Word ladder answers for April 21, 2026

The daily ladder for Tuesday, April 21, 2026 had 5 puzzles. The quickest was JUGS to DONS, solvable in 3 steps, and the longest was FUCUS to FORTHS, which needs at least 6.

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: JUGS to DONS

Easy Shortest solution: 3 steps ยท Solved by 1 player

Show the solution
  1. U becomes O
  2. J becomes D
  3. G becomes N

Words in this ladder

JUGS noun
a large bottle with a narrow mouth
JOGS noun
a sharp change in direction
DOGS noun
a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds
DONS noun
a Spanish gentleman or nobleman

Puzzle 2: WALES to BITES

Easy Shortest solution: 3 steps

Show the solution
  1. W becomes B
  2. A becomes I
  3. L becomes T

Words in this ladder

WALES noun
one of the four countries that make up the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; during Roman times the region was known as Cambria
BALES noun
a large bundle bound for storage or transport
BILES noun
a digestive juice secreted by the liver and stored in the gallbladder; aids in the digestion of fats
BITES noun
a wound resulting from biting by an animal or a person

Puzzle 3: WETS to WONKS

Medium Shortest solution: 3 steps

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  1. T becomes N
  2. E becomes O
  3. add K

Words in this ladder

WETS noun
wetness caused by water
WENS noun
a common cyst of the skin; filled with fatty matter (sebum) that is secreted by a sebaceous gland that has been blocked
WONS noun
the basic unit of money in South Korea
WONKS noun
an insignificant student who is ridiculed as being affected or boringly studious

Puzzle 4: PAD to CLUE

Medium Shortest solution: 4 steps

Show the solution
  1. P becomes C
  2. A becomes U
  3. D becomes E
  4. add L

Words in this ladder

PAD noun
a number of sheets of paper fastened together along one edge
CAD noun
someone who is morally reprehensible
CUD noun
food of a ruminant regurgitated to be chewed again
CUE noun
an actor's line that immediately precedes and serves as a reminder for some action or speech
CLUE noun
a slight indication

Puzzle 5: FUCUS to FORTHS

Hard Shortest solution: 6 steps

Show the solution
  1. U becomes I
  2. U becomes E
  3. C becomes R
  4. I becomes O
  5. E becomes T
  6. add H

Words in this ladder

FUCUS noun
any member of the genus Fucus
FICUS noun
large genus of tropical trees or shrubs or climbers including fig trees
FICES noun
a nervous belligerent little mongrel dog
FIRES noun
the event of something burning (often destructive)
FORES noun
front part of a vessel or aircraft
FORTS noun
a fortified military post where troops are stationed
FORTHS noun
a river in southern Scotland that flows eastward to the Firth of Forth

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