Want to test the limits of your mental prowess? Then try out some of the 100 best riddles with answers.
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For millennia, riddles have been mystifying the masses with their clever word play. From the ancient Sumerians, Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, to hobbits, and Batman. Riddles are just as popular today as they were thousands of years ago.
However, instead of finding riddles on cuneiform tablets, we find them on chalk boards at our local coffee shop. Or as a bonus question on a test. And even in video games. Still just as fun, and just as challenging.
So, why not brush up on your riddle lore? They can make surprisingly great conversation starters, and with the right pair of minds there is much entertainment to be found.
What Is a Riddle?
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Whether you’re young or old, a good brain puzzle can be a lot of fun. And riddles can give rise to some pretty epic quandary. But what exactly is a riddle?
Riddles can be broken down into two categories – enigma, and conundrum.
For a riddle to fall into the category of enigma, it has to be puzzling, and mysterious. While a conundrum uses puns, and double entendre. Both an enigma and a conundrum require ingenuity, and critical thinking skills.
12 Easy Riddles with Answers
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Just because they’re easy, doesn’t mean they aren’t fun. Take a look at these 12 easy riddles with answers.
- What has ten letters and needs gas to start?
- Automobile.
- No one has ever walked this way. What is it?
- The Milky Way.
- What belongs to you but is used by everyone else?
- Your name.
- What gets wet while it dries?
- A towel.
- What disappears as soon as you say it’s name?
- Silence.
- What has legs but cannot walk?
- A chair.
- What is always in front of you, but can’t be seen?
- The future.
- I’ve married many people, but I’ve always been single. Who am I?
- A priest.
- What kind of room has no doors or windows?
- A mushroom.
- What makes more as you take them?
- Footsteps.
- What has a ring with no finger?
- A telephone.
- You’ll find me in Mercury, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus. But never Neptune, or Venus. What am I?
- The letter “R”.
10 Riddles for Kids with Answers
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Want to get your kids excited about learning? Throw in some riddles, and challenge their mental abilities. And we have 10 riddles for kids with answers to choose from.
- People want to make me. Some save me. Others change me. And some raise me. What am I?
- Money.
- How many months have 28 days?
- Every month has 28 days.
- What begins with an “E,” but only contains one letter?
- An envelope.
- What has a head, a tail, but no body?
- A coin.
- When you turn me on my side, I am everything. If you cut me in half, I am nothing. What am I?
- The number “8.”
- I have lakes without water. Mountains without stone. And cities without buildings. What am I?
- A map.
- I know a word that contains six letters. If you remove one letter, 12 remain. What is it?
- Dozens.
- Two in a corner. One in a room. Zero in a house. But one in a shelter. What am I?
- The letter “R.”
- I have two coins that equal fifteen cents. One of them is not a nickel. What are the two coins?
- A dime and a nickel. One coin isn’t a nickel. But the other coin is!
- You measure my life in hours, and I serve you by expiring. I’m quick when I’m thin. And I’m slow when I’m fat. The wind is my enemy. What am I?
- A candle.
13 Tricky Riddles with Answers
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Some riddles are just a good time. Maybe they toe the line between a punny joke, and a complex brain teaser. The answer might be in plain sight, waiting for you to trip over yourself. In any case, they’re entertaining.
So, check out these 13 tricky riddles with answers.
- I can be cracked, made, told, and played. What am I?
- A joke.
- What can jump higher than a building?
- Anything. Buildings don’t move, let alone jump.
- What’s a word in the dictionary that’s spelled wrong?
- Wrong.
- What is the end of everything?
- The letter “G.”
- What begins with a “T,” ends with a “T,” and has “T” in it?
- A teapot.
- There’s a one-story house where everything is blue. The walls are blue. The doors are blue. All of the furniture is blue. And the beds and couches are blue. What color are the stairs?
- There are no stairs because it’s a one-story house.
- A woman has four daughters, and each of her daughters has a brother. How many children does she have?
- Five. Because each daughter has the same brother.
- If two’s company, and three’s a crowd, what are four and five?
- Nine
- Johnny’s mother has three children. The first child’s name is April. The second child’s name is May. What is the third child’s name?
- The third child is Johnny
- What four letter word can be written forwards, backwards, or upside down, and still be read from left to right?
- NOON.
- Lighter than what I’m made of. And more of me is hidden than is seen. What am I?
- An iceberg.
- I cannot talk, but I always reply when spoken to. What am I?
- An echo.
- What can you break, even if you can never touch it?
- A promise.
14 Riddles for Adults with Answers
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Not all riddles are fun and games for kids. Some require lofty thought, and logical reasoning skills most children don’t possess. And others are slightly pushing a PG13 rating.
But if you wanna skip the child’s play, then we have 14 of the best riddles for adults with answers.
