllables?

Answer: The alphabet.

63. What do you bury when it's alive and dig up when it's dead?

Answer: A plant.

64. What can't talk but will reply when spoken to?

Answer: An echo.

65. What is taken before you can get it?

Answer: Your picture.

66. What do you throw out when you want to use it but take in when you don’t want to use it?

Answer: An anchor.

67. Four cars come to a four-way stop, each coming from a different direction. They can’t decide who got there first, so they all go forward at the same time. All 4 cars go, but none crash into each other. How is this possible?

Answer: They all made right-hand turns.

68. What do you lose the moment you share it?

Answer: A secret.

69. What thrives when you feed it but dies when you water it?

Answer: A fire.

70. What belongs to you but is used by everyone you meet?

Answer: Your name.

71. What do you buy to eat but never consume?

Answer: Cutlery.

72. What's lighter than a feather but impossible to hold for much more than a minute?

Answer: Your breath.

73. What makes more as you take them?

Answer: Footsteps.

74. What never walks but always runs?

Answer: A river.

75. What's bought by the yard and worn by the foot?

Answer: A carpet.

76. A cowboy rides into town on Friday. He stays three days, then rides out of town on Friday. How?

Answer: His horse is named Friday.

77. If 2 is company and 3 is a crowd, what are 4 and 5?

78. Forward, I am heavy; backward, I am not. What am I?

Answer: A ton

79. What can you hold in your right hand, but never in your left hand?

Answer: Your left hand.

80. What gets broken without being held?

Answer: A promise.

81. You see a boat filled with people, yet there isn’t a single person on board. How?

Answer: All the people on the boat are married.

82. Two fathers and two sons are in a car, yet there are only three people in the car. How?

Answer: They are grandfather, father, and son.

83. If your uncle’s sister is not your aunt, then who is she to you?

Answer: Your mother.

84. Two people are born at the same moment, but they don't have the same birthdays. How?

Answer: They were born in different time zones.

85. The person who made it doesn’t need it. The person who bought it doesn’t want it. The person who needs it doesn’t know it. What is it?

Answer: A coffin.

86. A man goes outside in the rain without an umbrella or hat but doesn't get a single hair on his head wet. How?

Answer: He's bald.

87. A bus driver goes the wrong way down a one-way street. He passes the cops, but they don’t stop him. Why?

Answer: He was walking.

88. If you are running a race and pass the person in second, then what place are you in?

Answer: Second place.

89. If an electric train is traveling south, then which way is the smoke going?

Answer: There is no smoke—it's an electric train.

90. You enter a room that contains a match, kerosene lamp, candle, and fireplace. What should you light first?

Answer: The match.

91. Poor people have it. Rich people need it. If you eat it you die. What is it?

Answer: Nothing.

92. A mother and father have four daughters, and each daughter has one brother. How many people are in the family?

Answer: Seven.

93. David’s father has three sons. Two of them are named Snap and Crackle. What is the third son's name?

Answer: David.

94. I have a head like a cat and feet like a cat, but I am not a cat. What am I?

Answer: A kitten.

95. If the day before yesterday was the 23rd, then what will be the day after tomorrow?

Answer: The 27th.

96. Whoever makes it doesn't tell. Whoever takes it doesn't know. Whoever knows it doesn't want. What is it?

Answer: Counterfeit money.

97. What common English verb becomes its own past tense by rearranging its letters?

Answer: Eat.

98. What was the biggest island in the world before the discovery of Greenland?

Answer: Greenland was always the biggest—people just didn't know it yet.

99. A is B's father but B isn't A's son. How?

Answer: B is A's daughter.

100 . What is one thing that all people, regardless of their politics or religion, have to agree is between heaven and earth?

Answer: The word "and."

101. Two men are in a desert. They both have backpacks on. One of the guys is dead. The guy who is alive has his backpack open and the guy who is dead has his backpack closed. What is in the dead man’s backpack?

Answer: A parachute.

Corinne Sullivan is an Editor at Cosmopolitan , where she covers a variety of beats, including lifestyle, entertainment, relationships, shopping, and more. She can tell you everything you need to know about the love lives of A-listers, the coziest bedsheets, and the sex toys actually worth your $$$. She is also the author of the 2018 novel Indecent . Follow her on Instagram for cute pics of her pup and bébé. 

Lauren Wellbank is a freelance writer based in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, Huffington Post, Martha Stewart Living, and more. She has three small children, a husband, and an over eager dog at home. When she's not writing she likes to work in her garden with her family.

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A Crash Course in Critical Thinking

What you need to know—and read—about one of the essential skills needed today..

Posted April 8, 2024 | Reviewed by Michelle Quirk

• In research for "A More Beautiful Question," I did a deep dive into the current crisis in critical thinking.
• Many people may think of themselves as critical thinkers, but they actually are not.
• Here is a series of questions you can ask yourself to try to ensure that you are thinking critically.

