It is #EnigMarch, and each day the excellent EnigMarch people post a prompt word; then puzzle nerds try to design puzzles around that word. (Today's word is raise.)
"Raise" and "raze" are interesting words: they're homophones (sound alike) and antonyms (mean opposite). "Rays" just muddies the waters further: you have three words that sound alike and mean quite different things.
The clues below hint at word-triads: all words in each triad sounds alike. Fill the words into the blanks in alphabetical order.
| _ _ _◯_, _ _ _ _, _ _ _ _ _ | entitlement, ceremony, compose |
| _ _ _◯, _ _ _ _, _ _ _ _ _ | product, erode, at which |
| _ _◯, _ _ _, _ _ | briny deep, perceive, yes in Yecla |
| ◯_ _ _, _ _ _ _, _ _ _ _ _ | way, anchor chain, paddled |
| _ _ _ _, _ _ _◯_, _ _ _ _ | quote, attraction, place |
| _◯_ _, _ _ _ _ _, _ _ _ _ | penny, odor, posted |
| _ _◯, _ _, _ _ _ | paddle, (conjunction), Catan good |
| ◯_ _, _ _ _, _ _ _ | she sheep, tree, second person |
When you're done, the circled letters should spell out some good advice for solving this puzzle, albeit too late: ◯◯◯◯ ◯◯◯◯
Hints and solution, rot13'd:
Gur svefg jbeq va gur svefg gevnq vf evtug.
Urer'f gur erfg bs gur qngn:
U / evtug, evgr, jevgr / ragvgyrzrag, prerzbal, pbzcbfr
R / jner, jrne, jurer / cebqhpg, rebqr, ng juvpu
N / frn, frr, fv / oeval qrrc, creprvir, lrf va Lrpyn
E / ebnq, ebqr, ebjrq / jnl, napube punva, cnqqyrq
U / pvgr, fvtug, fvgr / dhbgr, nggenpgvba, cynpr
R / prag, fprag, frag / craal, bqbe, cbfgrq
E / bne, be, ber / cnqqyr, (pbawhapgvba), Pngna tbbq
R / rjr, lrj, lbh / fur furrc, gerr, frpbaq crefba
Gur pvepyrq yrggref fcryy urne urer.