- The person who makes it has no need for it. The person who buys it has no use for it. And the person who uses it can neither see nor feel it. What is it?
- A casket.
- When is the top of a mountain similar to a savings account?
- When it peaks one’s interest.
- Some people adore me, while others despise me. There are some that take me for granted, and others that treasure me. And I’ll last forever, unless you break me. What am I?
- A marriage.
- As I was going to St. Ives, I met a man with seven wives. Each wife had seven sacks, every sack had seven cats, every cat had seven kittens. Kittens, cats, sacks, wives. How many were going to St. Ives?
- Only one.
- What has four legs and is always ready to travel?
- An elephant.
- What is 21 out of 42?
- President Chester A. Arthur.
- 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?
- He’s bald.
- What comes once in a minute, twice in a moment, and never in a thousand years?
- The letter “M.”
- I can run, but I’ll never walk. And I can murmur, but I’ll never talk. I have a bed, but I never sleep. And I have a mouth, but I never eat. What am I?
- A river.
- Poor people have it. Rich people need it. If you eat it you will die. What is it?
- Nothing.
- Two fathers and two sons are in a car together. But there are only three people in the car. How is this possible?
- There is a grandfather, a father, and son.
- An airplane crashed between the border of Canada and America. Where will you bury the survivors?
- You don’t bury survivors.
- I love to dance, and twist. I shake my tail as I sail away. When I fly wingless into the sky. What am I?
- A kite.
- A rooster laid an egg on the top of a barn. Which way did the egg roll off of the roof?
- Roosters can’t lay eggs.
11 Hard Riddles with Answers
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Wanna really test your critical thinking skills? These 11 hard riddles with answers will certainly make someone think twice.
- First think of the person who lives in disguise. Who deals in secrets and tells naught but lies. Next, tell me what’s always the last thing to mend. The middle of the middle and end of the end? And finally, give me the sound often heard during the search for a hard-to-find word. Now string them together, and answer me this. Which creature would you be unwilling to kiss?
- A spider.
- Forwards, I am heavy. I definitely weigh a lot. However, when I’m backwards, I definitely am not.
- A ton.
- There are two people near a body of water, and they both need to get to the opposite side. However, the boat that can take them can only hold one person at a time. But they both manage to get across. How do they do it?
- The two people are on opposite sides of the body of water and take the boat back and forth.
- Your friends make a surprise visit to your house early one morning. So, you decide to make breakfast for everyone. You start to gather the ingredients you need for pancakes. Then you get juice from the refrigerator to serve as well. What do you open first?
- First, you open your front door to let your friends inside.
- 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?
- The horizon.
- A woman shoots her husband. Then, she holds him underwater for five minutes. Next, she hangs him out to dry. Afterwards, the woman and her husband enjoy a nice dinner together. How?
- The woman took a picture of her husband. Then developed the picture in her darkroom.
- 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?
- All the people on board are married.
- A young man went to a pet store and saw a parrot with a sign on its cage that said the bird repeats everything it hears. He bought the parrot and for two weeks he spoke endlessly to the bird. Yet, the parrot said nothing. He went to the pet store owner and told him about the parrot not speaking. However, the owner said he never lied about the bird’s abilities. How can this be?
- The parrot is deaf.
- A man calls his dog from the opposite side of a river. The dog crosses the river without getting wet. But the dog doesn’t use a bridge or a boat. How does the dog avoid getting wet?
- The river is frozen.
- Only one color, but not one size. Stuck at the bottom, yet easily flies. Present in the sun, but not in rain. Doing no harm, and feeling no pain. What is it?
- A shadow.
- You walk into a room that holds a match, a kerosene lamp, a candle, and a fireplace. What would you light first?
- The match.
12 Dirty Riddles with Answers
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Wanna give your cheeky banter an upgrade? Then test out some of these 12 dirty riddles with answers. They’ll be sure to get a laugh.
- What starts with the letter “P,” ends in “orn,” and is popular in the film industry?
- Popcorn.
- What three letter word starts with “s,” ends with “x,” and has a vowel in the middle.
- Six.
- Name a word that starts with “F,” and ends with “uck.”
- Firetruck.
- What do men have in their pants but women don’t?
- Pockets.
- I start with a “C,” and I end with a “T.” I’m soft and wet on the inside, and hairy on the outside. What am I?
- A coconut.
- Some people like to be on top, while others like to be on the bottom. Once people get comfortable they usually fall asleep. What am I?
- A bunk bed.
- I go in hard, then I come out soft. And it’s fun to blow me. What am I?
- Bubblegum.
- If you want some alone time you might have me set to vibrate. What am I?
- A phone.
- I work with briefs, and I have a talented tongue. What am I?
- A lawyer.
- When a couple had sex they used protection. But the girlfriend gets pregnant anyway. When she tells her boyfriend that she is pregnant, he breaks up with her. And breaks her heart. What broke first?
