Brain Teasing Riddles
Welcome to our collection of brain-teasing riddles, where clever challenges await to stimulate your mind and spark your creativity! Riddles are not just a fun way to pass the time; they also enhance critical thinking and problem-solving skills. If you want to challenge your mind even further, try solving these.
Each riddle offers a unique puzzle that requires you to think outside the box and approach problems from different angles. Whether you’re seeking a solo challenge or a group activity to share with friends and family, these riddles are perfect for sharpening your cognitive skills while having a great time. So, gather your loved ones, challenge each other, and enjoy the satisfaction of solving these delightful brain teasers together! Let’s embark on this journey of discovery and see how many riddles you can unravel!
214 Brain Teasing Riddles
Here are 214 amazing brain tesing riddles:
Logic and Puzzle Riddles
Riddle: The more you take, the more you leave behind. What am I?
Footsteps.
Riddle: I am not alive, but I can grow. I don’t have lungs, but I need air. What am I?
Fire.
Riddle: A man was born in 1990, but today is his 30th birthday in 2020. How is that possible?
He was born on February 29, during a leap year.
Riddle: What begins with an “e,” ends with an “e,” and contains only one letter?
An envelope.
Riddle: I have branches, but no fruit, trunk, or leaves. What am I?
A bank.
Riddle: I fly without wings, and cry without eyes. What am I?
A cloud.
Riddle: The more you have of it, the less you see. What is it?
Fog.
Riddle: If you throw me from the window, I will leave a grieving wife. But stick me in the middle of a door, and I can save somebody’s life. What am I?
The letter N. (Window becomes widow; door becomes donor.)
Riddle: I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. What am I?
An echo.
Riddle: What comes once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years?
The letter “M.”
Riddle: I have keys but open no locks. I have space but no room. You can enter, but you can’t go inside. What am I?
A keyboard.
Riddle: I can be cracked, made, told, and played. What am I?
A joke.
Riddle: What can travel the world while staying in the same corner?
A stamp.
Riddle: I’m not alive, but I can die. What am I?
A battery.
Riddle: A woman shoots her husband, then holds him underwater for five minutes. Finally, she hangs him. But later, they both go out and enjoy a lovely dinner. How is this possible?
She took a photo of him and developed it.
Riddle: I’m heavy forwards, but not backwards. What am I?
A ton.
Riddle: What five-letter word becomes shorter when you add two letters to it?
Short.
Riddle: What can you catch but not throw?
A cold.
Riddle: I have a neck but no head, and I wear a cap. What am I?
A bottle.
Riddle: I have cities, but no houses. I have mountains, but no trees. I have water, but no fish. What am I?
A map.
Riddle: I have seas without water, coasts without sand, towns without people, and mountains without land. What am I?
A map.
Riddle: I get bigger when more is taken away. What am I?
A hole.
Riddle: What goes up but never comes down?
Your age.
Riddle: I run but never walk. I have a bed, but I never sleep. What am I?
A river.
Riddle: What is always in front of you but can’t be seen?
The future.
Trick and Teaser Riddles
Riddle: You see me once in June, twice in November, and not at all in May. What am I?
The letter “e.”
Riddle: I am full of holes, but I can still hold water. What am I?
A sponge.
Riddle: A man pushes his car to a hotel and tells the owner he’s bankrupt. Why?
He’s playing Monopoly.
Riddle: What gets wetter the more it dries?
A towel.
Riddle: The more you have, the more you can share. What is it?
Knowledge.
Riddle: What goes up and down without moving?
A staircase.
Riddle: I have keys but can’t open locks. I can play music, but I don’t sing. What am I?
A piano.
Riddle: The more you take from me, the bigger I get. What am I?
A hole.
Riddle: What can you hold in your right hand, but not in your left?
Your left elbow.
Riddle: What starts with T, ends with T, and is filled with T?
A teapot.
Riddle: The more you take, the more you leave behind. What am I?
Footsteps.
Riddle: What has a head, a tail, is brown, and has no legs?
A penny.
Riddle: If two is company and three is a crowd, what are four and five?
Nine.
Riddle: I am an odd number. Take away one letter and I become even. What number am I?
Seven.
Riddle: What can you keep after giving it to someone?
Your word.
Riddle: What is always coming, but never arrives?
Tomorrow.
Riddle: What can you break, even if you never pick it up or touch it?
A promise.
Riddle: The person who makes it has no need of it. The person who buys it has no use for it. The person who uses it can neither see nor feel it. What is it?
