Word ladder answers for September 15, 2026

The daily ladder for Tuesday, September 15, 2026 had 5 puzzles. The quickest was PACT to LIST, solvable in 3 steps, and the longest was DYED to SIEGES, 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: PACT to LIST

Easy Shortest solution: 3 steps · Solved by 1 player

Show the solution
  1. C becomes S
  2. P becomes L
  3. A becomes I

Words in this ladder

PACT noun
a written agreement between two states or sovereigns
PAST noun
the time that has elapsed
LAST noun
the temporal end; the concluding time
LIST noun
a database containing an ordered array of items (names or topics)

Puzzle 2: JOWLS to FOODS

Easy Shortest solution: 3 steps · Solved by 1 player

Show the solution
  1. J becomes F
  2. W becomes O
  3. L becomes D

Words in this ladder

JOWLS noun
the jaw in vertebrates that is hinged to open the mouth
FOWLS noun
a domesticated gallinaceous bird thought to be descended from the red jungle fowl
FOOLS noun
a person who lacks good judgment
FOODS noun
any substance that can be metabolized by an animal to give energy and build tissue

Puzzle 3: TOLLS to LEAKS

Medium Shortest solution: 4 steps · Solved by 1 player

Show the solution
  1. O becomes E
  2. L becomes A
  3. L becomes K
  4. T becomes L

Words in this ladder

TOLLS noun
a fee levied for the use of roads or bridges (used for maintenance)
TELLS noun
a Swiss patriot who lived in the early 14th century and who was renowned for his skill as an archer; according to legend an Austrian governor compelled him to shoot an apple from his son's head with his crossbow (which he did successfully without mishap)
TEALS noun
a blue-green color or pigment
TEAKS noun
hard strong durable yellowish-brown wood of teak trees; resistant to insects and to warping; used for furniture and in shipbuilding
LEAKS noun
an accidental hole that allows something (fluid or light etc.) to enter or escape

Puzzle 4: MILL to TYING

Medium Shortest solution: 5 steps

Show the solution
  1. M becomes T
  2. L becomes T
  3. L becomes N
  4. T becomes G
  5. add Y

Words in this ladder

MILL noun
a plant consisting of one or more buildings with facilities for manufacturing
TILL noun
unstratified soil deposited by a glacier; consists of sand and clay and gravel and boulders mixed together
TILT noun
a combat between two mounted knights tilting against each other with blunted lances
TINT noun
a quality of a given color that differs slightly from another color
TING noun
a light clear metallic sound as of a small bell
TYING noun
the act of tying or binding things together

Puzzle 5: DYED to SIEGES

Hard Shortest solution: 6 steps

Show the solution
  1. D becomes S
  2. add N
  3. Y becomes I
  4. D becomes S
  5. add G
  6. N becomes E

Words in this ladder

DYED verb
color with dye
DYES noun
a usually soluble substance for staining or coloring e.g. fabrics or hair
DYNES noun
a unit of force equal to the force that imparts an acceleration of 1 cm/sec/sec to a mass of 1 gram
DINES verb
have supper; eat dinner
SINES noun
ratio of the length of the side opposite the given angle to the length of the hypotenuse of a right-angled triangle
SINGES noun
a surface burn
SIEGES noun
the action of an armed force that surrounds a fortified place and isolates it while continuing to attack

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