Do me to a shelf and something is taken away. Do me to a cake and something is added.

AHA! Daily #002 · Thursday 12 November · What's the word?

The four clues

1. 1Do me to a shelf and something is taken away. Do me to a cake and something is added.
2. 2I'm also the thing itself. Leave anything alone for a month and I arrive.
3. 3Detectives do me to a door handle, hoping for fingerprints.
4. 4I'm the fine grey powder that gathers under your bed.

In the game you get one clue at a time: solve it on clue 1 for 100 points, clue 2 for 75, clue 3 for 50, clue 4 for 25.

Why?

To dust a shelf is to take the dust off; to dust a cake is to put sugar on. One verb with two opposite jobs, and it is also the name of the stuff you were removing.

Think you can beat the clues? Every day brings three new mysteries. See more riddles and answers.

AHA! is a free daily mystery game: three lateral-thinking riddles a day, four clues each. The fewer clues you need, the more you score. No app, no sign-up.