A coffin.
Riddle: If I have it, I don’t share it. If I share it, I don’t have it. What is it?
A secret.
Riddle: A man calls his dog from the opposite side of the river, the dog crosses without getting wet and without using a bridge or boat. How?
The river was frozen.
Riddle: What has keys but can’t open a single door?
A piano.
Riddle: A woman has seven sons, and each son has one sister. How many children does she have?
Eight (one sister is shared by all seven brothers).
Riddle: I have hands but can’t clap. What am I?
A clock.
Riddle: What has four fingers and a thumb, but is not alive?
A glove.
Riddle: I run but never walk, I have a bed but never sleep, I have a mouth but never speak. What am I?
A river.
Number and Math Riddles
Riddle: If there are three apples and you take away two, how many do you have?
Two, because you took them.
Riddle: I am an odd number. Take away one letter and I become even. What number am I?
Seven.
Riddle: A man is looking at a clock that shows 3:15. If the hour hand moves to the 4, how many minutes will pass?
45 minutes.
Riddle: What number comes after this sequence: 2, 3, 5, 9, 17?
33 (each number is the previous one doubled minus one).
Riddle: If you multiply all the numbers on a phone’s dial pad, what’s the total?
Zero, because any number multiplied by zero is zero.
Riddle: What comes before 1 but is greater than 12?
The number 13 on a clock face.
Riddle: If five cats can catch five mice in five minutes, how long will it take 100 cats to catch 100 mice?
Five minutes.
Riddle: What has many keys but can’t open a single lock?
A piano.
Riddle: I am a three-digit number. My tens digit is five more than my ones digit, and my hundreds digit is eight less than my tens digit. What number am I?
194.
Riddle: What is 3/7 chicken, 2/3 cat, and 2/4 goat?
Chicago.
Riddle: There are three apples in a basket and you take away two. How many apples do you have?
Two, because you took them.
Riddle: What is the next number in this series: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13…?
21 (this is the Fibonacci sequence).
Riddle: What can be divided by one, itself, and no other number?
A prime number.
Riddle: If I multiply a number by itself and subtract the original number, I get 56. What number am I?
8. (8×8 = 64; 64 – 8 = 56).
Riddle: How can you write 23 using only the number 2?
22 + 2 / 2 = 23.
Riddle: A is the father of B, but B is not the son of A. How is that possible?
B is the daughter.
Riddle: If two’s company, and three’s a crowd, what are four and five?
Nine.
Riddle: I am an odd number. Take away one letter, and I become even. What number am I?
Seven (take away the ‘S’).
Riddle: What has 88 keys but cannot open a single door?
A piano.
Riddle: What’s the sum of the first ten positive integers?
55.
Riddle: What weighs more—a pound of feathers or a pound of bricks?
Neither, they weigh the same.
Riddle: A man gave one son 10 cents and another son 15 cents. What time is it?
1:45. (A quarter to two!)
Riddle: What comes after 1 but is smaller than 10?
2.
Riddle: I have six eggs. I break two, I fry two, and I eat two. How many eggs are left?
Four eggs are left (you still have the two you broke and fried).
Riddle: If 12 men take 12 hours to build a wall, how long would it take six men to build the same wall?
No time at all—it’s already built.
Word and Language Riddles
Riddle: I am a seven-letter word. I am heavy forward, but backward, I am not. What am I?
Ton (forward it’s heavy, backward it’s “not”).
Riddle: What word starts with the letter “E,” ends with the letter “E,” and contains only one letter in between?
Envelope.
Riddle: A word I know, six letters it contains. Subtract just one, and twelve is what remains. What word is it?
Dozens. (Take away the ‘s’ and you have “dozen,” which means twelve.)
Riddle: I can be long or short; I can be grown or bought; I can be painted or left bare; I can be round or square. What am I?
Hair.
Riddle: Forward, I am heavy, but backward, I am not. What am I?
A ton.
Riddle: I am a word of letters three, add two, and fewer there will be. What word am I?
Few.
Riddle: The more you take away from me, the more I become. What am I?
A hole.
Riddle: What’s a word of five letters, and if you remove two letters, it becomes one?
Stone (remove “s” and “t,” and you have “one”).
Riddle: There is a word of letters three. Add two, and there will be fewer. What am I?
Few.
Riddle: I start with “M,” end with “T,” and I’m full of stuff. What am I?
A mint.
Riddle: What eight-letter word has KST in the middle, in the beginning, and at the end?
Inkstand.
Riddle: The more I am used, the smaller I get. What am I?
