A compound word is what you get when two separate words join forces to express a single idea. “Rain” and “bow” become “rainbow”; “tooth” and “brush” become “toothbrush.” The new word usually means more than the sum of its parts.
Closed compounds are written as one word, like “notebook” or “sunflower.” These are the ones the SEEKING puzzle is built around.
Hyphenated compounds keep a hyphen, like “mother-in-law” or “long-term.” English often hyphenates a compound while it is still new, then drops the hyphen once it feels familiar.
Open compounds stay as two words but work as one idea, like “ice cream” or “post office.”
Because a single word can attach to many others, your brain has to search for the one link that fits two sides at once. That is the exact muscle SEEKING exercises every day.
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