Word Labyrinth

Word ladder answers for August 19, 2026

The daily ladder for Wednesday, August 19, 2026 had 5 puzzles. The quickest was BITS to MATS, solvable in 2 steps, and the longest was SEDGES to COURSES, 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: JUGS to DONS

Easy Shortest solution: 3 steps · Solved by 1 player

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  2. U becomes O
  3. J becomes D
  4. G becomes N

Words in this ladder

JUGS noun
a large bottle with a narrow mouth
JOGS noun
a sharp change in direction
DOGS 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
DONS noun
a Spanish gentleman or nobleman

Puzzle 2: BITS to MATS

Easy Shortest solution: 2 steps · Solved by 1 player

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  2. I becomes A
  3. B becomes M

Words in this ladder

BITS noun
a small piece or quantity of something
BATS noun
nocturnal mouselike mammal with forelimbs modified to form membranous wings and anatomical adaptations for echolocation by which they navigate
MATS noun
a thick flat pad used as a floor covering

Puzzle 3: MINA to TEAS

Medium Shortest solution: 4 steps · Solved by 1 player

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  2. A becomes S
  3. M becomes T
  4. I becomes E
  5. N becomes A

Words in this ladder

MINA noun
tropical Asian starlings
MINS noun
a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour
TINS noun
a silvery malleable metallic element that resists corrosion; used in many alloys and to coat other metals to prevent corrosion; obtained chiefly from cassiterite where it occurs as tin oxide
TENS noun
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
TEAS noun
a beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water

Puzzle 4: YEW to MODE

Medium Shortest solution: 5 steps · Solved by 1 player

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  2. Y becomes M
  3. E becomes O
  4. W becomes S
  5. add D
  6. S becomes E

Words in this ladder

YEW noun
wood of a yew; especially the durable fine-grained light brown or red wood of the English yew valued for cabinetwork and archery bows
MEW noun
the sound made by a cat (or any sound resembling this)
MOW noun
a loft in a barn where hay is stored
MOS noun
an indefinitely short time
MODS noun
a youth subculture that began in London in the early 1960s; a working-class movement with highly stylized dress and short hair; listened to rhythm and blues music and travelled on motor scooters
MODE noun
how something is done or how it happens

Puzzle 5: SEDGES to COURSES

Hard Shortest solution: 6 steps · Solved by 1 player

Show the solution
  2. D becomes R
  3. E becomes U
  4. S becomes P
  5. G becomes S
  6. P becomes C
  7. add O

Words in this ladder

SEDGES noun
grasslike or rushlike plant growing in wet places having solid stems, narrow grasslike leaves and spikelets of inconspicuous flowers
SERGES noun
a twilled woolen fabric
SURGES noun
a sudden forceful flow
PURGES noun
the act of clearing yourself (or another) from some stigma or charge
PURSES noun
a container used for carrying money and small personal items or accessories (especially by women)
CURSES noun
profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger
COURSES noun
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

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