Once I am told to everyone, I can no longer be kept. What am I?
Think about private information.
A secret
Sharing it publicly ends its secrecy.
Other answers may fit, too.
A little lateral thinking
Riddles
Small questions. Unexpected answers. Explore our free riddles at your own pace, and open a hint only when you need one.
Try the Riddle of the Week →104 riddles to explore
What comes once in a year, twice in a week, and never in a day?
Look at the spelling.
The letter E
Year has one e, week has two, and day has none.
Other answers may fit, too.
What has teeth but cannot bite?
A bathroom drawer.
A comb
Its teeth separate strands of hair.
Other answers may fit, too.
How many months have twenty-eight days?
Read the wording carefully.
All twelve
Every month has at least twenty-eight days.
Other answers may fit, too.
What can travel around the world while staying in a corner?
Think about sending a letter.
A postage stamp
A stamp stays in a corner of its envelope while the envelope travels.
Other answers may fit, too.
What five-letter word sounds unchanged after its last four letters are removed?
Think about waiting in line.
Queue
Queue and Q have the same pronunciation.
Other answers may fit, too.
What has an eye but cannot see?
A sewing basket.
A needle
Thread passes through the needle's eye.
Other answers may fit, too.
If you pass the runner in second place, what place are you in?
Whose spot did you take?
Second place
You take second place; the first-place runner is still ahead.
Other answers may fit, too.
What has a tongue but cannot speak?
Look at your feet.
A shoe
The flap under the laces is its tongue.
Other answers may fit, too.
Where does today come before yesterday?
Think about alphabetical order.
A dictionary
Today is alphabetically before yesterday.
Other answers may fit, too.
What has branches but grows no leaves?
Think about money.
A bank
Its local offices are branches.
Other answers may fit, too.
What has six faces and twenty-one eyes?
Think about games.
A standard die
Its six faces have one through six pips, totaling twenty-one.
Other answers may fit, too.
What disappears the moment you say its name aloud?
Listen to the room.
Silence
Speaking interrupts silence.
Other answers may fit, too.
What word becomes shorter when you add two letters?
Add a comparative ending.
Short
Short plus er becomes shorter.
Other answers may fit, too.
What has mountains without rocks, forests without trees, and seas without water?
Think about representations.
A map
A map depicts these features rather than containing the actual things.
Other answers may fit, too.
A farmer has seventeen sheep. All but nine wander away. How many remain?
What does all but mean?
Nine
All but nine means nine did not wander away.
Other answers may fit, too.
What has keys but opens no locks?
Think about an instrument.
A piano
Pressing its keys produces notes.
Other answers may fit, too.
What number is odd until you remove its first letter?
Spell it out.
Seven
Seven without s is even.
Other answers may fit, too.
What has a mouth and a bed, but neither eats nor sleeps?
Think about flowing water.
A river
It flows along a riverbed to its mouth.
Other answers may fit, too.
What is bought by the yard but worn by the foot?
Think about floor coverings.
Carpet
Carpet may be sold by the yard and worn down by feet.
Other answers may fit, too.
What belongs to you but is spoken more often by other people?
How do people address you?
Your name
Other people use your name to get your attention.
Other answers may fit, too.
What word starts and ends with e and can contain a letter?
Think about mail.
Envelope
It contains a written letter, not necessarily one alphabetic character.
Other answers may fit, too.
What has a head and a tail, yet no body between them?
You can flip it.
A coin
Its two faces are called heads and tails.
Other answers may fit, too.
What begins with T, ends with T, and has T inside?
Think about brewing.
A teapot
Teapot begins and ends with T; the T inside is tea, the drink.
Other answers may fit, too.
What goes up but never comes down?
Think about birthdays.
Your age
Your age increases with time and does not decrease.
Other answers may fit, too.
What gets bigger the more you take away?
Think about digging.
A hole
Removing soil enlarges the opening.
Other answers may fit, too.
