Word ladder answers for March 5, 2026
The daily ladder for Thursday, March 5, 2026 had 5 puzzles. The quickest was MUGS to LOWS, solvable in 3 steps, and the longest was RAKED to CLOUDED, 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: MUGS to LOWS
Show the solution
- M becomes L
- U becomes O
- G becomes W
Words in this ladder
- MUGS noun
- the quantity that can be held in a mug
- LUGS noun
- ancient Celtic god
- LOGS noun
- a segment of the trunk of a tree when stripped of branches
- LOWS noun
- an air mass of lower pressure; often brings precipitation
Puzzle 2: RUSES to BUTTS
Show the solution
- R becomes B
- E becomes T
- S becomes T
Words in this ladder
- RUSES noun
- a deceptive maneuver (especially to avoid capture)
- BUSES noun
- a vehicle carrying many passengers; used for public transport
- BUSTS noun
- a complete failure
- BUTTS noun
- thick end of the handle
Puzzle 3: TOR to SHALE
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- R becomes E
- T becomes H
- add L
- O becomes A
- add S
Words in this ladder
- TOR noun
- a prominent rock or pile of rocks on a hill
- TOE noun
- one of the digits of the foot
- HOE noun
- a tool with a flat blade attached at right angles to a long handle
- HOLE noun
- an opening into or through something
- HALE noun
- a soldier of the American Revolution who was hanged as a spy by the British; his last words were supposed to have been `I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country' (1755-1776)
- SHALE noun
- a sedimentary rock formed by the deposition of successive layers of clay
Puzzle 4: BRAES to SPLATS
Show the solution
- E becomes T
- B becomes P
- add S
- R becomes L
Words in this ladder
- BRAES noun
- a slope or hillside
- BRATS noun
- a very troublesome child
- PRATS noun
- the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on
- SPRATS noun
- small fatty European fish; usually smoked or canned like sardines
- SPLATS noun
- a single splash
Puzzle 5: RAKED to CLOUDED
Show the solution
- K becomes T
- add T
- A becomes O
- R becomes L
- add C
- T becomes U
- T becomes D
Words in this ladder
- RAKED verb
- move through with or as if with a rake
- RATED verb
- assign a rank or rating to
- RATTED verb
- desert one's party or group of friends, for example, for one's personal advantage
- ROTTED verb
- break down
- LOTTED verb
- divide into lots, as of land, for example
- CLOTTED verb
- change from a liquid to a thickened or solid state
- CLOUTED verb
- strike hard, especially with the fist
- CLOUDED verb
- make overcast or cloudy
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