Word ladder answers for October 23, 2026
The daily ladder for Friday, October 23, 2026 had 5 puzzles. The quickest was HEAT to PINT, solvable in 3 steps, and the longest was TYPES to BEAVER, which needs at least 6. Players found PIC to BUG the trickiest: they averaged 4.8 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: HEAT to PINT
Show the solution
- H becomes P
- A becomes N
- E becomes I
Words in this ladder
- HEAT noun
- a form of energy that is transferred by a difference in temperature
- PEAT noun
- partially carbonized vegetable matter saturated with water; can be used as a fuel when dried
- PENT verb
- produce a literary work
- PINT noun
- a British imperial capacity measure (liquid or dry) equal to 4 gills or 568.26 cubic centimeters
Puzzle 2: PIC to BUG
Show the solution
- C becomes G
- P becomes B
- I becomes U
Words in this ladder
- PIC noun
- a form of entertainment that enacts a story by sound and a sequence of images giving the illusion of continuous movement
- PIG noun
- domestic swine
- BIG adjective
- above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
- BUG noun
- general term for any insect or similar creeping or crawling invertebrate
Puzzle 3: LACY to BOND
Show the solution
- Y becomes E
- C becomes N
- E becomes D
- L becomes B
- A becomes O
Words in this ladder
- LACY adjective
- made of or resembling lace
- LACE noun
- a cord that is drawn through eyelets or around hooks in order to draw together two edges (as of a shoe or garment)
- LANE noun
- a narrow way or road
- LAND noun
- the land on which real estate is located
- BAND noun
- an unofficial association of people or groups
- BOND noun
- an electrical force linking atoms
Puzzle 4: MADLY to DAIRY
Show the solution
- M becomes S
- D becomes L
- S becomes D
- L becomes I
- L becomes R
Words in this ladder
- MADLY adverb
- in an uncontrolled manner
- SADLY adverb
- in an unfortunate way
- SALLY noun
- witty remark
- DALLY verb
- behave carelessly or indifferently
- DAILY noun
- a newspaper that is published every day
- DAIRY noun
- a farm where dairy products are produced
Puzzle 5: TYPES to BEAVER
Show the solution
- Y becomes A
- P becomes K
- T becomes B
- S becomes R
- add E
- K becomes V
Words in this ladder
- TYPES noun
- a subdivision of a particular kind of thing
- TAPES noun
- a long thin piece of cloth or paper as used for binding or fastening
- TAKES noun
- the income or profit arising from such transactions as the sale of land or other property
- BAKES verb
- cook and make edible by putting in a hot oven
- BAKER noun
- someone who bakes commercially
- BEAKER noun
- a flatbottomed jar made of glass or plastic; used for chemistry
- BEAVER noun
- the soft brown fur of the beaver
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