Compound words with MAN

MAN is a hinge word: 35 words make a compound in front of it and 4 make one after it, so it can sit in the middle of a chain and hold two compounds together at once.

Words that go in front of MAN

Each of these makes a compound ending in MAN.

Words that follow MAN

Each of these makes a compound starting with MAN.

Why MAN joins on both sides

MAN is the busiest hinge in this set, mostly as an agent ending: POSTMAN, FIREMAN, CHAIRMAN. Running the other way it is much rarer, which is why MANPOWER, MANHUNT and MANHOLE feel like a short list.

Bridges you can build through MAN

Put any word from the first list in front and any word from the second behind, and you have a three-word chain in which both neighbouring pairs join. Here are some of them.

Play a bridge

KEYSTONE is a free daily puzzle built entirely out of chains like these. You get the two ends and have to fill the two words in the middle. Three bridges a day, no account, no cookies.

Play today's KEYSTONE

Other hinge words

Each of these has a page like this one. There is also an index of all 28.

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