Deluxe Waffle #196 answers and hints
Need a nudge on the Saturday, September 12, 2026 grid? Start with one clue. Nothing else shows until you tap it.
The starting grid for #196
8 words hide in this 7×7 grid. You get 25 swaps, and the best solve takes 20.
Want one more try first? Play #196.
Hints for each word in #196
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.
Word 1: the first row (row 1)
Hint 1: the clue
adjective: fitted or decorated with panels or wainscoting
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with P and ends with D.
Show the word
PANELED
Word 2: the second row (row 3)
Hint 1: the clue
noun: a request to be present
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with S and ends with S.
Show the word
SUMMONS
Word 3: the third row (row 5)
Hint 1: the clue
noun: a happening that is distinctive in a series of related events
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with E and ends with E.
Show the word
EPISODE
Word 4: the fourth row (row 7)
Hint 1: the clue
adjective: able to see
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with S and ends with D.
Show the word
SIGHTED
Word 5: the first column (column 1)
Hint 1: the clue
verb: have as an attribute, knowledge, or skill
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with P and ends with S.
Show the word
POSSESS
Word 6: the second column (column 3)
Hint 1: the clue
adjective: causing numbness or insensitivity
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with N and ends with G.
Show the word
NUMBING
Word 7: the third column (column 5)
Hint 1: the clue
noun: a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with L and ends with T.
Show the word
LOOKOUT
Word 8: the fourth column (column 7)
Hint 1: the clue
verb: move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with D and ends with D.
Show the word
DESCEND
What is the answer to Deluxe #196?
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: PANELED, SUMMONS, EPISODE, SIGHTED
Down: POSSESS, NUMBING, LOOKOUT, DESCEND
How do you solve #196 in 20 swaps?
Make the swaps that fix two tiles at once first. This grid has 11 of them. The list below is one shortest route from the start to the answer.
Show every swap
- Swap row 1, column 2 with row 5, column 7. This puts A and E in place.
- Swap row 1, column 3 with row 7, column 2. This puts N and I in place.
- Swap row 1, column 6 with row 3, column 1. This puts E and S in place.
- Swap row 2, column 3 with row 5, column 6. This puts U and D in place.
- Swap row 4, column 3 with row 5, column 3. This puts B and I in place.
- Swap row 1, column 1 with row 1, column 4. This puts E in place.
- Swap row 1, column 1 with row 7, column 5. This puts P and T in place.
- Swap row 1, column 7 with row 4, column 5. This puts D in place.
- Swap row 4, column 5 with row 7, column 3. This puts K and G in place.
- Swap row 2, column 1 with row 2, column 7. This puts E in place.
- Swap row 2, column 1 with row 3, column 2. This puts U in place.
- Swap row 2, column 1 with row 3, column 4. This puts O in place.
- Swap row 2, column 5 with row 3, column 7. This puts S in place.
- Swap row 2, column 5 with row 7, column 4. This puts O and H in place.
- Swap row 3, column 4 with row 4, column 7. This puts C in place.
- Swap row 3, column 4 with row 7, column 1. This puts M and S in place.
- Swap row 3, column 5 with row 6, column 1. This puts S in place.
- Swap row 3, column 5 with row 7, column 7. This puts O and D in place.
- Swap row 4, column 1 with row 6, column 5. This puts S in place.
- Swap row 6, column 5 with row 7, column 6. This puts U and E in place.
What do the words in #196 mean?
- PANELED
- adjective: fitted or decorated with panels or wainscoting
- SUMMONS
- noun: a request to be present
- EPISODE
- noun: a happening that is distinctive in a series of related events
- SIGHTED
- adjective: able to see
- POSSESS
- verb: have as an attribute, knowledge, or skill
- NUMBING
- adjective: causing numbness or insensitivity
- LOOKOUT
- noun: a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
- DESCEND
- verb: move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way
Word meanings come from WordNet 3.1, a free English dictionary from Princeton University. Puzzle published Saturday, September 12, 2026.