Word ladder answers for August 2, 2026
The daily ladder for Sunday, August 2, 2026 had 5 puzzles. The quickest was GIRO to BIND, solvable in 3 steps, and the longest was COXED to WINNERS, 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: GIRO to BIND
Show the solution
- O becomes D
- G becomes B
- R becomes N
Words in this ladder
- GIRO noun
- a check given by the British government to someone who is unemployed; it can be cashed either at a bank or at the post office
- GIRD verb
- prepare oneself for a military confrontation
- BIRD noun
- warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
- BIND noun
- something that hinders as if with bonds
Puzzle 2: LOOKS to COILS
Show the solution
- L becomes C
- K becomes L
- O becomes I
Words in this ladder
- LOOKS noun
- the feelings expressed on a person's face
- COOKS noun
- someone who cooks food
- COOLS noun
- the quality of being at a refreshingly low temperature
- COILS noun
- a structure consisting of something wound in a continuous series of loops
Puzzle 3: CARDS to STORMS
Show the solution
- D becomes E
- A becomes O
- C becomes S
- add T
- E becomes M
Words in this ladder
- CARDS noun
- a game played with playing cards
- CARES noun
- the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
- CORES noun
- a small group of indispensable persons or things
- SORES noun
- an open skin infection
- STORES noun
- a mercantile establishment for the retail sale of goods or services
- STORMS noun
- a violent weather condition with winds 64-72 knots (11 on the Beaufort scale) and precipitation and thunder and lightning
Puzzle 4: WISH to MILD
Show the solution
- H becomes E
- S becomes L
- E becomes D
- W becomes M
Words in this ladder
- WISH noun
- a specific feeling of desire
- WISE noun
- a way of doing or being
- WILE noun
- the use of tricks to deceive someone (usually to extract money from them)
- WILD noun
- a wild primitive state untouched by civilization
- MILD adjective
- moderate in type or degree or effect or force; far from extreme
Puzzle 5: COXED to WINNERS
Show the solution
- D becomes S
- X becomes N
- C becomes D
- O becomes I
- add R
- add N
- D becomes W
Words in this ladder
- COXED verb
- act as the coxswain, in a boat race
- COXES noun
- either of two related enzymes that control the production of prostaglandins and are blocked by aspirin
- CONES noun
- any cone-shaped artifact
- DONES verb
- put clothing on one's body
- DINES verb
- have supper; eat dinner
- DINERS noun
- a person eating a meal (especially in a restaurant)
- DINNERS noun
- the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday
- WINNERS noun
- the contestant who wins the contest
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