Word ladder answers for July 13, 2026
The daily ladder for Monday, July 13, 2026 had 5 puzzles. The quickest was HOES to DOCKS, solvable in 3 steps, and the longest was HAZES to WHAPS, 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: HOES to DOCKS
Show the solution
- H becomes D
- E becomes C
- add K
Words in this ladder
- HOES noun
- a tool with a flat blade attached at right angles to a long handle
- DOES noun
- the federal department responsible for maintaining a national energy policy of the United States; created in 1977
- DOCS noun
- a licensed medical practitioner
- DOCKS noun
- an enclosure in a court of law where the defendant sits during the trial
Puzzle 2: PADS to CLAWS
Show the solution
- P becomes L
- D becomes W
- add C
Words in this ladder
- PADS noun
- a number of sheets of paper fastened together along one edge
- LADS noun
- a boy or man
- LAWS noun
- the first of three divisions of the Hebrew Scriptures comprising the first five books of the Hebrew Bible considered as a unit
- CLAWS noun
- sharp curved horny process on the toe of a bird or some mammals or reptiles
Puzzle 3: LIEU to OLIVE
Show the solution
- U becomes S
- E becomes T
- S becomes E
- T becomes V
- add O
Words in this ladder
- LIEU noun
- the post or function properly or customarily occupied or served by another
- LIES noun
- a statement that deviates from or perverts the truth
- LITS noun
- the humanistic study of a body of literature
- LITE adjective
- having relatively few calories
- LIVE verb
- inhabit or live in; be an inhabitant of
- OLIVE noun
- small ovoid fruit of the European olive tree; important food and source of oil
Puzzle 4: BEET to REPENT
Show the solution
- add S
- B becomes R
- add N
- S becomes P
Words in this ladder
- BEET noun
- biennial Eurasian plant usually having a swollen edible root; widely cultivated as a food crop
- BESET verb
- annoy continually or chronically
- RESET noun
- device for resetting instruments or controls
- RESENT verb
- feel bitter or indignant about
- REPENT verb
- turn away from sin or do penitence
Puzzle 5: HAZES to WHAPS
Show the solution
- Z becomes R
- H becomes W
- E becomes T
- R becomes I
- A becomes H
- T becomes P
- I becomes A
Words in this ladder
- HAZES noun
- atmospheric moisture or dust or smoke that causes reduced visibility
- HARES noun
- swift timid long-eared mammal larger than a rabbit having a divided upper lip and long hind legs; young born furred and with open eyes
- WARES noun
- articles of the same kind or material; usually used in combination: `silverware', `software'
- WARTS noun
- any small rounded protuberance (as on certain plants or animals)
- WAITS noun
- time during which some action is awaited
- WHITS noun
- a tiny or scarcely detectable amount
- WHIPS noun
- an instrument with a handle and a flexible lash that is used for whipping
- WHAPS verb
- hit hard
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