Word ladder answers for April 15, 2026
The daily ladder for Wednesday, April 15, 2026 had 5 puzzles. The quickest was HONE to POKE, solvable in 2 steps, and the longest was TALL to YOWLS, 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: HONE to POKE
Show the solution
- H becomes P
- N becomes K
Words in this ladder
- HONE noun
- a whetstone made of fine gritstone; used for sharpening razors
- PONE noun
- cornbread often made without milk or eggs and baked or fried (southern)
- POKE noun
- tall coarse perennial American herb having small white flowers followed by blackish-red berries on long drooping racemes; young fleshy stems are edible; berries and root are poisonous
Puzzle 2: RUSK to DISH
Show the solution
- U becomes I
- R becomes D
- K becomes H
Words in this ladder
- RUSK noun
- slice of sweet raised bread baked again until it is brown and hard and crisp
- RISK noun
- a source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune
- DISK noun
- something with a round shape resembling a flat circular plate
- DISH noun
- a piece of dishware normally used as a container for holding or serving food
Puzzle 3: TALL to YOWLS
Show the solution
- T becomes P
- L becomes S
- add W
- P becomes Y
- A becomes O
Words in this ladder
- TALL noun
- a garment size for a tall person
- PALL noun
- a sudden numbing dread
- PALS noun
- a close friend who accompanies his buddies in their activities
- PAWLS noun
- a hinged catch that fits into a notch of a ratchet to move a wheel forward or prevent it from moving backward
- YAWLS noun
- a ship's small boat (usually rowed by 4 or 6 oars)
- YOWLS noun
- a very loud utterance (like the sound of an animal)
Puzzle 4: MAX to SITAR
Show the solution
- M becomes T
- X becomes R
- add S
- add I
Words in this ladder
- MAX noun
- street names for gamma hydroxybutyrate
- TAX noun
- charge against a citizen's person or property or activity for the support of government
- TAR noun
- any of various dark heavy viscid substances obtained as a residue
- STAR noun
- (astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior
- SITAR noun
- a stringed instrument of India; has a long neck and movable frets; has 6 or 7 metal strings for playing and usually 13 resonating strings
Puzzle 5: SATINY to SLITTING
Show the solution
- Y becomes G
- A becomes I
- add T
- add L
Words in this ladder
- SATINY adjective
- having a smooth, gleaming surface reflecting light
- SATING verb
- fill to satisfaction
- SITING verb
- assign a location to
- SITTING noun
- (photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
- SLITTING verb
- make a clean cut through
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