Word Labyrinth

Word ladder answers for April 13, 2026

The daily ladder for Monday, April 13, 2026 had 5 puzzles. The quickest was CASH to VISE, solvable in 3 steps, and the longest was ROOKERY to MELTEDS, 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: CASH to VISE

Easy Shortest solution: 3 steps

Show the solution
  2. H becomes E
  3. C becomes V
  4. A becomes I

Words in this ladder

CASH noun
money in the form of bills or coins
CASE noun
an occurrence of something
VASE noun
an open jar of glass or porcelain used as an ornament or to hold flowers
VISE noun
a holding device attached to a workbench; has two jaws to hold workpiece firmly in place

Puzzle 2: PAGER to HARES

Easy Shortest solution: 3 steps

Show the solution
  2. R becomes S
  3. G becomes R
  4. P becomes H

Words in this ladder

PAGER noun
an electronic device that generates a series of beeps when the person carrying it is being paged
PAGES noun
one side of one leaf (of a book or magazine or newspaper or letter etc.) or the written or pictorial matter it contains
PARES verb
decrease gradually or bit by bit
HARES noun
swift timid long-eared mammal larger than a rabbit having a divided upper lip and long hind legs; young born furred and with open eyes

Puzzle 3: SOLD to ESCAPE

Medium Shortest solution: 5 steps

Show the solution
  2. D becomes E
  3. O becomes A
  4. add C
  5. L becomes P
  6. add E

Words in this ladder

SOLD verb
exchange or deliver for money or its equivalent
SOLE noun
the underside of footwear or a golf club
SALE noun
a particular instance of selling
SCALE noun
an ordered reference standard
SCAPE noun
erect leafless flower stalk growing directly from the ground as in a tulip
ESCAPE noun
the act of escaping physically

Puzzle 4: FEND to BURINS

Medium Shortest solution: 5 steps

Show the solution
  2. E becomes U
  3. D becomes S
  4. F becomes B
  5. add R
  6. add I

Words in this ladder

FEND verb
try to manage without help
FUND noun
a reserve of money set aside for some purpose
FUNS noun
activities that are enjoyable or amusing
BUNS noun
the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on
BURNS noun
United States comedian and film actor (1896-1996)
BURINS noun
a chisel of tempered steel with a sharp point; used for engraving

Puzzle 5: ROOKERY to MELTEDS

Hard Shortest solution: 7 steps

Show the solution
  2. R becomes C
  3. Y becomes S
  4. K becomes T
  5. O becomes L
  6. C becomes M
  7. O becomes E
  8. R becomes D

Words in this ladder

ROOKERY noun
a breeding ground for gregarious birds (such as rooks)
COOKERY noun
the act of preparing something (as food) by the application of heat
COOKERS noun
a utensil for cooking
COOTERS noun
large river turtle of the southern United States and northern Mexico
COLTERS noun
a sharp steel wedge that precedes the plow and cuts vertically through the soil
MOLTERS noun
an animal (especially birds and arthropods and reptiles) that periodically shed their outer layer (feathers or cuticle or skin or hair)
MELTERS noun
a worker who melts substances (metal or wax etc.)
MELTEDS verb
reduce or cause to be reduced from a solid to a liquid state, usually by heating

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