This familiar riddle sounds mysterious until you think about something that is placed into hot water and changes while it sits there.
The answer is a tea bag.
A tea bag goes into the cup dry and comes out wet. The longer it stays in the water, the stronger the tea usually becomes as more flavor and color are released from the tea leaves.
Every part of the clue fits: it starts dry, becomes soaked, and produces a stronger drink when it steeps for longer. The wording is playful because “stronger” can make you think of physical strength, but here it refers to the strength of the tea’s flavor. Once you connect the clue to steeping tea, the answer becomes clear.
