When I was a kid, a piece of me always wanted to be a detective when I grew up. I found a great thrill in identifying patterns, solving problems, and ultimately discovering new ways to think about the world around me. Checking all those boxes, I'm pretty sure that rebus puzzles inspired that phase of my childhood.
Rebus puzzles are word exercises that stretch your imagination, expand your vocabulary, and improve your problem-solving skills. They're fun to solve independently or as a team. Below you'll find two sample puzzles with explanations for how to solve them. Then you'll find 20 more to try on your own.
How to Solve a Rebus Puzzle
To solve a rebus, consider not just the words, but the placement, size, color, and quantity of everything within the box (and sometimes just outside the box!) when trying to decipher the puzzle.
Examples:
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Sample A:
The answer to this rebus is elbow. How? The word "bow" is positioned in the shape of an L.
Sample B:
The answer to this rebus is space invaders. How? The word "vaders" has a space in between the letters.
Ready to solve some puzzles?
Below are 20 rebus puzzles for your family to try. If you get stuck, answers are listed at the very bottom of this article.
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Answers:
- Try to understand
- Crossing guard
- Up for grabs
- Two thumbs up
- You're under arrest
- Scrambled eggs
- Good afternoon
- Counter-clockwise
- Just in case
- Read between the lines
- Look before you leap
- What goes up must come down
- Top secret
- Keep in touch
- Repeat after me
- Forgiveness
- Double or nothing
- Water / H20 (The letters read from H to O)
- Hurry up
- Ready to go
