Word ladder answers for October 30, 2026
The daily ladder for Friday, October 30, 2026 had 5 puzzles. The quickest was DIRT to WIRE, solvable in 2 steps, and the longest was SASH to CANTER, which needs at least 7.
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: DIRT to WIRE
Show the solution
- T becomes E
- D becomes W
Words in this ladder
- DIRT noun
- the part of the earth's surface consisting of humus and disintegrated rock
- DIRE adjective
- fraught with extreme danger; nearly hopeless; ; - G.C.Marshall
- WIRE noun
- ligament made of metal and used to fasten things or make cages or fences etc
Puzzle 2: PLUMS to CLAMP
Show the solution
- S becomes P
- P becomes C
- U becomes A
Words in this ladder
- PLUMS noun
- any of several trees producing edible oval fruit having a smooth skin and a single hard stone
- PLUMP noun
- the sound of a sudden heavy fall
- CLUMP noun
- a grouping of a number of similar things
- CLAMP noun
- a device (generally used by carpenters) that holds things firmly together
Puzzle 3: TART to ATOLL
Show the solution
- A becomes O
- R becomes O
- T becomes L
- O becomes L
- add A
Words in this ladder
- TART noun
- a woman who engages in sexual intercourse for money
- TORT noun
- (law) any wrongdoing for which an action for damages may be brought
- TOOT noun
- a blast of a horn
- TOOL noun
- an implement used in the practice of a vocation
- TOLL noun
- a fee levied for the use of roads or bridges (used for maintenance)
- ATOLL noun
- an island consisting of a circular coral reef surrounding a lagoon
Puzzle 4: RING to HINDS
Show the solution
- R becomes W
- G becomes S
- add D
- W becomes H
Words in this ladder
- RING noun
- a characteristic sound
- WING noun
- a movable organ for flying (one of a pair)
- WINS noun
- a victory (as in a race or other competition)
- WINDS noun
- air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
- HINDS noun
- any of several mostly spotted fishes that resemble groupers
Puzzle 5: SASH to CANTER
Show the solution
- S becomes C
- H becomes E
- add T
- E becomes S
- add E
- S becomes R
- S becomes N
Words in this ladder
- SASH noun
- a framework that holds the panes of a window in the window frame
- CASH noun
- money in the form of bills or coins
- CASE noun
- an occurrence of something
- CASTE noun
- social status or position conferred by a system based on class
- CASTS noun
- the actors in a play
- CASTES noun
- social status or position conferred by a system based on class
- CASTER noun
- a worker who casts molten metal into finished products
- CANTER noun
- a smooth three-beat gait; between a trot and a gallop
Today's puzzles are up
5 new word ladders every day, free. They land here once the day is over.
Play today's ladder