What gets wetter while helping something else get dry?
After a bath.
A towel
It absorbs water from the thing it dries.
Other answers may fit, too.
What becomes shorter the longer it burns?
Look at the wax.
A candle
Burning consumes the candle.
Other answers may fit, too.
What has a neck but no head?
Think about glass.
A bottle
The narrow upper part is its neck.
Other answers may fit, too.
What has hands but cannot clap?
Look at the wall.
An analog clock
Its hands indicate the time.
Other answers may fit, too.
What has a thumb and four fingers but no bones?
Winter clothing.
A glove
It has spaces shaped for those parts of a hand.
Other answers may fit, too.
What is full of holes but still holds water?
Think about cleaning.
A sponge
Its pores hold water.
Other answers may fit, too.
What has to be answered but never asks a question?
Think about a call.
A ringing telephone
You answer a telephone even though the ringing contains no question.
Other answers may fit, too.
What runs around a garden without moving?
Think about the boundary.
A fence
A fence can run around the perimeter while remaining still.
Other answers may fit, too.
What follows you but vanishes when the lights go out?
Look at the ground.
Your shadow
A shadow needs a light source.
Other answers may fit, too.
What answers you without understanding you?
Try a canyon.
An echo
Reflected sound repeats what you said.
Other answers may fit, too.
What goes through towns and fields but never moves?
Think about travel.
A road
A road extends across the landscape but stays in place.
Other answers may fit, too.
What has a head, a foot, and four legs?
Think about furniture.
A bed
A bed has a head and foot end and can stand on four legs.
Other answers may fit, too.
What has a space bar but serves no drinks?
Think about typing.
A keyboard
The space bar inserts spaces.
Other answers may fit, too.
What goes up and down but stays in the same place?
Think about moving between floors.
A staircase
The staircase goes both up and down depending on your direction, but the structure stays still.
Other answers may fit, too.
What gets sharper as it gets smaller?
Think about a sharpener.
A pencil
Removing wood and graphite creates a point.
Other answers may fit, too.
What has a crown and roots but is neither a king nor a tree?
Look in your mouth.
A tooth
The visible portion is the crown; roots anchor it.
Other answers may fit, too.
What must you break before you can use it?
Think about breakfast.
An egg
Cracking the shell releases the egg.
Other answers may fit, too.
What has eyes but cannot see?
Think about vegetables.
A potato
Its buds are called eyes.
Other answers may fit, too.
What has ears but cannot hear?
Think about a crop.
Corn
An ear is the seed-bearing part of corn.
Other answers may fit, too.
What goes up when rain comes down?
Think about staying dry.
An umbrella
People put umbrellas up when it rains.
Other answers may fit, too.
What has a head but never thinks, and a point but never argues?
Think about a toolbox.
A nail
A nail has a head and a pointed tip.
Other answers may fit, too.
What has a foot but no legs?
Think about measurement.
A ruler
A twelve-inch ruler measures one foot.
Other answers may fit, too.
What flies without wings and cries without eyes?
Think about the sky.
A cloud
A cloud moves through the sky and releases rain, figuratively crying.
Other answers may fit, too.
What can you hold without touching it?
Think about breathing.
Your breath
Holding your breath means pausing your breathing, not grasping something.
Other answers may fit, too.
What has many words but never speaks?
Think about reading.
A book
A printed book contains words without having a voice.
Other answers may fit, too.
What can you see in water that never gets wet?
Think about an image.
A reflection
A reflection is an image formed by light, rather than an object submerged in the water.
Other answers may fit, too.
What can you break without touching it?
It is a commitment.
A promise
You break it by failing to do what you said.
Other answers may fit, too.
What is always ahead of you but never arrives?
Think about time.
The future
When it arrives, it is the present.
Other answers may fit, too.
What can you spend without ever putting it in a wallet?
A day gives you some.
Time
To spend time is to use it.
Other answers may fit, too.
