Word ladder answers for September 18, 2026
The daily ladder for Friday, September 18, 2026 had 5 puzzles. The quickest was FOIL to GOAD, solvable in 3 steps, and the longest was ROUGING to FILMING, 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: FOIL to GOAD
Show the solution
- I becomes A
- F becomes G
- L becomes D
Words in this ladder
- FOIL noun
- a piece of thin and flexible sheet metal
- FOAL noun
- a young horse
- GOAL noun
- the state of affairs that a plan is intended to achieve and that (when achieved) terminates behavior intended to achieve it
- GOAD noun
- a pointed instrument that is used to prod into a state of motion
Puzzle 2: WAXY to WARNS
Show the solution
- X becomes R
- Y becomes S
- add N
Words in this ladder
- WAXY adjective
- made of or covered with wax
- WARY adjective
- marked by keen caution and watchful prudence
- WARS noun
- the waging of armed conflict against an enemy
- WARNS verb
- notify of danger, potential harm, or risk
Puzzle 3: LIME to TASK
Show the solution
- L becomes T
- I becomes A
- M becomes L
- E becomes K
- L becomes S
Words in this ladder
- LIME noun
- a caustic substance produced by heating limestone
- TIME noun
- an instance or single occasion for some event
- TAME verb
- correct by punishment or discipline
- TALE noun
- a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
- TALK noun
- an exchange of ideas via conversation
- TASK noun
- any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted
Puzzle 4: VOWS to SNAPS
Show the solution
- V becomes S
- O becomes A
- W becomes P
- add N
Words in this ladder
- VOWS noun
- a solemn pledge (to oneself or to another or to a deity) to do something or to behave in a certain manner
- SOWS noun
- an adult female hog
- SAWS noun
- a condensed but memorable saying embodying some important fact of experience that is taken as true by many people
- SAPS noun
- a watery solution of sugars, salts, and minerals that circulates through the vascular system of a plant
- SNAPS noun
- the act of catching an object with the hands
Puzzle 5: ROUGING to FILMING
Show the solution
- R becomes G
- U becomes R
- G becomes F
- G becomes M
- O becomes I
- R becomes L
Words in this ladder
- ROUGING verb
- redden by applying rouge to
- GOUGING verb
- force with the thumb
- GORGING verb
- overeat or eat immodestly; make a pig of oneself
- FORGING noun
- shaping metal by heating and hammering
- FORMING verb
- create (as an entity)
- FIRMING verb
- become taut or tauter
- FILMING noun
- the act of making a film
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