Archive · Waffle #38

Waffle #38 (November 4, 2026): answer and a 10-swap solution

The waffle from Wednesday, November 4, 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 #38 was the grid of Wednesday, November 4, 2026: six five-letter words, three across and three down, sharing nine crossing cells. At the start 6 letters of 21 were already green (in place), 5 were yellow (right word, wrong spot) and 10 grey. The 15 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 #38 in numbers

Letters in place at the start6 of 21
Yellow at the start5
Grey at the start10
Minimum swaps10
Swaps allowed15 (5 stars at 10 or fewer)
Across 1 (top row)2 of 5 letters in place at the start
Across 2 (middle row)1 of 5 letters in place at the start
Across 3 (bottom row)2 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)0 of 5 letters in place at the start

Waffle #38 starting board

A 10-swap solution for Waffle #38

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

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

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

  4. Swap N at row 3, column 4 with R at row 1, column 3. N lands in its place.

  5. Swap O at row 3, column 2 with N at row 1, column 3. O lands in its place and so does N.

  6. Swap I at row 2, column 5 with P at row 1, column 5. I lands in its place.

  7. Swap E at row 3, column 1 with I at row 1, column 5. E lands in its place and so does I; that completes CLOVE.

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

  9. Swap A at row 4, column 3 with E at row 4, column 1. A lands in its place; that completes OUTER.

  10. Swap M at row 5, column 2 with A at row 4, column 1. M lands in its place and so does A; that completes PARRY and CRIMP.

Waffle #38 answer: the six words

Across: CLOVE, INTRO, PARRY. Down: CRIMP, OUTER, EPOXY.

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