- The condom.
- Oftentimes I’m made of latex, and people use me for protection. What am I?
- Gloves.
- Why are quantum physicists bad sexual partners?
- Because when they find the right position they lose the momentum. And when they find the momentum, they lose their position.
15 Riddler Riddles with Answers
Even the Riddler’s name, Edward Nigma, is a pun of enigma. Carefully combining both forms of riddles – conundrum and enigma.
Can you do better than Batman? Try to knock out some of these 15 Riddler riddles.
- What is it that no one wants to have, but no one wants to lose either?
- A lawsuit.
- I am a five-letter word and a fruit. Take out my first letter, and I am a crime, take out my second letter too, and I am an animal. Take out only my first and last letters, and I become a kind of music. What am I?
- A grape.
- I can be long, short, grown, bought, painted, left bare, round, or square. What am I?
- Fingernails.
- I sit in the corner while traveling around the world. What am I?
- I’m a postage stamp
- When does a painter use a trigger instead of a brush?
- When they’re a stickup artist.
- What is always on its way but never arrives?
- Tomorrow.
- What won’t run for long without winding?
- A river.
- Which president wears the largest hat?
- Whichever has the largest head.
- I’m at the back of the room, I’m covered in pipes. Like a door, I have keys.
- An organ.
- When is a prize fight like a beautiful lady?
- When it’s a knockout.
- What do you throw away that keeps returning?
- A boomerang.
- What is higher without a head than with one?
- A pillow.
- When does a Boy Wonder rhyme with bubble?
- It’s when he’s DOUBLE – SPLIT in two halves – right down the MIDDLE.
- When is a person like a piece of wood?
- When he’s a ruler.
- Why is a quarrel like a bargain?
- It takes two to make one.
8 Hobbit Riddles with Answers
J.R.R. Tolkien is known for his epic battles. But one of the most important battle scenes in Tolkein’s Hobbit takes place off of the battlefield.
Instead, Bilbo and Gollum literally go head to head over possession of the Ring of Powers in the cave within the Misty Mountains.
But instead of an epic adventure, you can simply challenge a friend to these 8 Hobbit riddles. No sieges necessary.
- What has roots as nobody sees. Is taller than trees. Up, up, up it goes. And yet, never grows?
- A mountain.
- It cannot be seen, cannot be felt. Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt. It lies behind stars and under hills. And empty holes it fills. It comes first and follows after. Ends life, kills laughter.
- Darkness.
- Alive without breath. As cold as death; Never thirsty, ever drinking. All in mail never clinking.
- Fish.
- This thing all things devours: Birds, beasts, trees, flowers; Gnaws iron, bites steel; Grinds hard stones to meal; Slays king, ruins town. And beats high mountain down.
- Time.
- An eye in a blue face. Saw an eye in a green face. “That eye is like to this eye” Said the first eye, “But in low place. Not in high place.”
- Sun shining on daisies.
- A box without hinges, key or lid. Yet golden treasure inside is hid.
- Egg.
- Thirty white horses on a red hill. First they champ. Then they stamp. Then they stand still.
- Teeth.
- Voiceless it cries. Wingless flutters. Toothless bites. Mouthless mutters.
- Wind.
5 Riddles of Hyrule with Answers
Video games frequently use riddles to help drive the plot of a game. And Nintendo’s favorite heroic adventurer, Link, is no stranger to solving riddles, puzzles, or other brain teasers.
See if you know a fan of the Legend of Zelda that can answer these 5 riddles of Hyrule.
- Small, red, round, and sweet! Bring me one of this simple treat!
- Apple.
- Kakariko Village’s specialty fruit! Its rock-hard flesh is quite resolute!
- Fortified Pumpkin.
- This sultry shroom will warm your bones. It makes its home in warmer zones.
- Sunshroom.
- Its scales and tail will zap you, no doubt! This shocking swimmer is called a…fish.
- Voltfin Trout.
- If stepped on by this, you will go poof! It starts with an H and ends with an oof!
- Lynel Hoof.
What Are the Benefits of Brain Teasers?
Other than being a source of entertainment, riddles benefit us in a few other ways.
With the metal gymnastics necessary to solve riddles, we’re strengthening our critical thinking skills. And solving riddles can help us improve our memory, problem solving skills, and logical reasoning.
Try to think of riddles as an exercise for your brain.
And just like with physical exercise, solving riddles can help release dopamine. When you finally solve that tricky riddle, you get a little dose of dopamine that helps you relax, and eases tension.
So, take the time to challenge yourself by solving riddles. Your brain will thank you.
It’s a No Brainer
If you like challenges, or entertaining others, then riddles are great for testing your mental aptitude and spicing up monotonous conversations.
Think you can stump us with one of your own riddles?
Hit us up in the comments, and we’ll put it to the test.
