Word ladder answers for February 24, 2026
The daily ladder for Tuesday, February 24, 2026 had 5 puzzles. The quickest was HUG to LONG, solvable in 3 steps, and the longest was FLEA to GNATS, which needs at least 7.
Each solution below is hidden until you open it, so you can try the puzzle first. A shortest solution is shown for every puzzle; many ladders have more than one path of the same length, so yours may differ and still be optimal.
Puzzle 1: HUG to LONG
Show the solution
- U becomes O
- H becomes L
- add N
Words in this ladder
- HUG noun
- a tight or amorous embrace
- HOG noun
- a person regarded as greedy and pig-like
- LOG noun
- a segment of the trunk of a tree when stripped of branches
- LONG verb
- desire strongly or persistently
Puzzle 2: WOOLY to ROOFS
Show the solution
- Y becomes S
- L becomes F
- W becomes R
Words in this ladder
- WOOLY adjective
- having a fluffy character or appearance
- WOOLS noun
- a fabric made from the hair of sheep
- WOOFS noun
- the yarn woven across the warp yarn in weaving
- ROOFS noun
- a protective covering that covers or forms the top of a building
Puzzle 3: BOLT to WAGE
Show the solution
- T becomes E
- O becomes A
- B becomes W
- L becomes G
Words in this ladder
- BOLT noun
- a discharge of lightning accompanied by thunder
- BOLE noun
- a soft oily clay used as a pigment (especially a reddish brown pigment)
- BALE noun
- a large bundle bound for storage or transport
- WALE noun
- a raised mark on the skin (as produced by the blow of a whip); characteristic of many allergic reactions
- WAGE noun
- something that remunerates
Puzzle 4: REEK to SLOW
Show the solution
- R becomes S
- K becomes D
- E becomes L
- D becomes W
- E becomes O
Words in this ladder
- REEK noun
- a distinctive odor that is offensively unpleasant
- SEEK noun
- the movement of a read/write head to a specific data track on a disk
- SEED noun
- a small hard fruit
- SLED noun
- a vehicle mounted on runners and pulled by horses or dogs; for transportation over snow
- SLEW noun
- (often followed by `of') a large number or amount or extent
- SLOW verb
- lose velocity; move more slowly
Puzzle 5: FLEA to GNATS
Show the solution
- A becomes D
- L becomes E
- D becomes S
- F becomes G
- E becomes T
- E becomes A
- add N
Words in this ladder
- FLEA noun
- any wingless bloodsucking parasitic insect noted for ability to leap
- FLED verb
- run away quickly
- FEED noun
- food for domestic livestock
- FEES noun
- a fixed charge for a privilege or for professional services
- GEES noun
- a unit of force equal to the force exerted by gravity; used to indicate the force to which a body is subjected when it is accelerated
- GETS noun
- a return on a shot that seemed impossible to reach and would normally have resulted in a point for the opponent
- GATS noun
- a gangster's pistol
- GNATS noun
- any of various small biting flies: midges; biting midges; black flies; sand flies
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