Word Labyrinth

Word ladder answers for May 18, 2026

The daily ladder for Monday, May 18, 2026 had 5 puzzles. The quickest was LOADS to MEEDS, solvable in 3 steps, and the longest was STAKES to KELTER, 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: LOADS to MEEDS

Easy Shortest solution: 3 steps

Show the solution
  2. O becomes E
  3. L becomes M
  4. A becomes E

Words in this ladder

LOADS noun
a large number or amount
LEADS noun
an advantage held by a competitor in a race
MEADS noun
United States anthropologist noted for her claims about adolescence and sexual behavior in Polynesian cultures (1901-1978)
MEEDS noun
a fitting reward

Puzzle 2: RUSE to GRIPE

Easy Shortest solution: 3 steps

Show the solution
  2. U becomes I
  3. S becomes P
  4. add G

Words in this ladder

RUSE noun
a deceptive maneuver (especially to avoid capture)
RISE noun
a growth in strength or number or importance
RIPE adjective
fully developed or matured and ready to be eaten or used
GRIPE noun
informal terms for objecting

Puzzle 3: SAGE to ZINC

Medium Shortest solution: 5 steps

Show the solution
  2. G becomes N
  3. E becomes G
  4. A becomes I
  5. S becomes Z
  6. G becomes C

Words in this ladder

SAGE noun
a mentor in spiritual and philosophical topics who is renowned for profound wisdom
SANE adjective
mentally healthy; free from mental disorder
SANG noun
North American woodland herb similar to and used as substitute for the Chinese ginseng
SING verb
deliver by singing
ZING noun
a brief high-pitched buzzing or humming sound
ZINC noun
a bluish-white lustrous metallic element; brittle at ordinary temperatures but malleable when heated; used in a wide variety of alloys and in galvanizing iron; it occurs naturally as zinc sulphide in zinc blende

Puzzle 4: POKY to SOBER

Medium Shortest solution: 5 steps

Show the solution
  2. add E
  3. Y becomes R
  4. K becomes W
  5. P becomes S
  6. W becomes B

Words in this ladder

POKY noun
a correctional institution used to detain persons who are in the lawful custody of the government (either accused persons awaiting trial or convicted persons serving a sentence)
POKEY noun
a correctional institution used to detain persons who are in the lawful custody of the government (either accused persons awaiting trial or convicted persons serving a sentence)
POKER noun
fire iron consisting of a metal rod with a handle; used to stir a fire
POWER noun
possession of controlling influence
SOWER noun
someone who sows
SOBER verb
cause to become sober

Puzzle 5: STAKES to KELTER

Hard Shortest solution: 7 steps

Show the solution
  2. K becomes L
  3. T becomes C
  4. S becomes R
  5. C becomes E
  6. A becomes L
  7. S becomes K
  8. L becomes T

Words in this ladder

STAKES noun
the money risked on a gamble
STALES verb
urinate, of cattle and horses
SCALES noun
an ordered reference standard
SCALER noun
an electronic pulse counter used to count pulses that occur too rapidly to be recorded individually
SEALER noun
a kind of sealing material that is used to form a hard coating on a porous surface (as a coat of paint or varnish used to size a surface)
SELLER noun
someone who promotes or exchanges goods or services for money
KELLER noun
United States lecturer and writer who was blind and deaf from the age of 19 months; Anne Sullivan taught her to read and write and speak; Helen Keller graduated from college and went on to champion the cause of blind and deaf people (1880-1968)
KELTER noun
in working order

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