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Scrambled Headline Showdown

Play a quick word game based on news or magazine headlines

By

Staying Sharp

Updated May 20, 2024

Updated May 20, 2024

An up-close view of a newspaper

DNY59/Getty Images

Quick Win

An easy wordplay competition engages the brain and promises a fun time with friends.

Try This Today

Play with two or more people. Each person gets a sheet of paper and pencil or pen.
Using a headline from a newspaper or journal article, rearrange the letters to create as many new words as you can.
“Buffalo sets new snow record” could generate words like loaf, decorate, fawn, etc.
Set a one-, two- or five-minute time limit for responses.
The person with the most new words wins! You can also compete for longest word or funniest word.

Why

You can use the words and phrases you read every day to play a quick word game that gets your mind working and offers an opportunity to have fun with your crew. “The weight of evidence suggests that social engagement helps maintain thinking skills and slows cognitive decline in later life,” according to AARP’s Global Council on Brain Health 2017 report “The Brain and Social Connectedness.”

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Benefits Recommended For You

Legal Disclaimer: Staying Sharp, including all content and features, is offered for informational purposes and to educate users on brain health care and medical issues that may affect their daily lives. Staying Sharp is based on a holistic, lifestyle approach to brain health that encourages users to incorporate into their daily lives activities that are associated with general wellness. Nothing in the service should be considered, or used as a substitute for, medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Features including the Cognitive Assessment and Lifestyle Check-Ins, Additional Tests, exercises, and challenges assess performance at a particular moment in time on certain discrete cognitive tasks. Staying Sharp games are intended for entertainment and recreational purposes only. Various factors may affect performance, including sleep, tiredness, focus, and other social, environmental, or emotional factors. Performance is not indicative of cognitive health and not predictive of future performance or medical conditions.

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