Wordplay · Ages 18+
Riddle #187
Start with the word STARTLING. Remove exactly one letter at a time, and after every single removal, what remains must still be a real English word — all the way down to one letter. What's the sequence?
You solved this one before
Open-ended riddle: think it through, then reveal the answer.
Answer: STARTLING → STARTING → STARING → STRING → STING → SING → SIN → IN → I
Each step removes one letter (L, then T, then A, then R, then T, then G, then S, then N) and every intermediate result is a valid word.