Word ladder answers for August 27, 2026
The daily ladder for Thursday, August 27, 2026 had 5 puzzles. The quickest was TERNS to PEEPS, solvable in 3 steps, and the longest was CIPHER to TWIRLED, 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: TERNS to PEEPS
Show the solution
- R becomes E
- T becomes P
- N becomes P
Words in this ladder
- TERNS noun
- small slender gull having narrow wings and a forked tail
- TEENS noun
- the time of life between the ages of 12 and 20
- PEENS noun
- the part of a hammerhead opposite the flat striking surface (may have various shapes)
- PEEPS noun
- the short weak cry of a young bird
Puzzle 2: CUPS to MUTE
Show the solution
- P becomes T
- S becomes E
- C becomes M
Words in this ladder
- CUPS noun
- a small open container usually used for drinking; usually has a handle
- CUTS noun
- a share of the profits
- CUTE adjective
- attractive especially by means of smallness or prettiness or quaintness
- MUTE noun
- a deaf person who is unable to speak
Puzzle 3: DUDE to DOWERS
Show the solution
- E becomes S
- D becomes E
- U becomes O
- add R
- add W
Words in this ladder
- DUDE noun
- an informal form of address for a man
- DUDS noun
- informal terms for clothing
- DUES noun
- that which is deserved or owed
- DOES noun
- the federal department responsible for maintaining a national energy policy of the United States; created in 1977
- DOERS noun
- a person who acts and gets things done
- DOWERS noun
- money or property brought by a woman to her husband at marriage
Puzzle 4: HEAT to FETAL
Show the solution
- H becomes M
- T becomes L
- add T
- M becomes F
Words in this ladder
- HEAT noun
- a form of energy that is transferred by a difference in temperature
- MEAT noun
- the flesh of animals (including fishes and birds and snails) used as food
- MEAL noun
- the food served and eaten at one time
- METAL noun
- any of several chemical elements that are usually shiny solids that conduct heat or electricity and can be formed into sheets etc.
- FETAL adjective
- of or relating to a fetus
Puzzle 5: CIPHER to TWIRLED
Show the solution
- P becomes T
- C becomes T
- R becomes D
- H becomes L
- T becomes L
- add W
- L becomes R
Words in this ladder
- CIPHER noun
- a message written in a secret code
- CITHER noun
- a musical stringed instrument with strings stretched over a flat sounding board; it is laid flat and played with a plectrum and with fingers
- TITHER noun
- someone who pays tithes
- TITHED verb
- exact a tithe from
- TITLED verb
- give a title to
- TILLED verb
- work land as by ploughing, harrowing, and manuring, in order to make it ready for cultivation
- TWILLED verb
- weave diagonal lines into (textiles)
- TWIRLED verb
- turn in a twisting or spinning motion
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