KEYSTONE · Day 41

Wednesday, September 2, 2026 — three word bridges. Answers appear here once the day is over.

Every neighbouring pair has to make one word. SOME → DAY → LIGHT → HOUSE works because someday, daylight and lighthouse are all words. You are given the two ends; you supply the middle. More than one bridge is often legal, and any legal bridge counts.

Warm-up

UNDER????????SHOP

4 letters, then 4 letters.

Main

DEATH???????MATE

3 letters, then 4 letters.

Challenge

HOUSE???????PUT

4 letters, then 3 letters.

What day 41 asks you to do

Day 41 is live right now. The three bridges are UNDER to SHOP, DEATH to MATE and HOUSE to PUT. Each one needs two middle words, and every neighbouring pair has to read as a single ordinary word once you push them together.

Warm-up — UNDER to SHOP. The first gap takes a 4-letter word and the second takes a 4-letter word. Whatever you put in the first gap has to work twice: once behind UNDER and once in front of your second word.

Main — DEATH to MATE. The first gap takes a 3-letter word and the second takes a 4-letter word. Whatever you put in the first gap has to work twice: once behind DEATH and once in front of your second word.

Challenge — HOUSE to PUT. The first gap takes a 4-letter word and the second takes a 3-letter word. Whatever you put in the first gap has to work twice: once behind HOUSE and once in front of your second word.

The fastest way in is usually to think in hinge words: words that can attach on both sides, like HOUSE in GREENHOUSE and HOUSEBOAT, or OUT in BLACKOUT and OUTDOOR. Our reference list of 141 compound word hinges shows which words attach to each one on either side.

One of today's prompt words, HOUSE, is a heavy hinge in its own right and has a page of its own. It lists every compound that word takes part in, which is a legitimate way in — it says nothing about which pair is today's answer.

Answers for day 41 are published on this page after the day ends. Nothing above gives them away. If you want worked answers now, the archive has every finished day.

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