Word ladder answers for July 22, 2026
The daily ladder for Wednesday, July 22, 2026 had 5 puzzles. The quickest was REEK to HERD, solvable in 3 steps, and the longest was MUG to TINEA, 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: REEK to HERD
Show the solution
- K becomes D
- R becomes H
- E becomes R
Words in this ladder
- REEK noun
- a distinctive odor that is offensively unpleasant
- REED noun
- tall woody perennial grasses with hollow slender stems especially of the genera Arundo and Phragmites
- HEED noun
- paying particular notice (as to children or helpless people)
- HERD noun
- a group of cattle or sheep or other domestic mammals all of the same kind that are herded by humans
Puzzle 2: EDGER to WAFER
Show the solution
- D becomes A
- E becomes W
- G becomes F
Words in this ladder
- EDGER noun
- a person who puts finishing edges on a garment
- EAGER noun
- a high wave (often dangerous) caused by tidal flow (as by colliding tidal currents or in a narrow estuary)
- WAGER noun
- the act of gambling
- WAFER noun
- a small adhesive disk of paste; used to seal letters
Puzzle 3: GAMS to FACED
Show the solution
- add E
- G becomes F
- M becomes C
- S becomes D
Words in this ladder
- GAMS noun
- a herd of whales
- GAMES noun
- a contest with rules to determine a winner
- FAMES noun
- the state or quality of being widely honored and acclaimed
- FACES noun
- the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
- FACED verb
- deal with (something unpleasant) head on
Puzzle 4: RAG to DOWSE
Show the solution
- R becomes D
- A becomes O
- G becomes E
- add S
- add W
Words in this ladder
- RAG noun
- a small piece of cloth or paper
- DAG noun
- 10 grams
- DOG noun
- a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds
- DOE noun
- the federal department responsible for maintaining a national energy policy of the United States; created in 1977
- DOSE noun
- a measured portion of medicine taken at any one time
- DOWSE noun
- searching for underground water or minerals by using a dowsing rod
Puzzle 5: MUG to TINEA
Show the solution
- G becomes D
- U becomes I
- add N
- add E
- M becomes T
- D becomes A
Words in this ladder
- MUG noun
- the quantity that can be held in a mug
- MUD noun
- water soaked soil; soft wet earth
- MID adjective
- used in combination to denote the middle
- MIND noun
- that which is responsible for one's thoughts and feelings; the seat of the faculty of reason
- MINED verb
- get from the earth by excavation
- TINED verb
- plate with tin
- TINEA noun
- infections of the skin or nails caused by fungi and appearing as itching circular patches
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