Word Labyrinth

Word ladder answers for November 9, 2026

The daily ladder for Monday, November 9, 2026 had 5 puzzles. The quickest was CART to WARMS, solvable in 3 steps, and the longest was ORE to BACKERS, 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: CART to WARMS

Easy Shortest solution: 3 steps · Solved by 6 players · 83% found a shortest path · 3.2 steps on average

Show the solution
  2. T becomes S
  3. C becomes W
  4. add M

Words in this ladder

CART noun
a heavy open wagon usually having two wheels and drawn by an animal
CARS noun
a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine
WARS noun
the waging of armed conflict against an enemy
WARMS verb
get warm or warmer

Puzzle 2: VICES to PINKS

Easy Shortest solution: 3 steps · Solved by 5 players · 80% found a shortest path · 3.2 steps on average

Show the solution
  2. C becomes N
  3. V becomes P
  4. E becomes K

Words in this ladder

VICES noun
moral weakness
VINES noun
a plant with a weak stem that derives support from climbing, twining, or creeping along a surface
PINES noun
a coniferous tree
PINKS noun
a light shade of red

Puzzle 3: WINE to BATS

Medium Shortest solution: 4 steps · Solved by 2 players

Show the solution
  2. E becomes S
  3. W becomes B
  4. N becomes T
  5. I becomes A

Words in this ladder

WINE noun
fermented juice (of grapes especially)
WINS noun
a victory (as in a race or other competition)
BINS noun
a container; usually has a lid
BITS noun
a small piece or quantity of something
BATS noun
nocturnal mouselike mammal with forelimbs modified to form membranous wings and anatomical adaptations for echolocation by which they navigate

Puzzle 4: YAK to APT

Medium Shortest solution: 4 steps · Solved by 1 player

Show the solution
  2. Y becomes O
  3. K becomes T
  4. A becomes P
  5. O becomes A

Words in this ladder

YAK noun
noisy talk
OAK noun
the hard durable wood of any oak; used especially for furniture and flooring
OAT noun
annual grass of Europe and North Africa; grains used as food and fodder (referred to primarily in the plural: `oats')
OPT verb
select as an alternative over another
APT adjective
(usually followed by `to') naturally disposed toward

Puzzle 5: ORE to BACKERS

Hard Shortest solution: 7 steps

Show the solution
  2. O becomes A
  3. add B
  4. E becomes S
  5. add E
  6. R becomes K
  7. add R
  8. add C

Words in this ladder

ORE noun
a mineral that contains metal that is valuable enough to be mined
ARE noun
a unit of surface area equal to 100 square meters
BARE verb
lay bare
BARS noun
gymnastic apparatus consisting of two parallel wooden rods supported on uprights
BARES verb
lay bare
BAKES verb
cook and make edible by putting in a hot oven
BAKERS noun
someone who bakes commercially
BACKERS noun
invests in a theatrical production

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