Word ladder answers for May 19, 2026
The daily ladder for Tuesday, May 19, 2026 had 5 puzzles. The quickest was TUNE to HOPE, solvable in 3 steps, and the longest was GERMS to BUSHEL, 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: TUNE to HOPE
Show the solution
- U becomes O
- T becomes H
- N becomes P
Words in this ladder
- TUNE noun
- a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence
- TONE noun
- the quality of a person's voice
- HONE noun
- a whetstone made of fine gritstone; used for sharpening razors
- HOPE noun
- a specific instance of feeling hopeful
Puzzle 2: MODS to BITS
Show the solution
- D becomes T
- M becomes B
- O becomes I
Words in this ladder
- MODS noun
- a youth subculture that began in London in the early 1960s; a working-class movement with highly stylized dress and short hair; listened to rhythm and blues music and travelled on motor scooters
- MOTS noun
- a clever remark
- BOTS noun
- botfly larva; typically develops inside the body of a horse or sheep or human
- BITS noun
- a small piece or quantity of something
Puzzle 3: GETS to SAGES
Show the solution
- E becomes A
- T becomes G
- G becomes S
- add E
Words in this ladder
- GETS noun
- a return on a shot that seemed impossible to reach and would normally have resulted in a point for the opponent
- GATS noun
- a gangster's pistol
- GAGS noun
- a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter
- SAGS noun
- a shape that sags
- SAGES noun
- a mentor in spiritual and philosophical topics who is renowned for profound wisdom
Puzzle 4: KEAS to STEED
Show the solution
- K becomes S
- A becomes E
- S becomes D
- add T
Words in this ladder
- KEAS noun
- large brownish-green New Zealand parrot
- SEAS noun
- a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
- SEES noun
- the seat within a bishop's diocese where his cathedral is located
- SEED noun
- a small hard fruit
- STEED noun
- (literary) a spirited horse for state or war
Puzzle 5: GERMS to BUSHEL
Show the solution
- G becomes B
- E becomes A
- M becomes E
- R becomes S
- add H
- A becomes U
- S becomes L
Words in this ladder
- GERMS noun
- anything that provides inspiration for later work
- BERMS noun
- a narrow ledge or shelf typically at the top or bottom of a slope
- BARMS noun
- a commercial leavening agent containing yeast cells; used to raise the dough in making bread and for fermenting beer or whiskey
- BARES verb
- lay bare
- BASES noun
- installation from which a military force initiates operations
- BASHES noun
- a vigorous blow
- BUSHES noun
- a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems
- BUSHEL noun
- a United States dry measure equal to 4 pecks or 2152.42 cubic inches
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