thanks! and good observation, i am an enthusiast in cryptic crossword clues (i try making one every day of a random word in the r/crosswords subreddit), so i was probably inspired by those indirectly.
spoiler block
thanks for the idea about the word, but i think the game as it is is still pretty difficult. i mean, many of the levels effectively do hint at their solving word, because the solving word often comes after a rephrase. so for Level 3 (Addition), the answer isn't really server, but rather caterer. Level 12 (Viscount?)'s answer isn't really importantly; it's clearly vitally. it's tantamount to a definition in a cryptic crossword; the word means “importantly” and you need to figure out what word means that before submitting by using the Rephrase feature.
anyway, perhaps i could give different difficulty modes or something, but for now i’m going to err on the side of being easy and still fun. i think that’s the best decision because a lot of people struggled with the puzzles.