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Archive · Waffle #18

Waffle #18 (October 15, 2026): answer and a 10-swap solution

The waffle from Thursday, October 15, 2026. Play it first; the swaps and the six words are folded below. Replays don't affect your streak.

15swaps left ★★★★★ —

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Waffle #18 was the grid of Thursday, October 15, 2026: six five-letter words, three across and three down, sharing nine crossing cells. At the start 7 letters of 21 were already green (in place), 9 were yellow (right word, wrong spot) and 5 grey. The 14 misplaced letters can be sorted in 10 swaps at best, so with the 15 allowed you have 5 to spare, and every spare swap is a star. The line below reaches the answer in exactly 10; it is not the only one, since the same letter often appears twice, but no shorter line exists.

Waffle #18 in numbers

Letters in place at the start7 of 21
Yellow at the start9
Grey at the start5
Minimum swaps10
Swaps allowed15 (5 stars at 10 or fewer)
Across 1 (top row)1 of 5 letters in place at the start
Across 2 (middle row)0 of 5 letters in place at the start
Across 3 (bottom row)3 of 5 letters in place at the start
Down 1 (left column)2 of 5 letters in place at the start
Down 2 (middle column)2 of 5 letters in place at the start
Down 3 (right column)2 of 5 letters in place at the start

Waffle #18 starting board

A 10-swap solution for Waffle #18

One optimal line, computed from the best matching of misplaced letters to the cells that need them. Rows and columns are counted from the top-left corner.

  1. Swap U at row 3, column 3 with M at row 1, column 1. U lands in its place.

  2. Swap P at row 2, column 3 with U at row 1, column 1. P lands in its place.

  3. Swap A at row 1, column 2 with P at row 1, column 1. A lands in its place.

  4. Swap S at row 1, column 4 with A at row 1, column 1. S lands in its place and so does A.

  5. Swap A at row 3, column 1 with G at row 1, column 5. A lands in its place.

  6. Swap T at row 3, column 5 with A at row 1, column 5. T lands in its place and so does A; that completes SPLAT.

  7. Swap A at row 3, column 4 with M at row 2, column 5. A lands in its place.

  8. Swap R at row 3, column 2 with A at row 2, column 5. R lands in its place and so does A; that completes GAMMA and TRACE.

  9. Swap T at row 5, column 4 with M at row 4, column 3. T lands in its place.

  10. Swap P at row 5, column 1 with T at row 4, column 3. P lands in its place and so does T; that completes THYME, SIGHT and LUMPY.

Waffle #18 answer: the six words

Across: SPLAT, GAMMA, THYME. Down: SIGHT, LUMPY, TRACE.

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