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Waffle #21 (October 18, 2026): answer and a 10-swap solution

The waffle from Sunday, October 18, 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 #21 was the grid of Sunday, October 18, 2026: six five-letter words, three across and three down, sharing nine crossing cells. At the start 5 letters of 21 were already green (in place), 6 were yellow (right word, wrong spot) and 10 grey. The 16 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 #21 in numbers

Letters in place at the start5 of 21
Yellow at the start6
Grey at the start10
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)2 of 5 letters in place at the start
Across 3 (bottom row)1 of 5 letters in place at the start
Down 1 (left column)1 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)2 of 5 letters in place at the start

Waffle #21 starting board

A 10-swap solution for Waffle #21

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 T at row 1, column 3 with E at row 1, column 1. T lands in its place and so does E.

  2. Swap E at row 1, column 4 with A at row 1, column 2. E lands in its place.

  3. Swap R at row 3, column 5 with E at row 1, column 2. R lands in its place and so does E; that completes TREAT.

  4. Swap L at row 5, column 1 with R at row 2, column 3. L lands in its place.

  5. Swap E at row 3, column 4 with L at row 2, column 3. E lands in its place.

  6. Swap X at row 4, column 1 with E at row 2, column 3. X lands in its place and so does E.

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

  8. Swap H at row 5, column 2 with O at row 2, column 5. H lands in its place and so does O.

  9. Swap U at row 4, column 5 with I at row 3, column 1. U lands in its place and so does I; that completes UTILE, TRUER and THEIR.

  10. Swap T at row 5, column 4 with O at row 5, column 3. T lands in its place and so does O; that completes ROTOR and EXIST.

Waffle #21 answer: the six words

Across: TREAT, UTILE, ROTOR. Down: TRUER, EXIST, THEIR.

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