Word ladder answers for April 18, 2026
The daily ladder for Saturday, April 18, 2026 had 5 puzzles. The quickest was LOON to GOOD, solvable in 2 steps, and the longest was BUNGS to SAUNTERS, 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: SEEMS to FENDS
Show the solution
- M becomes D
- S becomes F
- E becomes N
Words in this ladder
- SEEMS verb
- give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
- SEEDS noun
- a small hard fruit
- FEEDS noun
- food for domestic livestock
- FENDS verb
- try to manage without help
Puzzle 2: LOON to GOOD
Show the solution
- L becomes G
- N becomes D
Words in this ladder
- LOON noun
- a worthless lazy fellow
- GOON noun
- an awkward stupid person
- GOOD noun
- benefit
Puzzle 3: SALT to HOOK
Show the solution
- S becomes M
- A becomes O
- L becomes O
- M becomes H
- T becomes K
Words in this ladder
- SALT noun
- a compound formed by replacing hydrogen in an acid by a metal (or a radical that acts like a metal)
- MALT noun
- a milkshake made with malt powder
- MOLT noun
- periodic shedding of the cuticle in arthropods or the outer skin in reptiles
- MOOT noun
- a hypothetical case that law students argue as an exercise
- HOOT noun
- a loud raucous cry (as of an owl)
- HOOK noun
- a catch for locking a door
Puzzle 4: EARN to PEGS
Show the solution
- E becomes B
- N becomes S
- R becomes G
- A becomes E
- B becomes P
Words in this ladder
- EARN verb
- earn on some commercial or business transaction; earn as salary or wages
- BARN noun
- an outlying farm building for storing grain or animal feed and housing farm animals
- BARS noun
- gymnastic apparatus consisting of two parallel wooden rods supported on uprights
- BAGS noun
- a flexible container with a single opening
- BEGS verb
- call upon in supplication; entreat
- PEGS noun
- a wooden pin pushed or driven into a surface
Puzzle 5: BUNGS to SAUNTERS
Show the solution
- B becomes L
- add E
- add R
- L becomes H
- G becomes T
- add S
- H becomes A
Words in this ladder
- BUNGS noun
- a plug used to close a hole in a barrel or flask
- LUNGS noun
- either of two saclike respiratory organs in the chest of vertebrates; serves to remove carbon dioxide and provide oxygen to the blood
- LUNGES noun
- the act of moving forward suddenly
- LUNGERS noun
- someone who moves forward suddenly (as in fencing)
- HUNGERS noun
- a physiological need for food; the consequence of food deprivation
- HUNTERS noun
- someone who hunts game
- SHUNTERS noun
- a small locomotive used to move cars around but not to make trips
- SAUNTERS noun
- a careless leisurely gait
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