The answer to each clue below can be formed by taking the answer that precedes it, adding a letter, and scrambling all the letters. So, the answer to the first clue has one letter, the answer to the second clue has two letters, and so on. When an answer has more than one word, I’ll show you the lengths of all the words in the answer. Getting all the way to ten is going to be tough — can you do it?
1. One of the four main points on a compass
2. Article that precedes words that start with vowels
3. Participated in a race
4. Close
5. Long-legged waterbird
6. What a hypnotist puts you into
7. Sure of the facts
8. Flinching, for instance
9. “It doesn’t matter to me” (1, 4, 4)
10. Preparing a room, as for a birthday party