Word Labyrinth

Word ladder answers for April 7, 2026

The daily ladder for Tuesday, April 7, 2026 had 5 puzzles. The quickest was TOTS to SOILS, solvable in 3 steps, and the longest was INNS to DOWDY, 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: TOTS to SOILS

Easy Shortest solution: 3 steps

Show the solution
  2. T becomes S
  3. T becomes L
  4. add I

Words in this ladder

TOTS noun
a small amount (especially of a drink)
SOTS noun
a chronic drinker
SOLS noun
a colloid that has a continuous liquid phase in which a solid is suspended in a liquid
SOILS noun
the state of being covered with unclean things

Puzzle 2: HORNS to CARES

Easy Shortest solution: 3 steps

Show the solution
  2. H becomes C
  3. N becomes E
  4. O becomes A

Words in this ladder

HORNS noun
a noisemaker (as at parties or games) that makes a loud noise when you blow through it
CORNS noun
tall annual cereal grass bearing kernels on large ears: widely cultivated in America in many varieties; the principal cereal in Mexico and Central and South America since pre-Columbian times
CORES noun
a small group of indispensable persons or things
CARES noun
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something

Puzzle 3: SAC to LEAL

Medium Shortest solution: 4 steps

Show the solution
  2. C becomes D
  3. S becomes L
  4. add E
  5. D becomes L

Words in this ladder

SAC noun
an enclosed space
SAD adjective
experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness; ; - Christina Rossetti
LAD noun
a boy or man
LEAD noun
an advantage held by a competitor in a race
LEAL adjective
faithful and true; - Harry Lauder

Puzzle 4: INNS to DOWDY

Medium Shortest solution: 5 steps

Show the solution
  2. N becomes O
  3. I becomes D
  4. add W
  5. S becomes Y
  6. N becomes D

Words in this ladder

INNS noun
a hotel providing overnight lodging for travelers
IONS noun
a particle that is electrically charged (positive or negative); an atom or molecule or group that has lost or gained one or more electrons
DONS noun
a Spanish gentleman or nobleman
DOWNS noun
soft fine feathers
DOWNY adjective
like down or as soft as down
DOWDY noun
British marshal of the RAF who commanded the British air defense forces that defeated the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain (1882-1970)

Puzzle 5: HAVE to NYPAS

Hard Shortest solution: 5 steps

Show the solution
  2. H becomes N
  3. V becomes P
  4. E becomes S
  5. add A
  6. A becomes Y

Words in this ladder

HAVE noun
a person who possesses great material wealth
NAVE noun
the central area of a church
NAPE noun
the back side of the neck
NAPS noun
a period of time spent sleeping
NAPAS noun
plant with an elongated head of broad stalked leaves resembling celery; used as a vegetable in east Asia
NYPAS noun
monotypic genus of palms of Australasia

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