What has a bottom at the top?
Think about the human body.
Your legs
Your bottom is above your legs.
Other answers may fit, too.
What can fill a room without taking up any space?
Try the switch.
Light
Light illuminates the room without occupying storage space.
Other answers may fit, too.
What has a ring but no finger?
Listen for a call.
A telephone
A telephone can ring, but it has no finger to wear a ring.
Other answers may fit, too.
What goes through glass without breaking it?
Think about a sunny window.
Light
Light passes through transparent glass.
Other answers may fit, too.
What has a thousand needles but never sews?
Think about an animal.
A porcupine
Its pointed quills are metaphorical needles.
Other answers may fit, too.
What has four legs in the morning, two at noon, and three in the evening?
Think about stages of a lifetime.
A human
The traditional answer is a crawling baby, a walking adult, and an older person using a cane; the times of day represent life stages, not universal abilities.
Other answers may fit, too.
What is easy to get into but hard to get out of?
Think about consequences.
Trouble
Getting into trouble can be much easier than resolving it.
Other answers may fit, too.
What can you make that nobody can see?
Think about the senses.
A noise
You hear a noise rather than see it.
Other answers may fit, too.
What can make you cry without feeling a thing?
In the kitchen.
An onion
Cutting onions releases irritating compounds.
Other answers may fit, too.
What wears needles but never sews?
Think about trees.
An evergreen conifer
Many evergreen conifers keep needle-shaped leaves year-round.
Other answers may fit, too.
What can you put in a bucket to make it weigh less?
Think about taking something away.
A hole
Making a hole removes some material from the bucket; if it contains water, water may drain too.
Other answers may fit, too.
What takes its home along whenever it goes out?
Think about a shell.
A snail
Its shell provides protection as it moves.
Other answers may fit, too.
What has no life but can die?
Think about stored power.
A battery
A depleted battery is described as dead.
Other answers may fit, too.
What can be cracked, made, told, and played?
Think about expressions.
A joke
You can crack, make, or tell a joke and play a joke on someone.
Other answers may fit, too.
What blanket falls from the sky?
Think about winter.
Snow
Snow cover is often described as a blanket.
Other answers may fit, too.
What gets broken without being held?
Think about achievements.
A record
Someone breaks a record by surpassing a previous best.
Other answers may fit, too.
What has no beginning, end, or corners?
Think about a shape.
A circle
A circle is a closed curve without endpoints or corners.
Other answers may fit, too.
What can whistle without lips?
Feel the air.
Wind
Wind can make a whistling sound as it passes through narrow openings.
Other answers may fit, too.
What has a thousand letters but is not a word?
Think about mail.
A post office
Letters here means pieces of correspondence; a thousand is figurative rather than a fixed count.
Other answers may fit, too.
What can go up a chimney down but not down a chimney up?
Think about open and folded.
An umbrella
Down means folded; up means open. This traditional riddle assumes a chimney wide enough for the folded umbrella but too narrow for it open.
Other answers may fit, too.
What goes from Z to A?
Think about a word, not the alphabet.
A zebra
Zebra begins with z and ends with a.
Other answers may fit, too.
What stays behind when you leave a story, so you can return to the same place?
Between pages.
A bookmark
It saves the spot where you stopped.
Other answers may fit, too.
What brings a sentence to a full stop without making a sound?
Think about punctuation.
A period
A period marks the end of a statement.
Other answers may fit, too.
There are three apples. You take away two. How many do you have?
Count what you took.
Two
You have the two apples you took away.
Other answers may fit, too.
How many times can you subtract ten from one hundred?
Watch how the starting number changes.
Once
After the first subtraction, you are subtracting from ninety.
Other answers may fit, too.
A doctor gives you three pills and says to take one now and one every half hour after that. When do you take the last pill?
The first pill is taken immediately.
In one hour
The doses are at zero, thirty, and sixty minutes.
Other answers may fit, too.
