Word ladder answers for August 4, 2026

The daily ladder for Tuesday, August 4, 2026 had 5 puzzles. The quickest was LORE to NODE, solvable in 2 steps, and the longest was RAVEN to OAHUS, 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: LORE to NODE

Easy Shortest solution: 2 steps · Solved by 1 player

Show the solution
  1. R becomes D
  2. L becomes N

Words in this ladder

LORE noun
knowledge gained through tradition or anecdote
LODE noun
a deposit of valuable ore occurring within definite boundaries separating it from surrounding rocks
NODE noun
a connecting point at which several lines come together

Puzzle 2: MANES to SINUS

Easy Shortest solution: 3 steps · Solved by 1 player

Show the solution
  1. A becomes I
  2. M becomes S
  3. E becomes U

Words in this ladder

MANES noun
a Persian prophet who founded Manichaeism (216-276)
MINES noun
excavation in the earth from which ores and minerals are extracted
SINES noun
ratio of the length of the side opposite the given angle to the length of the hypotenuse of a right-angled triangle
SINUS noun
an abnormal passage leading from a suppurating cavity to the body surface

Puzzle 3: LOTS to WASHES

Medium Shortest solution: 5 steps

Show the solution
  1. O becomes A
  2. add E
  3. add H
  4. T becomes S
  5. L becomes W

Words in this ladder

LOTS noun
a large number or amount
LATS noun
the basic unit of money in Latvia
LATES noun
a genus of large percoid fishes of fresh and brackish water
LATHES noun
machine tool for shaping metal or wood; the workpiece turns about a horizontal axis against a fixed tool
LASHES noun
any of the short curved hairs that grow from the edges of the eyelids
WASHES noun
a thin coat of water-base paint

Puzzle 4: SALES to BORER

Medium Shortest solution: 4 steps

Show the solution
  1. A becomes O
  2. L becomes R
  3. S becomes B
  4. S becomes R

Words in this ladder

SALES noun
income (at invoice values) received for goods and services over some given period of time
SOLES noun
a colloid that has a continuous liquid phase in which a solid is suspended in a liquid
SORES noun
an open skin infection
BORES noun
a person who evokes boredom
BORER noun
a drill for penetrating rock

Puzzle 5: RAVEN to OAHUS

Hard Shortest solution: 7 steps

Show the solution
  1. N becomes S
  2. V becomes S
  3. E becomes P
  4. S becomes M
  5. P becomes U
  6. M becomes H
  7. R becomes O

Words in this ladder

RAVEN noun
large black bird with a straight bill and long wedge-shaped tail
RAVES noun
a dance party that lasts all night and electronically synthesized music is played
RASES noun
the network in the reticular formation that serves an alerting or arousal function
RASPS noun
uttering in an irritated tone
RAMPS noun
an inclined surface connecting two levels
RAMUS noun
the posterior part of the mandible that is more or less vertical
RAHUS noun
a Hindu demon who swallows the sun causing eclipses
OAHUS noun
an island of central Hawaii (between Molokai and Kauai); the chief island of the state

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