Word ladder answers for March 8, 2026

The daily ladder for Sunday, March 8, 2026 had 5 puzzles. The quickest was FOB to COP, solvable in 2 steps, and the longest was TIKE to DIETS, 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: CARE to MASH

Easy Shortest solution: 3 steps ยท Solved by 1 player

Show the solution
  1. R becomes S
  2. E becomes H
  3. C becomes M

Words in this ladder

CARE noun
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
CASE noun
an occurrence of something
CASH noun
money in the form of bills or coins
MASH noun
a mixture of mashed malt grains and hot water; used in brewing

Puzzle 2: FOB to COP

Easy Shortest solution: 2 steps

Show the solution
  1. F becomes C
  2. B becomes P

Words in this ladder

FOB noun
a vest pocket to hold a pocket watch
COB noun
nut of any of several trees of the genus Corylus
COP noun
uncomplimentary terms for a policeman

Puzzle 3: TIKE to DIETS

Medium Shortest solution: 5 steps

Show the solution
  1. K becomes N
  2. E becomes S
  3. add T
  4. T becomes D
  5. N becomes E

Words in this ladder

TIKE noun
a crude uncouth ill-bred person lacking culture or refinement
TINE noun
prong on a fork or pitchfork or antler
TINS noun
a silvery malleable metallic element that resists corrosion; used in many alloys and to coat other metals to prevent corrosion; obtained chiefly from cassiterite where it occurs as tin oxide
TINTS noun
a quality of a given color that differs slightly from another color
DINTS noun
interchangeable with `means' in the expression `by means of'
DIETS noun
a prescribed selection of foods

Puzzle 4: BIDE to BURGH

Medium Shortest solution: 5 steps

Show the solution
  1. E becomes S
  2. I becomes U
  3. D becomes G
  4. add R
  5. S becomes H

Words in this ladder

BIDE verb
dwell
BIDS noun
an authoritative direction or instruction to do something
BUDS noun
a partially opened flower
BUGS noun
general term for any insect or similar creeping or crawling invertebrate
BURGS noun
colloquial American term for a town
BURGH noun
a borough in Scotland

Puzzle 5: DARDS to DELIS

Hard Shortest solution: 3 steps

Show the solution
  1. D becomes I
  2. R becomes L
  3. A becomes E

Words in this ladder

DARDS noun
any of a group of Indic languages spoken in Kashmir and eastern Afghanistan and northern Pakistan
DARIS noun
an Iranian language spoken in Afghanistan
DALIS noun
surrealist Spanish painter (1904-1989)
DELIS noun
a shop selling ready-to-eat food products

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