Word ladder answers for July 18, 2026
The daily ladder for Saturday, July 18, 2026 had 5 puzzles. The quickest was PAGER to HARES, solvable in 3 steps, and the longest was LADS to RAMESES, 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: PAGER to HARES
Show the solution
- R becomes S
- G becomes R
- P becomes H
Words in this ladder
- PAGER noun
- an electronic device that generates a series of beeps when the person carrying it is being paged
- PAGES noun
- one side of one leaf (of a book or magazine or newspaper or letter etc.) or the written or pictorial matter it contains
- PARES verb
- decrease gradually or bit by bit
- 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
Puzzle 2: SCAR to BEAD
Show the solution
- C becomes E
- S becomes B
- R becomes D
Words in this ladder
- SCAR noun
- a mark left (usually on the skin) by the healing of injured tissue
- SEAR verb
- make very hot and dry
- BEAR noun
- massive plantigrade carnivorous or omnivorous mammals with long shaggy coats and strong claws
- BEAD noun
- a small ball with a hole through the middle
Puzzle 3: WOLFS to COATS
Show the solution
- F becomes D
- W becomes C
- D becomes T
- L becomes A
Words in this ladder
- WOLFS noun
- any of various predatory carnivorous canine mammals of North America and Eurasia that usually hunt in packs
- WOLDS noun
- a tract of open rolling country (especially upland)
- COLDS noun
- a mild viral infection involving the nose and respiratory passages (but not the lungs)
- COLTS noun
- a young male horse under the age of four
- COATS noun
- an outer garment that has sleeves and covers the body from shoulder down; worn outdoors
Puzzle 4: BYTE to BERG
Show the solution
- Y becomes A
- T becomes R
- E becomes K
- A becomes E
- K becomes G
Words in this ladder
- BYTE noun
- a sequence of 8 bits (enough to represent one character of alphanumeric data) processed as a single unit of information
- BATE verb
- moderate or restrain; lessen the force of
- BARE verb
- lay bare
- BARK noun
- tough protective covering of the woody stems and roots of trees and other woody plants
- BERK noun
- a stupid person who is easy to take advantage of
- BERG noun
- a large mass of ice floating at sea; usually broken off of a polar glacier
Puzzle 5: LADS to RAMESES
Show the solution
- D becomes G
- L becomes R
- add E
- G becomes S
- add M
- add E
Words in this ladder
- LADS noun
- a boy or man
- LAGS noun
- the act of slowing down or falling behind
- RAGS noun
- a small piece of cloth or paper
- RAGES noun
- a feeling of intense anger
- RASES noun
- the network in the reticular formation that serves an alerting or arousal function
- RAMSES noun
- any of 12 kings of ancient Egypt between 1315 and 1090 BC
- RAMESES noun
- any of 12 kings of ancient Egypt between 1315 and 1090 BC
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