This is the perfect game for people who like to take things apart and put them together again—and don't mind having some parts left over. The goal is to reorganize on a separate piece of paper the letters in the “mother” word to make as many shorter words as you can.
Here are some rules to limit your creativity:
(1) No proper nouns (i.e., capitalized words such as Tracy, Yukon, Serb).
(2) No words of fewer than four letters.
(3) No plurals of two- or three-letter words to form four-letter words (e.g., goes, gets, eggs, etc.).
(4) Only one form of each word. For example, farm, but not farms or farmed (which differ only in number and tense). But farmer, which has a different meaning, would be OK.
ABROGATE(AB-ruh-gayt)Repeal; annul; abolish.
Best score so far: 50
ACRIMONY(AK-rih-moh-nee)Bitterness; sharpness.
Best score so far: 57
ADUMBRATE(uh-DUM-brayt)Cast a shadow; emerge faintly.
Best score so far: 91
ALLEVIATE(uh-LEE-vee-ayt)To lessen or relieve.
Best score so far: 36
ALLOGRAPH(AL-uh-graf)A signature made for another person.
Best score so far: 24
AMBIGUOUS(am-BIG-yoo-us)Having more than one possible interpretation.
Best score so far: 17
ANTIPATHY(an-TIP-uh-thee)Strong aversion; repugnance.
Best score so far: 28
APOCRYPHAL(uh-POK-rih-ful)Of doubtful authenticity.
Best score so far: 64
ARROGATE(AIR-uh-gayt)To claim without right.
Best score so far: 33
AUSPICIOUS(aws-PISH-us)Favorable; auguring success.
Best score so far: 16
CHRONOLOGY(kruh-NOL-uh-jee)An arrangement based on sequence of occurrence.
Best score so far: 32
CIRCUITOUS(ser-KYOO-ih-tus)Roundabout.
Best score so far: 40
COMPUNCTION(k'm-PUNK-sh'n)Remorse; contrition.
Best score so far: 54
CONDUCIVE(kun-DOO-siv)Favorable; helpful.
Best score so far: 40
CONGRESS(KON-gress)Formal meeting or conference; nation's legislature.
Best score so far: 26
CONSPICUOUS(kun-SPIK-yoo-us)Easily seen.
Best score so far: 38
DIONYSIAN(dy-uh-NIH-zhee-un)Sensual; unrestrained; passionate.
Best score so far: 16
EFFICACIOUS(ef-ih-KAY-shus)Producing the desired result.
Best score so far: 22
EGREGIOUS(eh-GREE-jus)Very bad; flagrant.
Best score so far: 35
EPHEMERAL(uh-FEM-er-'l)Existing only a short time.
Best score so far: 58
EQUIVOCATE(eh-KWIV-uh-kayt)To be ambiguous; mislead.
Best score so far: 36
EXACERBATE(eg-ZASS-er-bayt)To make worse; aggravate.
Best score so far: 48
FACTIOUS(FAK-shus)Marked by faction and dissent.
Best score so far: 31
FEASIBLE(FEEZ-ih-b'l)Capable of being done; advisable.
Best score so far: 36
HOMOLOGOUS(hoh-MOL-uh-gus)Similar in structure, position, etc., to something else.
Best score so far: 23
IGNOMINIOUS(ig-noh-MIN-ee-us)Shameful; deserving of contempt.
Best score so far: 34
LOGOGRIPH(LOH-goh-grif)A word puzzle.
Best score so far: 18
LOQUACIOUS(loh-KWAY-shus)Talkative.
Best score so far: 21
OPPROBRIUM(uh-PROH-bree-um)Infamy resulting from disgraceful conduct.
Best score so far: 27
PEREMPTORY(per-EMP-tor-ee)Dictatorial; imperious.
Best score so far: 75
SOPHOMORIC(sof-uh-MOR-ik)Immaturely pretentious.
Best score so far: 44
TEMPORIZE(TEM-per-yze)To put off making a decision or commitment to gain time.
Best score so far: 75
