Word ladder answers for April 16, 2026
The daily ladder for Thursday, April 16, 2026 had 5 puzzles. The quickest was SEAM to WEAN, solvable in 3 steps, and the longest was FULL to BOARDED, 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: SEAM to WEAN
Show the solution
- S becomes B
- M becomes N
- B becomes W
Words in this ladder
- SEAM noun
- joint consisting of a line formed by joining two pieces
- BEAM noun
- a signal transmitted along a narrow path; guides airplane pilots in darkness or bad weather
- BEAN noun
- any of various edible seeds of plants of the family Leguminosae used for food
- WEAN verb
- gradually deprive (infants and young mammals) of mother's milk
Puzzle 2: MIXER to RISEN
Show the solution
- X becomes S
- M becomes R
- R becomes N
Words in this ladder
- MIXER noun
- a party of people assembled to promote sociability and communal activity
- MISER noun
- a stingy hoarder of money and possessions (often living miserably)
- RISER noun
- a person who rises (especially from bed)
- RISEN verb
- move upward
Puzzle 3: WELL to FEUD
Show the solution
- W becomes F
- L becomes E
- L becomes D
- E becomes U
Words in this ladder
- WELL noun
- a deep hole or shaft dug or drilled to obtain water or oil or gas or brine
- FELL noun
- the dressed skin of an animal (especially a large animal)
- FEEL noun
- an intuitive awareness; or
- FEED noun
- food for domestic livestock
- FEUD noun
- a bitter quarrel between two parties
Puzzle 4: JOY to CORNY
Show the solution
- J becomes C
- add N
- add R
Words in this ladder
- JOY noun
- the emotion of great happiness
- COY adjective
- affectedly modest or shy especially in a playful or provocative way
- CONY noun
- any of several small ungulate mammals of Africa and Asia with rodent-like incisors and feet with hooflike toes
- CORNY adjective
- dull and tiresome but with pretensions of significance or originality
Puzzle 5: FULL to BOARDED
Show the solution
- F becomes B
- U becomes A
- L becomes D
- L becomes R
- add E
- add D
- add O
Words in this ladder
- FULL noun
- the time when the Moon is fully illuminated
- BULL noun
- uncastrated adult male of domestic cattle
- BALL noun
- round object that is hit or thrown or kicked in games
- BALD verb
- grow bald; lose hair on one's head
- BARD noun
- a lyric poet
- BARED verb
- lay bare
- BARDED verb
- put a caparison on
- BOARDED verb
- get on board of (trains, buses, ships, aircraft, etc.)
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