What Goes Down and Never Comes Up? (Riddle & Answer Explained)

Riddles have a magical way of playing with our minds. They make us pause, think, and often smile when the answer finally clicks. One classic riddle that’s puzzled and entertained people for years is this:

“What goes down and never comes up?”

Let’s explore the answer together!

The Riddle: Breaking It Down

At first glance, this riddle might sound like a trick question. We think of all kinds of things that go down—water, balls, elevators—but most of them can come back up again. So what could possibly go down *and never* return?

Think about things that follow a one-way journey… something that only decreases with time… something that once it’s gone, it can’t be retrieved.

The Answer: 👉 Your Age

Yes! The answer is: your age.

As each birthday passes, your age increases—but from another point of view, you’re also going *down* in terms of how much time you have left to live. It’s a poetic way to say that time only moves forward. You can’t “un-age” or go back in time.

Even though we say your age “goes up,” in the context of this riddle, it's referring to the *remaining time* or *your youth*—which only goes down.

Why It’s a Clever Riddle

This riddle is clever because it relies on wordplay and perspective. It makes you think literally first, and then challenges you to consider deeper, more abstract meanings.

It teaches us a lesson too: time is precious. Once it “goes down,” it doesn’t come back up. So every day matters.

Other Similar Riddles

Here are 30 other similar riddles that play with words, logic, and fun ideas

1. What has hands but can’t clap? 👉 A clock

2. What can you catch but not throw? 👉 A cold

3. What has a head and a tail but no body? 👉 A coin

4. What has keys but can’t open locks? 👉 A piano

5. What comes down but never goes up? 👉 Rain

6. What gets wetter the more it dries? 👉 A towel

7. What has one eye but can’t see? 👉 A needle

8. What gets bigger the more you take away? 👉 A hole

9. I’m tall when I’m young, and short when I’m old. What am I? 👉 A candle

10. What goes around the world but stays in one spot? 👉 A stamp

11. The more you take, the more you leave behind. What are they? 👉 Footsteps

12. What begins with T, ends with T, and has T in it? 👉 A teapot

13. What has many teeth but can’t bite? 👉 A comb

14. What kind of room has no doors or windows? 👉 A mushroom

15. What travels faster: hot or cold? 👉 Hot—because you can catch cold

16. What has legs but doesn’t walk? 👉 A table

17. What comes once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years? 👉 The letter “M”

18. What has a neck but no head? 👉 A bottle

19. What belongs to you, but others use it more than you do? 👉 Your name

20. What can’t be used until it’s broken? 👉 An egg

21. What has an end but no beginning, a home but no family, and a space but no room? 👉 A keyboard

22. What is always in front of you but can’t be seen? 👉 The future

23. What’s full of holes but still holds water? 👉 A sponge

24. What is light as a feather, yet even the strongest person can't hold it for long? 👉 Your breath

25. What can fill a room but takes up no space? 👉 Light

26. What has four wheels and flies? 👉 A garbage truck

27. What is so fragile that saying its name breaks it? 👉 Silence

28. What comes before thunder? 👉 The letter “T”

29. What runs but never walks, has a bed but never sleeps, and has a mouth but never talks? 👉 A river

30. What is always moving but never actually goes anywhere? 👉 Time

Check Poor People Have It, Rich People Need It (Riddle & Answer Explained)

Final Thoughts:

Riddles like “What goes down and never comes up?” are more than just fun—they’re a great way to stretch your thinking and see things from new perspectives. The answer, **“your age,”** is a gentle reminder of the passage of time, and maybe a little encouragement to make the most of each day.

So, the next time you hear a riddle, don’t just rush to the answer. Enjoy the puzzle, and let your imagination play a little.