Word ladder answers for October 20, 2026
The daily ladder for Tuesday, October 20, 2026 had 5 puzzles. The quickest was WAVES to CAKES, solvable in 2 steps, and the longest was CHILI to SPITS, which needs at least 6.
Solutions are folded away until you open them, so you can have a go first. We show one shortest path per puzzle. Plenty of ladders have two or three paths of the same length, so if yours doesn't match and has the same step count, it's just as good.
Puzzle 1: EVER to COVET
Show the solution
- E becomes O
- add C
- R becomes T
Words in this ladder
- EVER adverb
- at any time
- OVER noun
- (cricket) the division of play during which six balls are bowled at the batsman by one player from the other team from the same end of the pitch
- COVER noun
- a covering that serves to conceal or shelter something
- COVET verb
- wish, long, or crave for (something, especially the property of another person)
Puzzle 2: WAVES to CAKES
Show the solution
- W becomes C
- V becomes K
Words in this ladder
- WAVES noun
- one of a series of ridges that moves across the surface of a liquid (especially across a large body of water)
- CAVES noun
- a geological formation consisting of an underground enclosure with access from the surface of the ground or from the sea
- CAKES noun
- a block of solid substance (such as soap or wax)
Puzzle 3: ANKLES to ANTLERS
Show the solution
- K becomes G
- add R
- G becomes T
Words in this ladder
- ANKLES noun
- a gliding joint between the distal ends of the tibia and fibula and the proximal end of the talus
- ANGLES noun
- the space between two lines or planes that intersect; the inclination of one line to another; measured in degrees or radians
- ANGLERS noun
- a scheming person; someone who schemes to gain an advantage
- ANTLERS noun
- deciduous horn of a member of the deer family
Puzzle 4: SPIKE to SHINES
Show the solution
- K becomes N
- E becomes S
- add E
- P becomes H
Words in this ladder
- SPIKE noun
- a transient variation in voltage or current
- SPINE noun
- the series of vertebrae forming the axis of the skeleton and protecting the spinal cord
- SPINS noun
- a swift whirling motion (usually of a missile)
- SPINES noun
- the series of vertebrae forming the axis of the skeleton and protecting the spinal cord
- SHINES noun
- the quality of being bright and sending out rays of light
Puzzle 5: CHILI to SPITS
Show the solution
- I becomes L
- C becomes S
- H becomes P
- L becomes E
- L becomes S
- E becomes T
Words in this ladder
- CHILI noun
- ground beef and chili peppers or chili powder often with tomatoes and kidney beans
- CHILL noun
- coldness due to a cold environment
- SHILL noun
- a decoy who acts as an enthusiastic customer in order to stimulate the participation of others
- SPILL noun
- liquid that is spilled
- SPIEL noun
- plausible glib talk (especially useful to a salesperson)
- SPIES noun
- (military) a secret agent hired by a state to obtain information about its enemies or by a business to obtain industrial secrets from competitors
- SPITS noun
- a narrow strip of land that juts out into the sea
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