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Sunday Puzzle: MBA's

Sunday Puzzle
NPR
Sunday Puzzle

On-air challenge

Today's theme is MBAs, as in the business degrees. Every answer is a familiar two-word phrase or name in which the first word starts with M-, and the second word starts BA-.

Ex. A little of this, a little of that -->Mixed bag

1. Something a Boy Scout earns
2. Piece of playground equipment that kids climb on
3. Group of musicians following a drum major
4. Strip on top of a computer screen from which you can pull down to make selections
5. Dumpling in Jewish soup
6. New England colony established by the Puritans
7. Financial institution for private companies and wealthy individuals
8. Place where soldiers train
9. Container for a postal worker
10. Health treatment in which a person sits in a tub of hot, wet earth
11. A commercial pitch on TV might offer a _____ guarantee
12. Terse admission of error

Last week's challenge

Last week's challenge came from James Ellison, of Jefferson City, Mo. Think of a famous movie villain. Insert one letter to get the brand name of a household product. Then change one letter of the product to get the last name of another famous movie villain. Who are the characters and what is the product?

Challenge answer: Dr. No --> Drano, (Ivan) Drago (of "Rocky IV")

Winner

Ned Andrews of Houston, Texas

This week's challenge

Spell out the numbers from 13 to 20 -- THIRTEEN, FOURTEEN, FIFTEEN, SIXTEEN, SEVENTEEN, EIGHTEEN, NINETEEN, TWENTY. Select one letter from each word, in order, to name another number. No anagramming is necessary. What number is it?

If you know the answer to the challenge, submit it here by Thursday, August 27 at 3 p.m. ET. Listeners whose answers are selected win a chance to play the on-air puzzle. Important: include a phone number where we can reach you.

Copyright 2026 NPR

Will Shortz has been the puzzle master for NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday since the program's start in 1987.
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