Word ladder answers for April 28, 2026

The daily ladder for Tuesday, April 28, 2026 had 5 puzzles. The quickest was CONK to ZONE, solvable in 2 steps, and the longest was BYRES to FUGLY, 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: CONK to ZONE

Easy Shortest solution: 2 steps · Solved by 2 players

Show the solution
  1. K becomes E
  2. C becomes Z

Words in this ladder

CONK noun
informal term for the nose
CONE noun
any cone-shaped artifact
ZONE noun
a locally circumscribed place characterized by some distinctive features

Puzzle 2: SENTS to FEATS

Easy Shortest solution: 2 steps · Solved by 1 player

Show the solution
  1. N becomes A
  2. S becomes F

Words in this ladder

SENTS noun
100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia
SEATS noun
an area that includes places where several people can sit
FEATS noun
a notable achievement

Puzzle 3: WADES to SCALES

Medium Shortest solution: 3 steps · Solved by 1 player

Show the solution
  1. D becomes L
  2. W becomes S
  3. add C

Words in this ladder

WADES noun
English tennis player who won many women's singles titles (born in 1945)
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
SALES noun
income (at invoice values) received for goods and services over some given period of time
SCALES noun
an ordered reference standard

Puzzle 4: WANE to SITARS

Medium Shortest solution: 5 steps

Show the solution
  1. N becomes R
  2. E becomes S
  3. W becomes T
  4. add S
  5. add I

Words in this ladder

WANE noun
a gradual decline (in size or strength or power or number)
WARE noun
articles of the same kind or material; usually used in combination: `silverware', `software'
WARS noun
the waging of armed conflict against an enemy
TARS noun
any of various dark heavy viscid substances obtained as a residue
STARS noun
(astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior
SITARS 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: BYRES to FUGLY

Hard Shortest solution: 7 steps

Show the solution
  1. Y becomes A
  2. R becomes L
  3. E becomes L
  4. A becomes U
  5. B becomes F
  6. S becomes Y
  7. L becomes G

Words in this ladder

BYRES noun
a barn for cows
BARES verb
lay bare
BALES noun
a large bundle bound for storage or transport
BALLS noun
round object that is hit or thrown or kicked in games
BULLS noun
uncastrated adult male of domestic cattle
FULLS noun
the time when the Moon is fully illuminated
FULLY adverb
to the greatest degree or extent; completely or entirely; (`full' in this sense is used as a combining form)
FUGLY adjective
(slang) extremely ugly

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