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Here are the rules:

  • A Categorically Deceiving word is one whose letters can be mixed around to form a new word which belongs to the same category as the original (e.g. red and green belong to the same category, colors).

  • "Good" matches are when there's no question about whether the second word fits into the same category and are worth ten points each.

  • "Eh" matches are when fairly convoluted rules need to be applied in order to have the second word match the first's category and are worth seven points each.

  • For every letter that is in the same position in the second word as the first word (e.g. "e" is in the same position in bell and fell), 50% of the match's value decreases.

The Grand Prize: The puzzler with the highest number of points on July 27th shall receive 25 reputation (from the upvote and accept) PLUS an additional bounty of 50 reputation!

Note: Please put each match on a separate line to make it easier for me to decipher! Also note that you can edit your answer and any point in time. Finally, note that all ultimate point decisions are mine (e.g. the difference between a good and an eh match).

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  • $\begingroup$ @JS1 - Yes, and yes... Why does that mean you won't try? I don't want to have a cap on the number of points receivable. Just get a whole bunch in! That's how these puzzles work. BTW, I still haven't been able to think of more than one, so it's okay, we're all strugglin'! $\endgroup$ – Voldemort's Wrath Jul 21 '19 at 2:45
  • $\begingroup$ @JS1 Then do the best you can. At least you'll get some upvotes! $\endgroup$ – Voldemort's Wrath Jul 21 '19 at 2:48
  • $\begingroup$ Ok you convinced me. I gave it my best shot. $\endgroup$ – JS1 Jul 21 '19 at 5:01
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    $\begingroup$ The community recently decided to do away with open-ended puzzles. This puzzle bears all the hallmarks of what we mean by “open-ended” — it uses a scoring metric to decide a best-so-far, allows an unbounded set of candidate solutions that is only as limited as the dictionary one elects to use and how loose your "categories" are, and neither seeks nor plausibly permits a proof that any proffered answer is demonstrably “best”. For these reasons I believe we must close it, and am doing so. $\endgroup$ – Rubio♦ Jul 21 '19 at 7:41
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Ok here are some word pairs I found, with categories in parentheses. The list goes from most reasonable matches to most questionable ones:

lemon melon (fruits)
fowl wolf (animals)
vile evil (negative traits)
yea aye (words that mean yes)
pat tap (ways to touch things)
shrub brush (bushy plants)
polo pool (sports)
hose shoe (things you wear on your legs/feet)
airmen marine (types of soldiers)
mash hams (foods you eat at Thanksgiving)
rattles startle (words that mean scare)
rescue secure (words that mean save)
actors costar (people in a movie)
detour routed (words that describe pathing)

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  • $\begingroup$ Unfortunately, since this question is "illegal," I'm not gonna waste 50 rep, but you still got 25 (+ 40)! $\endgroup$ – Voldemort's Wrath Jul 21 '19 at 21:03
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So far:

BUS, USB, SUB (computers - Communications, Universal Serial Bus, Subroutine)
TEA, ATE, EAT (consumed by a mouth)
AGREE, EAGER (positives)

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