Archive · Waffle #31

Waffle #31 (October 28, 2026): answer and a 10-swap solution

The waffle from Wednesday, October 28, 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 #31 was the grid of Wednesday, October 28, 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 #31 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)1 of 5 letters in place at the start
Across 2 (middle row)4 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)2 of 5 letters in place at the start

Waffle #31 starting board

A 10-swap solution for Waffle #31

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

  2. Swap A at row 5, column 5 with E at row 1, column 2. A lands in its place and so does E.

  3. Swap U at row 1, column 5 with R at row 1, column 3. U lands in its place.

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

  5. Swap A at row 4, column 3 with T at row 1, column 3. A lands in its place.

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

  7. Swap U at row 5, column 2 with H at row 1, column 4. U lands in its place.

  8. Swap O at row 4, column 1 with U at row 1, column 4. O lands in its place and so does U; that completes MAJOR.

  9. Swap P at row 4, column 5 with M at row 3, column 1. P lands in its place; that completes RHYME.

  10. Swap C at row 5, column 4 with P at row 3, column 1. C lands in its place and so does P; that completes CANDY, SHAPE and MUCUS.

Waffle #31 answer: the six words

Across: MAJOR, CANDY, SHAPE. Down: MUCUS, JUNTA, RHYME.

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