Word ladder answers for March 4, 2026
The daily ladder for Wednesday, March 4, 2026 had 5 puzzles. The quickest was TUTS to BOTS, solvable in 2 steps, and the longest was CORM to GARB, which needs at least 5.
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: VOLE to WIVE
Show the solution
- O becomes I
- V becomes W
- L becomes V
Words in this ladder
- VOLE noun
- any of various small mouselike rodents of the family Cricetidae (especially of genus Microtus) having a stout short-tailed body and inconspicuous ears and inhabiting fields or meadows
- VILE adjective
- morally reprehensible
- WILE noun
- the use of tricks to deceive someone (usually to extract money from them)
- WIVE verb
- take (someone) as a wife
Puzzle 2: TUTS to BOTS
Show the solution
- U becomes O
- T becomes B
Words in this ladder
- TUTS verb
- utter `tsk,' `tut,' or `tut-tut,' as in disapproval
- TOTS noun
- a small amount (especially of a drink)
- BOTS noun
- botfly larva; typically develops inside the body of a horse or sheep or human
Puzzle 3: SOY to TOLL
Show the solution
- Y becomes L
- add I
- S becomes T
- I becomes L
Words in this ladder
- SOY noun
- a source of oil; used for forage and soil improvement and as food
- SOL noun
- a colloid that has a continuous liquid phase in which a solid is suspended in a liquid
- SOIL noun
- the state of being covered with unclean things
- TOIL noun
- productive work (especially physical work done for wages)
- TOLL noun
- a fee levied for the use of roads or bridges (used for maintenance)
Puzzle 4: CORM to GARB
Show the solution
- M becomes E
- O becomes A
- C becomes B
- E becomes B
- B becomes G
Words in this ladder
- CORM noun
- solid swollen underground bulb-shaped stem or stem base and serving as a reproductive structure
- CORE noun
- a small group of indispensable persons or things
- CARE noun
- the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
- BARE verb
- lay bare
- BARB noun
- an aggressive remark directed at a person like a missile and intended to have a telling effect
- GARB noun
- clothing of a distinctive style or for a particular occasion
Puzzle 5: WHAMS to LEARS
Show the solution
- W becomes S
- H becomes E
- M becomes R
- S becomes L
Words in this ladder
- WHAMS verb
- hit hard
- SHAMS noun
- something that is a counterfeit; not what it seems to be
- SEAMS noun
- joint consisting of a line formed by joining two pieces
- SEARS verb
- make very hot and dry
- LEARS noun
- British artist and writer of nonsense verse (1812-1888)
Today's puzzles are waiting
A new set of word ladders is released every day, free to play.
Play today's ladder