Word Labyrinth

Word ladder answers for August 20, 2026

The daily ladder for Thursday, August 20, 2026 had 5 puzzles. The quickest was SOY to MAN, solvable in 3 steps, and the longest was GURU to BUNCE, 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: SOY to MAN

Easy Shortest solution: 3 steps · Solved by 5 players · 80% found a shortest path · 3.2 steps on average

Show the solution
  2. O becomes A
  3. S becomes M
  4. Y becomes N

Words in this ladder

SOY noun
a source of oil; used for forage and soil improvement and as food
SAY noun
the chance to speak
MAY noun
the month following April and preceding June
MAN noun
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

Puzzle 2: ACES to SLOES

Easy Shortest solution: 3 steps

Show the solution
  2. C becomes L
  3. add O
  4. A becomes S

Words in this ladder

ACES noun
the smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number
ALES noun
a general name for beer made with a top fermenting yeast; in some of the United States an ale is (by law) a brew of more than 4% alcohol by volume
ALOES noun
a purgative made from the leaves of aloe
SLOES noun
wild plum of northeastern United States having dark purple fruits with yellow flesh

Puzzle 3: MITES to MAGUSES

Medium Shortest solution: 5 steps

Show the solution
  2. T becomes N
  3. I becomes A
  4. add S
  5. add U
  6. N becomes G

Words in this ladder

MITES noun
a slight but appreciable amount
MINES noun
excavation in the earth from which ores and minerals are extracted
MANES noun
a Persian prophet who founded Manichaeism (216-276)
MANSES noun
a large and imposing house
MANUSES noun
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
MAGUSES noun
a magician or sorcerer of ancient times

Puzzle 4: SWANKS to SPARERS

Medium Shortest solution: 4 steps

Show the solution
  2. W becomes P
  3. N becomes R
  4. K becomes E
  5. add R

Words in this ladder

SWANKS noun
elegance by virtue of being fashionable
SPANKS noun
a slap with the flat of the hand
SPARKS noun
a momentary flash of light
SPARES noun
an extra component of a machine or other apparatus
SPARERS noun
someone who refrains from injuring or destroying

Puzzle 5: GURU to BUNCE

Hard Shortest solution: 6 steps

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

Words in this ladder

GURU noun
a Hindu or Buddhist religious leader and spiritual teacher
GURS noun
a group of Niger-Congo languages spoken primarily in southeastern Mali and northern Ghana
GUNS noun
a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)
DUNS noun
horse of a dull brownish grey color
DUNE noun
a ridge of sand created by the wind; found in deserts or near lakes and oceans
DUNCE noun
a stupid person; these words are used to express a low opinion of someone's intelligence
BUNCE noun
a sudden happening that brings good fortune (as a sudden opportunity to make money)

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