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Waffle Daily

Deluxe Waffle #164 answers and hints

Need a nudge on the Tuesday, August 11, 2026 grid? Start with one clue. Nothing else shows until you tap it.

The starting grid for #164

8 words hide in this 7×7 grid. You get 25 swaps, and the best solve takes 20.

Want one more try first? Play #164.

Hints for each word in #164

Tap one hint at a time. The clue comes first. Then you get the first and last letters. The word shows only when you tap the last button.

  1. Word 1: the first row (row 1)

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: (military) military action or resources protecting a country against potential enemies

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with D and ends with E.

    Show the word

    DEFENSE

  2. Word 2: the second row (row 3)

    Hint 1: the clue

    adjective: being actually such in almost every respect

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with V and ends with L.

    Show the word

    VIRTUAL

  3. Word 3: the third row (row 5)

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: support consisting of metal loops into which rider's feet go

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with S and ends with P.

    Show the word

    STIRRUP

  4. Word 4: the fourth row (row 7)

    Hint 1: the clue

    verb: bring to an end

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with R and ends with E.

    Show the word

    RESOLVE

  5. Word 5: the first column (column 1)

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: one of two or more integers that can be exactly divided into another integer

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with D and ends with R.

    Show the word

    DIVISOR

  6. Word 6: the second column (column 3)

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: the time of life between 40 and 50

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with F and ends with S.

    Show the word

    FORTIES

  7. Word 7: the third column (column 5)

    Hint 1: the clue

    adjective: having no personal preference

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with N and ends with L.

    Show the word

    NEUTRAL

  8. Word 8: the fourth column (column 7)

    Hint 1: the clue

    verb: be greater in significance than

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with E and ends with E.

    Show the word

    ECLIPSE

What is the answer to Deluxe #164?

The answer is 8 words that fit together in one grid. Tap below to see all of them. This puzzle has only one answer, so if your words differ, a letter is still in the wrong place.

Show the full answer grid

Across: DEFENSE, VIRTUAL, STIRRUP, RESOLVE

Down: DIVISOR, FORTIES, NEUTRAL, ECLIPSE

How do you solve #164 in 20 swaps?

Make the swaps that fix two tiles at once first. This grid has 10 of them. The list below is one shortest route from the start to the answer.

Show every swap
  1. Swap row 1, column 3 with row 2, column 5. This puts F and E in place.
  2. Swap row 1, column 6 with row 3, column 4. This puts S and T in place.
  3. Swap row 2, column 1 with row 6, column 5. This puts I and A in place.
  4. Swap row 5, column 4 with row 6, column 3. This puts R and E in place.
  5. Swap row 7, column 4 with row 7, column 7. This puts O and E in place.
  6. Swap row 1, column 1 with row 1, column 2. This puts E in place.
  7. Swap row 1, column 1 with row 4, column 1. This puts I in place.
  8. Swap row 1, column 1 with row 6, column 1. This puts D and O in place.
  9. Swap row 1, column 4 with row 5, column 1. This puts S in place.
  10. Swap row 1, column 4 with row 4, column 7. This puts I in place.
  11. Swap row 1, column 4 with row 5, column 6. This puts E and U in place.
  12. Swap row 1, column 5 with row 2, column 3. This puts N in place.
  13. Swap row 2, column 3 with row 4, column 5. This puts O in place.
  14. Swap row 4, column 5 with row 6, column 7. This puts T and S in place.
  15. Swap row 2, column 7 with row 3, column 6. This puts A in place.
  16. Swap row 2, column 7 with row 3, column 3. This puts R in place.
  17. Swap row 2, column 7 with row 3, column 7. This puts C and L in place.
  18. Swap row 5, column 5 with row 5, column 7. This puts R in place.
  19. Swap row 5, column 7 with row 7, column 2. This puts E in place.
  20. Swap row 5, column 7 with row 7, column 3. This puts P and S in place.

What do the words in #164 mean?

DEFENSE
noun: (military) military action or resources protecting a country against potential enemies
VIRTUAL
adjective: being actually such in almost every respect
STIRRUP
noun: support consisting of metal loops into which rider's feet go
RESOLVE
verb: bring to an end
DIVISOR
noun: one of two or more integers that can be exactly divided into another integer
FORTIES
noun: the time of life between 40 and 50
NEUTRAL
adjective: having no personal preference
ECLIPSE
verb: be greater in significance than

Word meanings come from WordNet 3.1, a free English dictionary from Princeton University. Puzzle published Tuesday, August 11, 2026.