Word ladder answers for September 2, 2026
The daily ladder for Wednesday, September 2, 2026 had 5 puzzles. The quickest was SANE to STAVE, solvable in 2 steps, and the longest was RITES to SCOTS, 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: PATS to CRAMS
Show the solution
- P becomes R
- T becomes M
- add C
Words in this ladder
- PATS noun
- the sound made by a gentle blow
- RATS noun
- any of various long-tailed rodents similar to but larger than a mouse
- RAMS noun
- the most common computer memory which can be used by programs to perform necessary tasks while the computer is on; an integrated circuit memory chip allows information to be stored or accessed in any order and all storage locations are equally accessible
- CRAMS verb
- crowd or pack to capacity
Puzzle 2: SANE to STAVE
Show the solution
- N becomes V
- add T
Words in this ladder
- SANE adjective
- mentally healthy; free from mental disorder
- SAVE noun
- (sports) the act of preventing the opposition from scoring
- STAVE noun
- (music) the system of five horizontal lines on which the musical notes are written
Puzzle 3: REALM to DEBARS
Show the solution
- M becomes S
- R becomes D
- L becomes R
- add B
Words in this ladder
- REALM noun
- a domain in which something is dominant
- REALS noun
- any rational or irrational number
- DEALS noun
- a particular instance of buying or selling
- DEARS noun
- a beloved person; used as terms of endearment
- DEBARS verb
- bar temporarily; from school, office, etc.
Puzzle 4: DUKES to POSEURS
Show the solution
- D becomes P
- U becomes O
- add R
- K becomes S
- add U
Words in this ladder
- DUKES noun
- a British peer of the highest rank
- PUKES noun
- a person who is deemed to be despicable or contemptible
- POKES noun
- tall coarse perennial American herb having small white flowers followed by blackish-red berries on long drooping racemes; young fleshy stems are edible; berries and root are poisonous
- POKERS noun
- fire iron consisting of a metal rod with a handle; used to stir a fire
- POSERS noun
- a person who habitually pretends to be something he is not
- POSEURS noun
- a person who habitually pretends to be something he is not
Puzzle 5: RITES to SCOTS
Show the solution
- R becomes S
- T becomes R
- I becomes O
- E becomes T
- R becomes O
- O becomes C
Words in this ladder
- RITES noun
- an established ceremony prescribed by a religion
- SITES noun
- the piece of land on which something is located (or is to be located)
- SIRES noun
- a title of address formerly used for a man of rank and authority
- SORES noun
- an open skin infection
- SORTS noun
- a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
- SOOTS noun
- a black colloidal substance consisting wholly or principally of amorphous carbon and used to make pigments and ink
- SCOTS noun
- the dialect of English used in Scotland
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