A pencil.
Riddle: What word looks the same upside down and backward?
Noon.
Riddle: I am a seven-letter word. My first two letters represent a male, my first three letters represent a female, my first four letters represent a great man, and my entire word represents a great woman. What word am I?
Heroine.
Riddle: What English word retains the same pronunciation, even after you take away four of its five letters?
Queue.
Riddle: What five-letter word becomes shorter when you add two letters to it?
Short.
Riddle: What is a word made up of four letters, yet is also made up of three? Although it’s written with eight letters, and frequently has only four, it rarely consists of six, and never is written with five. What is it?
This is a riddle about the word “word” count. The riddle plays on the fact that you’re expecting something more complicated when the answer is literally in the wording.
Riddle: I have six faces and twenty-one eyes, yet I cannot see. What am I?
A die (as in dice, which have six faces and the spots total to twenty-one).
Riddle: I have keys but no locks. I have space but no room. You can enter, but you can’t go outside. What am I?
A keyboard.
Riddle: What has a head, a tail, is brown, and has no legs?
A penny.
Riddle: I can fly without wings, I can cry without eyes. Whenever I go, darkness flies. What am I?
Clouds.
Riddle: What word is spelled incorrectly in every dictionary?
Incorrectly.
Riddle: What seven-letter word contains thousands of letters?
Mailbox.
Riddle: What word contains 26 letters but only has three syllables?
Alphabet.
Riddle: I am a ten-letter word, but I am just one letter long. What am I?
Envelope.
Story and Situation Riddles
Riddle: A man lives on the 10th floor of a building. Every day, he takes the elevator down to the ground floor to go to work. When he comes back, he takes the elevator to the 7th floor and walks up the stairs to reach his apartment on the 10th floor. Why?
The man is short. He can only reach the button for the 7th floor, but he uses his umbrella on rainy days to reach the 10th floor button.
Riddle: A man is found dead in the middle of a field. There is a package next to him, and it seems like no one else is around. How did he die?
The package was a parachute that failed to open.
Riddle: A man went to a party and drank some punch. He then left early. Everyone else at the party who drank the punch died. Why didn’t the man die?
The poison was in the ice. Since the man left early, the ice hadn’t had time to melt into the punch.
Riddle: A man walks into a bar and asks for a drink of water. The bartender pulls out a gun and points it at the man. The man says, “Thank you,” and walks out. Why?
The man had hiccups. The bartender scared him to cure them.
Riddle: A woman is sitting in her hotel room when there is a knock at the door. She opens the door to see a man whom she has never met before. He says, “I’m sorry, I have made a mistake, I thought this was my room.” He then leaves. The woman immediately calls security. Why?
She suspects the man was trying to rob her because he did not knock on his own room door before entering.
Riddle: A man died and went to heaven. There were two doors: one leading to heaven and one leading to hell. There were two guards: one always tells the truth, and the other always lies. You can ask one question to find out which door leads to heaven. What do you ask?
You ask one guard, “If I were to ask the other guard which door leads to heaven, what would he say?” Then, take the opposite door.
Riddle: A man was murdered on Sunday. The wife said she was sleeping, the cook said he was cooking breakfast, the gardener said he was planting seeds, the maid said she was getting the mail, and the butler said he was polishing silverware. Who did it?
The maid—there is no mail on Sundays.
Riddle: A doctor and a bus driver are both in love with the same woman, an attractive girl named Sarah. The bus driver had to go on a long bus trip that would last a week. Before he left, he gave Sarah seven apples. Why?
Because an apple a day keeps the doctor away.
Riddle: A man was found dead with a cassette recorder in one hand and a gun in the other. When the police arrived, they immediately pressed the play button on the cassette. They heard the man say, “I have nothing else to live for. I can’t go on,” followed by the sound of a gunshot. How did the police know it was a murder and not a suicide?
If the man had killed himself, he wouldn’t have been able to rewind the tape.
Riddle: A man left home and ran. He ran away, turned left, ran some more, turned left again, ran some more, and turned left one last time. When he got home, there were two masked men waiting for him. What had happened?
He had just run the bases in a baseball game. The two masked men were the catcher and umpire.
Riddle: Two people are lying dead in a cabin on top of a mountain. The cabin was not damaged, but the surrounding area is covered in snow. How did they die?
They were in a plane crash. The cabin is the cockpit of the plane.
Riddle: A man who was outside in the rain without an umbrella or hat didn’t get a single hair on his head wet. Why?