Conspiracy theories. Inability to distinguish facts from falsehoods. Widespread confusion about who and what to believe.

These are some of the hallmarks of the current crisis in critical thinking—which just might be the issue of our times. Because if people aren’t willing or able to think critically as they choose potential leaders, they’re apt to choose bad ones. And if they can’t judge whether the information they’re receiving is sound, they may follow faulty advice while ignoring recommendations that are science-based and solid (and perhaps life-saving).

Moreover, as a society, if we can’t think critically about the many serious challenges we face, it becomes more difficult to agree on what those challenges are—much less solve them.

On a personal level, critical thinking can enable you to make better everyday decisions. It can help you make sense of an increasingly complex and confusing world.

In the new expanded edition of my book A More Beautiful Question ( AMBQ ), I took a deep dive into critical thinking. Here are a few key things I learned.

First off, before you can get better at critical thinking, you should understand what it is. It’s not just about being a skeptic. When thinking critically, we are thoughtfully reasoning, evaluating, and making decisions based on evidence and logic. And—perhaps most important—while doing this, a critical thinker always strives to be open-minded and fair-minded . That’s not easy: It demands that you constantly question your assumptions and biases and that you always remain open to considering opposing views.

In today’s polarized environment, many people think of themselves as critical thinkers simply because they ask skeptical questions—often directed at, say, certain government policies or ideas espoused by those on the “other side” of the political divide. The problem is, they may not be asking these questions with an open mind or a willingness to fairly consider opposing views.

When people do this, they’re engaging in “weak-sense critical thinking”—a term popularized by the late Richard Paul, a co-founder of The Foundation for Critical Thinking . “Weak-sense critical thinking” means applying the tools and practices of critical thinking—questioning, investigating, evaluating—but with the sole purpose of confirming one’s own bias or serving an agenda.

In AMBQ , I lay out a series of questions you can ask yourself to try to ensure that you’re thinking critically. Here are some of the questions to consider:

• Why do I believe what I believe?
• Are my views based on evidence?
• Have I fairly and thoughtfully considered differing viewpoints?
• Am I truly open to changing my mind?

Of course, becoming a better critical thinker is not as simple as just asking yourself a few questions. Critical thinking is a habit of mind that must be developed and strengthened over time. In effect, you must train yourself to think in a manner that is more effortful, aware, grounded, and balanced.

For those interested in giving themselves a crash course in critical thinking—something I did myself, as I was working on my book—I thought it might be helpful to share a list of some of the books that have shaped my own thinking on this subject. As a self-interested author, I naturally would suggest that you start with the new 10th-anniversary edition of A More Beautiful Question , but beyond that, here are the top eight critical-thinking books I’d recommend.

The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark , by Carl Sagan

This book simply must top the list, because the late scientist and author Carl Sagan continues to be such a bright shining light in the critical thinking universe. Chapter 12 includes the details on Sagan’s famous “baloney detection kit,” a collection of lessons and tips on how to deal with bogus arguments and logical fallacies.

Clear Thinking: Turning Ordinary Moments Into Extraordinary Results , by Shane Parrish

The creator of the Farnham Street website and host of the “Knowledge Project” podcast explains how to contend with biases and unconscious reactions so you can make better everyday decisions. It contains insights from many of the brilliant thinkers Shane has studied.

Good Thinking: Why Flawed Logic Puts Us All at Risk and How Critical Thinking Can Save the World , by David Robert Grimes

A brilliant, comprehensive 2021 book on critical thinking that, to my mind, hasn’t received nearly enough attention . The scientist Grimes dissects bad thinking, shows why it persists, and offers the tools to defeat it.

Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know , by Adam Grant

Intellectual humility—being willing to admit that you might be wrong—is what this book is primarily about. But Adam, the renowned Wharton psychology professor and bestselling author, takes the reader on a mind-opening journey with colorful stories and characters.

Think Like a Detective: A Kid's Guide to Critical Thinking , by David Pakman

The popular YouTuber and podcast host Pakman—normally known for talking politics —has written a terrific primer on critical thinking for children. The illustrated book presents critical thinking as a “superpower” that enables kids to unlock mysteries and dig for truth. (I also recommend Pakman’s second kids’ book called Think Like a Scientist .)

Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters , by Steven Pinker

The Harvard psychology professor Pinker tackles conspiracy theories head-on but also explores concepts involving risk/reward, probability and randomness, and correlation/causation. And if that strikes you as daunting, be assured that Pinker makes it lively and accessible.

How Minds Change: The Surprising Science of Belief, Opinion and Persuasion , by David McRaney

David is a science writer who hosts the popular podcast “You Are Not So Smart” (and his ideas are featured in A More Beautiful Question ). His well-written book looks at ways you can actually get through to people who see the world very differently than you (hint: bludgeoning them with facts definitely won’t work).