Two fathers and two sons each take one apple, yet only three apples are taken. How is that possible?
One person has two family roles.
They are a grandfather, his son, and his grandson
The middle person is both a father and a son.
Other answers may fit, too.
Two parents have six sons together. Each son has exactly one sister, also a child of these parents. How many children do the parents have?
Do the sons need different sisters?
Seven
The six sons share the same sister.
Other answers may fit, too.
Two children have the same mother and were born on the same day of the same year, but they are not twins. How is that possible?
There may be another sibling.
They are two of a set of triplets or a larger multiple birth
The description does not say only two children were born.
Other answers may fit, too.
A man walks in heavy rain with no hat or umbrella, yet not one hair on his head gets wet. Why?
Question what he has to protect.
He is bald
There is no hair on his head to get wet.
Other answers may fit, too.
A person shaves several times a day but still has a beard. How?
Whose face is being shaved?
They are a barber
They shave other people and keep their own beard.
Other answers may fit, too.
What word for feeling pressure becomes a sweet course when read backward?
Reverse the letters.
Stressed
Stressed backward is desserts.
Other answers may fit, too.
What six-letter word becomes a place to store things when read backward?
Think about something given for an achievement.
Reward
Reward backward is drawer.
Other answers may fit, too.
A truck driver goes the wrong way down a one-way street, passes a police officer, and is not stopped. Why?
A job title does not tell you the current activity.
The driver is walking
The person is not driving a vehicle at that moment.
Other answers may fit, too.
A boat is full of people, but there is not a single person aboard. How?
Single has more than one meaning.
Everyone aboard is married
Single refers to marital status rather than counting people.
Other answers may fit, too.
What can you hold with your left hand but not with your right?
Think about your arm.
Your right elbow
Your left hand can grasp your right elbow; your right hand cannot grasp its own elbow.
Other answers may fit, too.
What can you take that leaves more behind the farther you go?
Think about walking.
Footsteps
The more steps you take, the more footprints you can leave behind.
Other answers may fit, too.
What can you keep after giving it to somebody?
Think about a commitment.
Your word
Giving your word creates a promise you can keep.
Other answers may fit, too.
How can you make the word one disappear by adding a letter?
Think about the meaning of the new word.
Add G to make gone
Adding g before one gives gone, meaning no longer there.
Other answers may fit, too.
What can be served but never eaten?
Think about starting play.
A tennis ball
A serve puts the ball in play.
Other answers may fit, too.
What question can you never truthfully answer yes to while answering it?
Think about what answering requires.
Are you asleep?
In the ordinary awake-versus-asleep sense, consciously answering means you are awake, making yes untrue.
Other answers may fit, too.
You enter a dark room with an unlit candle, an oil lamp, and one match. What do you light first?
Read the sequence carefully.
The match
You must light the match before using its flame elsewhere.
Other answers may fit, too.
What is at the end of a rainbow?
Look at the word.
The letter W
Rainbow ends with w.
Other answers may fit, too.
What is in the middle of nowhere?
Look at the spelling.
The letter H
Nowhere has seven letters, with h in the fourth position.
Other answers may fit, too.
What has teeth but no jaw?
Look at a jacket.
A zipper
The slider joins or separates the zipper's teeth.
Other answers may fit, too.
What kind of coat is always wet when you put it on?
Think about another meaning of coat.
A coat of paint
A coat of paint is applied wet, rather than worn as clothing.
Other answers may fit, too.
What lets you look through a wall without breaking it?
Think about a house.
A window
A window is a transparent opening in the wall.
Other answers may fit, too.
What word is spelled incorrectly in every dictionary?
The question may be literal.
Incorrectly
Incorrectly is itself a dictionary entry; no spelling error is required.
Other answers may fit, too.
What has teeth that sing but no mouth?
Think about a small mechanical instrument.
A music box
A wound mechanism plucks tuned teeth to play music.
Other answers may fit, too.
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