Word ladder answers for November 2, 2026
The daily ladder for Monday, November 2, 2026 had 5 puzzles. The quickest was INK to FUNK, solvable in 2 steps, and the longest was WIND to BACKING, 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: INK to FUNK
Show the solution
- add F
- I becomes U
Words in this ladder
- INK noun
- a liquid used for printing or writing or drawing
- FINK noun
- someone acting as an informer or decoy for the police
- FUNK noun
- a state of nervous depression
Puzzle 2: RAVE to MADE
Show the solution
- V becomes T
- R becomes M
- T becomes D
Words in this ladder
- RAVE noun
- a dance party that lasts all night and electronically synthesized music is played
- RATE noun
- a magnitude or frequency relative to a time unit
- MATE noun
- the officer below the master on a commercial ship
- MADE verb
- engage in
Puzzle 3: MAIDS to BOWLS
Show the solution
- D becomes L
- M becomes B
- A becomes O
- I becomes W
Words in this ladder
- MAIDS noun
- a female domestic
- MAILS noun
- the bags of letters and packages that are transported by the postal service
- BAILS noun
- (criminal law) money that must be forfeited by the bondsman if an accused person fails to appear in court for trial
- BOILS noun
- a painful sore with a hard core filled with pus
- BOWLS noun
- a bowling game played on a level lawn with biased wooden balls that are rolled at a jack
Puzzle 4: FOES to DORM
Show the solution
- F becomes D
- S becomes R
- E becomes O
- R becomes M
- O becomes R
Words in this ladder
- FOES noun
- an armed adversary (especially a member of an opposing military force)
- DOES noun
- the federal department responsible for maintaining a national energy policy of the United States; created in 1977
- DOER noun
- a person who acts and gets things done
- DOOR noun
- a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
- DOOM noun
- an unpleasant or disastrous destiny
- DORM noun
- a college or university building containing living quarters for students
Puzzle 5: WIND to BACKING
Show the solution
- D becomes G
- W becomes R
- add B
- add A
- R becomes K
- add C
Words in this ladder
- WIND noun
- air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
- WING noun
- a movable organ for flying (one of a pair)
- RING noun
- a characteristic sound
- BRING verb
- take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
- BARING noun
- the removal of covering
- BAKING noun
- making bread or cake or pastry etc.
- BACKING noun
- the act of providing approval and support
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