A Healthy Democracy's Best Hope: Building the Critical Thinking Habit , by M Neil Browne and Chelsea Kulhanek

Neil Browne, author of the seminal Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking, has been a pioneer in presenting critical thinking as a question-based approach to making sense of the world around us. His newest book, co-authored with Chelsea Kulhanek, breaks down critical thinking into “11 explosive questions”—including the “priors question” (which challenges us to question assumptions), the “evidence question” (focusing on how to evaluate and weigh evidence), and the “humility question” (which reminds us that a critical thinker must be humble enough to consider the possibility of being wrong).

Warren Berger is a longtime journalist and author of A More Beautiful Question .

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Tricky Riddles for Adults

If you think you excel in mathematics and logical thinking, here is a compilation of some tricky riddles which you might just find interesting. The only scenario wherein you are likely to find these riddles easy is, if you already know the answers.

Riddles can be fun when you can solve them easily, but all the more frustrating when you can’t. Regardless of whether they are fun or frustrating, one can’t deny the fact that they often capture our attention with utmost ease, and make us restless until we find the answer. These riddles are a bit tough to crack, especially if you lack critical thinking skills. You need to understand that good listening skills and reasoning ability can help you crack even the toughest riddles you come across.

1. You have a jug of milk from which you have to remove one cup milk aside. But you only have a three-cup measuring container and a five-cup measuring container with you. So how will you remove exactly one cup milk aside?

2. The ages of a father and son add up to 66. The father’s age is the son’s age reversed. How old could they be?

Logic Riddles

In order to solve some riddles, you require logical thinking, i.e., the ability to think out of the box. In case of such riddles, all other things take a backseat and logic becomes the driving factor. This is where critical thinking skills come to your rescue.

1. A man is on a trip with a fox, goose, and a sack of corn. He comes upon a stream, which he has to cross, and finds a tiny boat which he can use. The problem though, is that he can only take himself and either the fox, goose, or the corn across at a time. It is not possible for him to leave the fox alone with the goose, or the goose alone with the corn. How can he get all safely over the stream?

2. You are standing in front of a room with 1 light bulb inside. You cannot see if it is on or off. Outside the room there are 3 switches in off position. You have to find out which switch controls the light bulb inside, but you get to enter the room only once. So how do you find out?

Funny Riddles You have to take life seriously, but not all the time. There are times when seriousness should take the back seat, and solving riddles which make you laugh is one of the best examples of this. PS: Make sure you don’t use these with some short-tempered person whose idea of fun is different from yours!

1. A boy was at a carnival and went to a booth where a man said to the boy, “If I write your exact weight on this piece of paper then you have to give me $50, but if I cannot, I will pay you $50.” The boy looked around and saw no scale, so he agreed, thinking no matter what the man writes he will just say he weighs more or less. In the end the boy ended up paying the man $50. How did the man win the bet?

2. After teaching his class all about the Roman numerals (X=10, IX=9 and so on) the teacher asked his class to draw a single continuous line and turn IX into 6. The only stipulation the teacher made was that the pen could not be lifted from the paper until the line was complete.

Some of these riddles were outright illogical, but they did bring a smile on your face. What’s even better is the fact that such riddles can sharpen your problem-solving skills by teaching you to think out of the box, reasoning and applying the knowledge you get from education.

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Critical thinking definition

Critical thinking, as described by Oxford Languages, is the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgement.

Active and skillful approach, evaluation, assessment, synthesis, and/or evaluation of information obtained from, or made by, observation, knowledge, reflection, acumen or conversation, as a guide to belief and action, requires the critical thinking process, which is why it's often used in education and academics.

Some even may view it as a backbone of modern thought.

However, it's a skill, and skills must be trained and encouraged to be used at its full potential.

People turn up to various approaches in improving their critical thinking, like:

• Developing technical and problem-solving skills
• Engaging in more active listening
• Actively questioning their assumptions and beliefs
• Seeking out more diversity of thought
• Opening up their curiosity in an intellectual way etc.

Is critical thinking useful in writing?

Critical thinking can help in planning your paper and making it more concise, but it's not obvious at first. We carefully pinpointed some the questions you should ask yourself when boosting critical thinking in writing:

• What information should be included?
• Which information resources should the author look to?
• What degree of technical knowledge should the report assume its audience has?
• What is the most effective way to show information?
• How should the report be organized?
• How should it be designed?
• What tone and level of language difficulty should the document have?

Usage of critical thinking comes down not only to the outline of your paper, it also begs the question: How can we use critical thinking solving problems in our writing's topic?

Let's say, you have a Powerpoint on how critical thinking can reduce poverty in the United States. You'll primarily have to define critical thinking for the viewers, as well as use a lot of critical thinking questions and synonyms to get them to be familiar with your methods and start the thinking process behind it.

Are there any services that can help me use more critical thinking?

We understand that it's difficult to learn how to use critical thinking more effectively in just one article, but our service is here to help.

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