Word ladder answers for August 31, 2026
The daily ladder for Monday, August 31, 2026 had 5 puzzles. The quickest was TUB to WAR, solvable in 3 steps, and the longest was EASES to LIFTED, 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: TUB to WAR
Show the solution
- U becomes A
- B becomes R
- T becomes W
Words in this ladder
- TUB noun
- a relatively large open container that you fill with water and use to wash the body
- TAB noun
- the bill in a restaurant
- TAR noun
- any of various dark heavy viscid substances obtained as a residue
- WAR noun
- the waging of armed conflict against an enemy
Puzzle 2: LACER to FATES
Show the solution
- R becomes S
- C becomes T
- L becomes F
Words in this ladder
- LACER noun
- a workman who laces shoes or footballs or books (during binding)
- LACES noun
- a cord that is drawn through eyelets or around hooks in order to draw together two edges (as of a shoe or garment)
- LATES noun
- a genus of large percoid fishes of fresh and brackish water
- FATES noun
- an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future
Puzzle 3: SIZE to LOOS
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- Z becomes T
- E becomes S
- S becomes L
- I becomes O
- T becomes O
Words in this ladder
- SIZE noun
- the physical magnitude of something (how big it is)
- SITE noun
- the piece of land on which something is located (or is to be located)
- SITS verb
- be seated
- LITS noun
- the humanistic study of a body of literature
- LOTS noun
- a large number or amount
- LOOS noun
- Austrian architect (1870-1933)
Puzzle 4: TAPPETS to STEPPERS
Show the solution
- T becomes R
- A becomes O
- add S
- O becomes E
Words in this ladder
- TAPPETS noun
- a lever that is moved in order to tap something else
- TAPPERS noun
- a tavern keeper who taps kegs or casks
- TOPPERS noun
- a worker who makes or adds the top to something
- STOPPERS noun
- an act so striking or impressive that the show must be delayed until the audience quiets down
- STEPPERS noun
- a professional dancer
Puzzle 5: EASES to LIFTED
Show the solution
- E becomes B
- S becomes D
- add T
- B becomes L
- A becomes I
- S becomes F
Words in this ladder
- EASES noun
- freedom from difficulty or hardship or effort
- BASES noun
- installation from which a military force initiates operations
- BASED verb
- use as a basis for; found on
- BASTED verb
- cover with liquid before cooking
- LASTED verb
- persist for a specified period of time
- LISTED verb
- give or make a list of; name individually; give the names of
- LIFTED verb
- raise from a lower to a higher position
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