Word ladder answers for October 22, 2026
The daily ladder for Thursday, October 22, 2026 had 5 puzzles. The quickest was PIKE to PAVE, solvable in 3 steps, and the longest was INFER to HOLES, which needs at least 7. On PIKE to PAVE, players averaged 3.7 steps against a shortest path of 3.
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: PIKE to PAVE
Show the solution
- K becomes L
- I becomes A
- L becomes V
Words in this ladder
- PIKE noun
- a broad highway designed for high-speed traffic
- PILE noun
- a collection of objects laid on top of each other
- PALE noun
- a wooden strip forming part of a fence
- PAVE noun
- a setting with precious stones so closely set that no metal shows
Puzzle 2: LOCI to LOOM
Show the solution
- I becomes K
- C becomes O
- K becomes M
Words in this ladder
- LOCI noun
- the scene of any event or action (especially the place of a meeting)
- LOCK noun
- a fastener fitted to a door or drawer to keep it firmly closed
- LOOK noun
- the feelings expressed on a person's face
- LOOM noun
- a textile machine for weaving yarn into a textile
Puzzle 3: MESSY to MASTS
Show the solution
- E becomes I
- S becomes T
- Y becomes S
- I becomes A
Words in this ladder
- MESSY adjective
- dirty and disorderly
- MISSY noun
- a young woman
- MISTY adjective
- filled or abounding with fog or mist
- MISTS noun
- a thin fog with condensation near the ground
- MASTS noun
- a vertical spar for supporting sails
Puzzle 4: TART to AGENT
Show the solution
- T becomes P
- R becomes N
- A becomes E
- P becomes G
- add A
Words in this ladder
- TART noun
- a woman who engages in sexual intercourse for money
- PART noun
- something determined in relation to something that includes it
- PANT noun
- the noise made by a short puff of steam (as from an engine)
- PENT verb
- produce a literary work
- GENT noun
- informal abbreviation of `gentleman'
- AGENT noun
- an active and efficient cause; capable of producing a certain effect
Puzzle 5: INFER to HOLES
Show the solution
- F becomes T
- I becomes E
- N becomes A
- E becomes H
- R becomes S
- T becomes L
- A becomes O
Words in this ladder
- INFER verb
- reason by deduction; establish by deduction
- INTER verb
- place in a grave or tomb
- ENTER verb
- to come or go into
- EATER noun
- someone who consumes food for nourishment
- HATER noun
- a person who hates
- HATES noun
- the emotion of intense dislike; a feeling of dislike so strong that it demands action
- HALES noun
- a soldier of the American Revolution who was hanged as a spy by the British; his last words were supposed to have been `I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country' (1755-1776)
- HOLES noun
- an opening into or through something
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