Word ladder answers for May 24, 2026

The daily ladder for Sunday, May 24, 2026 had 5 puzzles. The quickest was PLANT to SCANT, solvable in 2 steps, and the longest was AMP to STUCK, 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: ROSY to COPE

Easy Shortest solution: 3 steps

Show the solution
  1. Y becomes E
  2. S becomes P
  3. R becomes C

Words in this ladder

ROSY adjective
reflecting optimism
ROSE noun
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
ROPE noun
a strong line
COPE noun
brick that is laid sideways at the top of a wall

Puzzle 2: PLANT to SCANT

Easy Shortest solution: 2 steps

Show the solution
  1. P becomes S
  2. L becomes C

Words in this ladder

PLANT noun
buildings for carrying on industrial labor
SLANT noun
a biased way of looking at or presenting something
SCANT verb
work hastily or carelessly; deal with inadequately and superficially

Puzzle 3: HEN to SHEAR

Medium Shortest solution: 4 steps

Show the solution
  1. N becomes P
  2. add A
  3. P becomes R
  4. add S

Words in this ladder

HEN noun
adult female chicken
HEP adjective
informed about the latest trends
HEAP noun
a collection of objects laid on top of each other
HEAR verb
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
SHEAR noun
(physics) a deformation of an object in which parallel planes remain parallel but are shifted in a direction parallel to themselves

Puzzle 4: MAYS to BEMAS

Medium Shortest solution: 5 steps

Show the solution
  1. M becomes B
  2. Y becomes T
  3. A becomes E
  4. add A
  5. T becomes M

Words in this ladder

MAYS noun
United States baseball player (born in 1931)
BAYS noun
an indentation of a shoreline larger than a cove but smaller than a gulf
BATS noun
nocturnal mouselike mammal with forelimbs modified to form membranous wings and anatomical adaptations for echolocation by which they navigate
BETS noun
the money risked on a gamble
BETAS noun
the 2nd letter of the Greek alphabet
BEMAS noun
area around the altar of a church for the clergy and choir; often enclosed by a lattice or railing

Puzzle 5: AMP to STUCK

Hard Shortest solution: 6 steps

Show the solution
  1. M becomes S
  2. P becomes K
  3. add T
  4. S becomes C
  5. add S
  6. A becomes U

Words in this ladder

AMP noun
the basic unit of electric current adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
ASP noun
of southern Europe; similar to but smaller than the adder
ASK verb
inquire about
TASK noun
any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted
TACK noun
the heading or position of a vessel relative to the trim of its sails
STACK noun
an orderly pile
STUCK verb
put, fix, force, or implant

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