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Archive · Waffle #20

Waffle #20 (October 17, 2026): answer and a 10-swap solution

The waffle from Saturday, October 17, 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 #20 was the grid of Saturday, October 17, 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), 6 were yellow (right word, wrong spot) and 8 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 #20 in numbers

Letters in place at the start7 of 21
Yellow at the start6
Grey at the start8
Minimum swaps10
Swaps allowed15 (5 stars at 10 or fewer)
Across 1 (top row)4 of 5 letters in place at the start
Across 2 (middle row)2 of 5 letters in place at the start
Across 3 (bottom row)0 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)1 of 5 letters in place at the start
Down 3 (right column)1 of 5 letters in place at the start

Waffle #20 starting board

A 10-swap solution for Waffle #20

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 M at row 2, column 1 with E at row 1, column 5. M lands in its place.

  2. Swap T at row 4, column 5 with M at row 1, column 5. T lands in its place and so does M; that completes DIGIT.

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

  4. Swap U at row 5, column 4 with P at row 2, column 3. U lands in its place and so does P.

  5. Swap Y at row 5, column 2 with L at row 3, column 2. Y lands in its place.

  6. Swap E at row 3, column 5 with Y at row 3, column 2. E lands in its place.

  7. Swap O at row 5, column 1 with E at row 3, column 2. O lands in its place.

  8. Swap U at row 5, column 3 with O at row 3, column 2. U lands in its place and so does O; that completes LUMPY.

  9. Swap B at row 5, column 5 with E at row 4, column 1. B lands in its place; that completes ELOPE and THYME.

  10. Swap V at row 4, column 3 with B at row 4, column 1. V lands in its place and so does B; that completes DELVE and GUMBO.

Waffle #20 answer: the six words

Across: DIGIT, LUMPY, ELOPE. Down: DELVE, GUMBO, THYME.

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