He was bald.
Riddle: A man was found dead in a locked room with a puddle of water near him. The window was closed, and there was no forced entry. How did he die?
He was standing on a block of ice, which eventually melted.
Riddle: A man is running through the woods with a pack of wolves chasing him. He reaches a cliff with a river full of alligators below. He has no weapons and nowhere to run. How does he survive?
He jumps into the river—alligators won’t attack someone who’s running for his life.
Riddle: A man stands in front of a painting of someone. He tells people, “Brothers and sisters, I have none. But that man’s father is my father’s son.” Who is in the painting?
The man’s son.
Riddle: A man was found hanging in a locked room with no furniture, and nothing to climb on. There was a puddle of water on the floor. How did he do it?
He stood on a block of ice that melted.
Riddle: A man went to a restaurant and asked for a glass of water. The waiter gave it to him, and the man said, “No, that’s not it,” and walked out. Why?
The man had hiccups. He thought the water would cure them but decided against it.
Riddle: A man is trapped in a room with only two exits. Both exits lead to certain death—one exit has a fire blazing behind it, and the other exit has a tiger that hasn’t eaten in two years. How does the man escape?
The tiger would have died after not eating for two years.
Riddle: A girl goes to her mother’s funeral and sees a man she’s never met. She instantly falls in love with him. Days later, she kills her sister. Why?
She was hoping the man would come to her sister’s funeral so she could see him again.
Riddle: A man is driving his car when he sees three doors: one made of diamond, one made of gold, and one made of silver. Which door does he open first?
The car door.
Riddle: A man in a suit jumped out of a window of a 30-story building. He landed safely on the ground and walked away. How is this possible?
He jumped out of the ground-floor window.
Riddle: A man is reading a book and suddenly, the lights go out. There is no storm, and the electricity wasn’t cut off. He also didn’t use a lamp or flashlight. How is he still able to read?
He’s reading a braille book.
Riddle: A man went on a fishing trip and caught a golden fish. The fish offered to grant him one wish if he let it go. The man asked for something that would allow him to keep both his hands free. What did the fish give him?
A backpack.
Riddle: A man dies, and his lawyer hands his will to his only son. The will says, “I leave you the greatest of all riches.” The son opens the envelope, but there’s only a small key inside. What does the key open?
The man’s heart—a metaphor for the love he passed on.
Riddle: A boy was born on December 28th, yet his birthday always falls in the summer. How is this possible?
He was born in the Southern Hemisphere.
Object and Everyday Life Riddles
Riddle: I have a face that doesn’t frown, I have hands that wave you down, I have no legs, but I travel around. What am I?
A clock.
Riddle: I am not alive, but I can grow. I don’t have eyes, but I can glow. I don’t have lungs, but I need air. What am I?
Fire.
Riddle: What has to be broken before you can use it?
An egg.
Riddle: I have keys but can’t open locks. I have space but no room. You can enter, but you can’t go outside. What am I?
A keyboard.
Riddle: The more you have of me, the less you see. What am I?
Fog.
Riddle: What can you hold in your left hand but not in your right?
Your right elbow.
Riddle: I have teeth, but I cannot bite. What am I?
A comb.
Riddle: I am a container with no hinges, lock, or lid, yet inside a golden treasure is hid. What am I?
An egg.
Riddle: I can fill a room but take up no space. What am I?
Light.
Riddle: What can travel around the world while staying in the same spot?
A stamp.
Riddle: The more you take away, the bigger I become. What am I?
A hole.
Riddle: I am full of holes but can still hold water. What am I?
A sponge.
Riddle: What is always in front of you but can never be seen?
The future.
Riddle: What gets wetter as it dries?
A towel.
Riddle: I fly without wings. I cry without eyes. What am I?
A cloud.
Riddle: I come from a mine, and get surrounded by wood. Everyone uses me. What am I?
A pencil.
Riddle: I’m tall when I’m young and short when I’m old. What am I?
A candle.
Riddle: I go up but never come down. What am I?
Your age.
Riddle: I run, but I never walk. I have a bed, but I never sleep. I have a mouth, but I never speak. What am I?
A river.
Riddle: What can be cracked, made, told, and played?
A joke.
Riddle: What has one eye but can’t see?
A needle.
Riddle: The more you take, the more you leave behind. What am I?
Footsteps.
Riddle: I speak without a mouth, and I hear without ears. What am I?
An echo.
Riddle: I have hands but can’t clap. What am I?
A clock.
Riddle: What has a neck but no head?
