Word ladder answers for September 4, 2026
The daily ladder for Friday, September 4, 2026 had 5 puzzles. The quickest was STAGS to SCABS, solvable in 2 steps, and the longest was READER to SPINNEY, 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: STAGS to SCABS
Show the solution
- G becomes B
- T becomes C
Words in this ladder
- STAGS noun
- a male deer, especially an adult male red deer
- STABS noun
- a sudden sharp feeling
- SCABS noun
- someone who works (or provides workers) during a strike
Puzzle 2: SEWS to SEEKS
Show the solution
- W becomes E
- add K
Words in this ladder
- SEWS verb
- fasten by sewing; do needlework
- SEES noun
- the seat within a bishop's diocese where his cathedral is located
- SEEKS noun
- the movement of a read/write head to a specific data track on a disk
Puzzle 3: JOCK to BLOWY
Show the solution
- J becomes L
- add B
- K becomes S
- C becomes W
- S becomes Y
Words in this ladder
- JOCK noun
- a person trained to compete in sports
- LOCK noun
- a fastener fitted to a door or drawer to keep it firmly closed
- BLOCK noun
- a solid piece of something (usually having flat rectangular sides)
- BLOCS noun
- a group of countries in special alliance
- BLOWS noun
- a powerful stroke with the fist or a weapon
- BLOWY adjective
- abounding in or exposed to the wind or breezes
Puzzle 4: BAKES to BOREDS
Show the solution
- K becomes R
- A becomes O
- add D
Words in this ladder
- BAKES verb
- cook and make edible by putting in a hot oven
- BARES verb
- lay bare
- BORES noun
- a person who evokes boredom
- BOREDS verb
- cause to be bored
Puzzle 5: READER to SPINNEY
Show the solution
- A becomes N
- R becomes T
- E becomes I
- D becomes N
- T becomes S
- add P
- R becomes Y
Words in this ladder
- READER noun
- a person who enjoys reading
- RENDER noun
- a substance similar to stucco but exclusively applied to masonry walls
- TENDER noun
- something that can be used as an official medium of payment
- TINDER noun
- material for starting a fire
- TINNER noun
- someone who makes or repairs tinware
- SINNER noun
- a person who sins (without repenting)
- SPINNER noun
- someone who spins (who twists fibers into threads)
- SPINNEY noun
- a copse that shelters game
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