The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The correct answer to the puzzle is EMPIRE.
This is a multi-step word puzzle that requires interpreting a few different clues. Here is a breakdown of the logic used to arrive at the solution.
First, you need to solve the clue in the box on the left. The sentence reads, “When a ticket or license can’t be used anymore, it has ____d.” The word that fits perfectly in this context is EXPIRED.
Next, the puzzle gives an instruction: “Take away the first three letters.” Applying this to the word EXPIRED, you remove E, X, and P. This leaves you with the letters IRED.
The final part of the instruction, “then add two,” is where the puzzle becomes tricky, and it seems the text might be incomplete or poorly worded. The key is to see how the letters IRED connect to the word VAMPIRE shown at the bottom of the puzzle. The word VAMPIRE contains the letters I, R, and E.
The puzzle intends for you to use this connection to transform the word VAMPIRE into a new, seven-letter word that fits in the answer blanks. The answer, EMPIRE, is thematically related, as a powerful vampire might rule an empire. It is also very close in spelling to VAMPIRE, sharing the last five letters: M, P, I, R, E.
The transformation involves changing the first two letters of VAMPIRE (V and A) into a single letter (E). While the instruction “add two” does not literally describe this change, it’s the most likely intended solution for this classic, albeit confusing, brain teaser. The clue on the left provides key letters and context, guiding you toward modifying the base word VAMPIRE to find the final answer.
