Word ladder answers for March 12, 2026

The daily ladder for Thursday, March 12, 2026 had 5 puzzles. The quickest was PITCH to CINCH, solvable in 2 steps, and the longest was EARN to RAJAS, 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: PITCH to CINCH

Easy Shortest solution: 2 steps · Solved by 1 player

Show the solution
  1. T becomes N
  2. P becomes C

Words in this ladder

PITCH noun
the property of sound that varies with variation in the frequency of vibration
PINCH noun
a painful or straitened circumstance
CINCH noun
any undertaking that is easy to do

Puzzle 2: REND to LANE

Easy Shortest solution: 3 steps · Solved by 1 player

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

Words in this ladder

REND verb
tear or be torn violently
LEND verb
bestow a quality on
LAND noun
the land on which real estate is located
LANE noun
a narrow way or road

Puzzle 3: FEAT to SEEK

Medium Shortest solution: 4 steps · Solved by 1 player

Show the solution
  1. A becomes E
  2. T becomes D
  3. F becomes S
  4. D becomes K

Words in this ladder

FEAT noun
a notable achievement
FEET noun
the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
FEED noun
food for domestic livestock
SEED noun
a small hard fruit
SEEK noun
the movement of a read/write head to a specific data track on a disk

Puzzle 4: EARN to RAJAS

Medium Shortest solution: 5 steps · Solved by 1 player

Show the solution
  1. N becomes S
  2. R becomes T
  3. E becomes R
  4. T becomes J
  5. add A

Words in this ladder

EARN verb
earn on some commercial or business transaction; earn as salary or wages
EARS noun
the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
EATS noun
informal terms for a meal
RATS noun
any of various long-tailed rodents similar to but larger than a mouse
RAJS noun
British dominion over India (1757-1947)
RAJAS noun
a prince or king in India

Puzzle 5: DEW to CURET

Hard Shortest solution: 5 steps

Show the solution
  1. add R
  2. D becomes C
  3. W becomes D
  4. add U
  5. D becomes T

Words in this ladder

DEW noun
water that has condensed on a cool surface overnight from water vapor in the air
DREW noun
United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)
CREW noun
the men and women who man a vehicle (ship, aircraft, etc.)
CRED noun
credibility among young fashionable urban individuals
CURED verb
provide a cure for, make healthy again
CURET noun
a surgical instrument shaped like a scoop to remove tissue from a bodily cavity

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