A bottle.
Animal Riddles
Riddle: I am an animal, but I never sleep. I can walk on water and see with more than two eyes. What am I?
A fly.
Riddle: I have a tail, and I can wiggle. I can fly, but I’m not a bird. What am I?
A kite.
Riddle: I’m bigger than a mouse, but smaller than a kangaroo. I hop around and I like to chew. What am I?
A rabbit.
Riddle: I can be pet or wild, and I have claws but no paws. What am I?
A bird.
Riddle: I’m known to be sly, and you’ll find me in a den. What am I?
A fox.
Riddle: I can be the king of the jungle, but I’m not a tiger. What am I?
A lion.
Riddle: I spend my days buzzing and making honey. What am I?
A bee.
Riddle: I’m a mammal, but I lay eggs. What am I?
A platypus.
Riddle: I can swim, but I’m not a fish. I quack, but I’m not a frog. What am I?
A duck.
Riddle: I’m pink and round, but I’m not a balloon. I roll in the mud, and I love to snooze. What am I?
A pig.
Riddle: I’m black and white, but I’m not a newspaper. I live in cold regions and waddle around. What am I?
A penguin.
Riddle: I am the tallest animal in the world, but I don’t have a long tail. What am I?
A giraffe.
Riddle: I hiss, but I don’t have a tongue like yours. I slither, but I don’t have legs. What am I?
A snake.
Riddle: I have large ears and a trunk, and I’m one of the largest animals on land. What am I?
An elephant.
Riddle: I’m a nocturnal bird, and I’m known for my hooting. What am I?
An owl.
Riddle: I have spots, and I can run faster than most. What am I?
A cheetah.
Riddle: I’m a sea creature with eight arms. What am I?
An octopus.
Riddle: I’m a bird, but I can’t fly. I live in Australia and have long legs. What am I?
An emu.
Riddle: I live in the ocean and have sharp teeth, but I’m not a whale. What am I?
A shark.
Riddle: I am fluffy and hop around, especially during a holiday in spring. What am I?
A bunny.
Riddle: I’m known as the “king of the jungle,” but I don’t live in the jungle. What am I?
A lion.
Riddle: I have wings but am not an insect. I can be colorful and migrate long distances. What am I?
A butterfly.
Riddle: I live in the forest, and I’m known for my antlers. What am I?
A deer.
Riddle: I’m cold-blooded, and I have scales. I can crawl on land or swim in the water. What am I?
A lizard.
Riddle: I have stripes, but I’m not a zebra. I roar, but I’m not a lion. What am I?
A tiger.
Time and Date Riddles
Riddle: I’m there in the morning, gone at night, and I disappear without a fight. What am I?
The sun.
Riddle: I am measured in hours, but I don’t have a face or hands. What am I?
Time.
Riddle: What time of day is spelled the same forwards and backwards?
Noon.
Riddle: The more you use me, the more you have. What am I?
Time.
Riddle: I am always running, but I never get tired. What am I?
A clock.
Riddle: What month of the year has 28 days?
All of them.
Riddle: I’m slow and steady, but eventually, I get there. What am I?
Time.
Riddle: I move without legs, I tick without a heart. What am I?
A clock.
Riddle: What gets smaller every time you take a piece from it?
A calendar.
Riddle: I am always advancing, never retreating, and I cannot be stopped. What am I?
Time.
Riddle: A man has a pocket watch that belonged to his great-grandfather. It hasn’t worked for years, yet the man never replaces it or repairs it. Why does he keep it?
The pocket watch has sentimental value, and even though it no longer works, it reminds the man of his great-grandfather.
Riddle: I’m there in the morning, gone at night, and I disappear without a fight. What am I?
The sun.
Riddle: I am measured in hours, but I don’t have a face or hands. What am I?
Time.
Riddle: What time of day is spelled the same forwards and backwards?
Noon.
Riddle: The more you use me, the more you have. What am I?
Time.
Riddle: I am always running, but I never get tired. What am I?
A clock.
Riddle: What month of the year has 28 days?
All of them.
Riddle: I’m slow and steady, but eventually, I get there. What am I?
Time.
Riddle: I move without legs, I tick without a heart. What am I?
A clock.
Riddle: What gets smaller every time you take a piece from it?
A calendar.
Riddle: I am always advancing, never retreating, and I cannot be stopped. What am I?
Time.
Riddle: What comes once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years?
The letter “M.”
Riddle: What can’t be touched but can be felt?
Time.
Riddle: What flies without wings?
Time.