Free logic puzzles to play and print

Hard Rebus Puzzles with Answers

Work out the phrase hidden in each word picture. Type your answer, use a hint, or make and print your own rebus puzzles.

This page offers 22 hard rebus puzzles, along with easy and medium ones, all picture-word puzzles with answers. A rebus shows words or letters arranged so that their position, size, direction or repetition spells out a phrase. The tool runs in your web browser. It is free, needs no sign-up, has nothing to install, and does not upload anything.

The bank holds 99 picture puzzles drawn for this site, each with an answer and a one-line explanation of why it works. Topics include Idioms, Phrases, Words, Christmas, Halloween, Food, Places and Movies, so you can find rebus puzzles with answers that match your interests. There is also a Rebus maker for writing your own dingbats puzzles, and a Print tab for printing sheets for a class, a party or a family game.

Hard rebus puzzles example

How to use the Rebus Puzzles tool

  1. Open the Quiz tab to see one picture at a time.
  2. Under Level, tap Hard to show only the 22 hard puzzles. Choose All levels, Easy or Medium to change the set.
  3. Use the Topic filter to narrow the puzzles to a theme such as Christmas or Food.
  4. Type your guess in Your answer and check it against the answer.
  5. If you are stuck, tap the hint. The first hint step shows the number of letters in each word. The second shows the first letter of each word.
  6. Tap Show answer to see the answer and the one-line “why” explanation.
  7. Use Previous, Next or Shuffle to move through the puzzles. Solved puzzles are marked and remembered.
  8. To search for a specific answer, type it into Search answers.
  9. Open the Gallery tab to see all pictures at once. Tap one to view its answer, or tap Show all answers.
  10. Open the Rebus maker tab, enter up to 40 characters in Your words, and choose an Arrangement and a Text style. Download the result as SVG or PNG, or add it to your print sheet.

Open the Print tab to print puzzles from the bank or from My rebuses. Choose 6 or 9 puzzles per page, 1 to 10 pages, and US Letter or A4. You can add answer pages, and a name and date line. Tap New random set to get a different selection.

Printed sheets are free to sell, for example as Etsy printables or in KDP books.

What is a rebus puzzle?

A rebus puzzle is a picture-word puzzle in which words or letters are arranged so that their position, size, direction, repetition or style spells a phrase. The words themselves are not the answer. The arrangement carries the meaning. For example, HEAD written over HEELS means “head over heels,” MEAL inside a box means “square meal,” and SECOND split in two means “split second.”

Hard rebus puzzles use a less obvious phrase or combine two tricks. READING placed between two LINES gives “read between the lines.” HOT inside WATER gives “in hot water.” The number 9 on top of CLOUD gives “on cloud nine.”

How do you solve rebus puzzles?

Start by describing what you see in plain words: over, under, inside, before, after, big, small, backwards, up, down, crossed out or split. Each of these words usually changes the phrase. For example, ROADS crossed out gives “crossroads,” and TOWN written low gives “downtown.”

Next, look for repeats and numbers. Three of the same word can mean “three” or “tri-,” and two can mean “double” or “twice.” Numbers can also be read as sounds, so 4 can mean “for” and 2 can mean “to.” Finally, read the arrangement aloud and listen for a familiar phrase. Hard rebus puzzles often reveal their answer this way, once you hear the phrase rather than see the letters.

If you are still stuck, use the hints in order. The first shows how many letters each word of the answer has, which tells you how long the phrase is; the second gives the first letters. Then check the topic: an idiom, a single word or a Christmas phrase narrows the search a lot. Easy puzzles use one trick, such as size or direction; medium and hard puzzles use a less familiar phrase or put one word inside another, so say each piece out loud in order.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make my own rebus?

Yes. Open the Rebus maker tab, type your words in Your words (up to 40 characters), and choose an arrangement and text style. You can then download the puzzle as SVG or PNG, or add it to your print sheet, which holds up to 36 puzzles.

Is it free, or do I need an account?

The tool is free and needs no sign-up. It runs in your web browser, there is nothing to install, and nothing you enter is uploaded.

Does it work on a phone or tablet?

Yes. The page fits narrow phone screens, the pictures are drawn sharply at any size, and you tap a picture or button to reveal an answer.

Can I print it?

Yes. Use the Print tab to print puzzles from the bank or from My rebuses. You can fit 6 or 9 puzzles per page, print 1 to 10 pages on US Letter or A4, and add answer pages and a name and date line.

How strict is answer checking?

Capitals, punctuation, spaces and a leading “a,” “an” or “the” are ignored. Small typos are allowed too: none for answers under 5 letters, one for answers of 5 to 11 letters, and two for answers of 12 or more letters. Alternative answers are accepted where they fit the puzzle.

Can I sell rebus puzzle sheets on Etsy or use them in a KDP book?

Yes. Sheets printed from the bank and rebuses made in the maker are free for personal, classroom and commercial use, including Etsy printables, KDP puzzle books, Teachers Pay Teachers and print-on-demand. The rebus drawings are our own. It is royalty-free and no credit is needed. The only thing you may not do is copy the generator or the site to run a competing service.