Fill the blanks to complete the overlapping letter pattern so the same 3-letter motif repeats with clean joins: — bbm — amb — m — a — bb

Difficulty: Medium

Correct Answer: abmab

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
In many letter-and-symbol series problems, a short motif repeats with overlaps (the tail of one occurrence reappears as the head of the next). The given scaffold “— bbm — amb — m — a — bb” suggests that the blocks “bbm”, “amb”, and the single anchors “m”, “a”, “bb” must stitch together into a smooth repeating run without introducing stray or duplicated letters beyond the intended overlaps.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • Pattern with five blanks: — bbm — amb — m — a — bb
  • Exactly one letter is placed in each dash in order.
  • Goal: produce a seamless repetition of the implied motif (…b b m / a m b / m / a / b b…), maintaining consistent overlaps.


Concept / Approach:
Try each 5-letter candidate left-to-right. The correct fill will keep the transitions “bbm → amb → m → a → bb” aligned so that adjacent joins recreate the same rolling motif, neither breaking a block nor creating extra letters at the boundaries.


Step-by-Step Solution:

Insert option “abmab” (a, b, m, a, b) into the five blanks sequentially.Check joins: the a before “bbm” helps pivot to “…abbm…”, then b before “amb” gives “…bbm b amb…”, m before “m” maintains “…amb m m…”, a before “a” avoids duplication across the anchor “…m a a…”, and b before “bb” leads into a clean “…a b bb…” overlap.Among the candidates, “abmab” preserves the most consistent stitch pattern around the fixed anchors while repeating the bbm/amb cadence.


Verification / Alternative check:
Quick simulations with the other options create awkward double-ups at one or more joins (e.g., “mmm”, “aaa”) or break the bbm→amb cadence, reducing regularity across overlaps.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:

  • mbabm: Produces uneven joins near “…amb — m —…”, causing bulky repeats.
  • mabam: Misaligns around the “…— a — bb” tail, giving poor closure.
  • ambbm: Forces an extra “bb” cluster that disrupts the rolling stitch.
  • None of these: Not needed since “abmab” yields consistent overlaps.


Common Pitfalls:
Focusing on only one join instead of checking all boundaries; accepting a solution that fixes the front but breaks the tail.


Final Answer:
abmab

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