Deluxe Waffle #24 answers and hints
Need a nudge on the Tuesday, March 24, 2026 grid? Start with one clue. Nothing else shows until you tap it.
The starting grid for #24
8 words hide in this 7×7 grid. You get 25 swaps, and the best solve takes 20.
Want one more try first? Play #24.
Hints for each word in #24
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
noun: a vine or climbing plant that readily grows up a support or over other plants
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with C and ends with R.
Show the word
CLIMBER
Word 2: the second row (row 3)
Hint 1: the clue
verb: come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with A and ends with E.
Show the word
ACQUIRE
Word 3: the third row (row 5)
Hint 1: the clue
noun: a supporting tower used to support a bridge
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with T and ends with E.
Show the word
TRESTLE
Word 4: the fourth row (row 7)
Hint 1: the clue
noun: (military) withdrawal of troops to a more favorable position to escape the enemy's superior forces or after a defeat
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with R and ends with T.
Show the word
RETREAT
Word 5: the first column (column 1)
Hint 1: the clue
noun: a document incorporating an institution and specifying its rights
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with C and ends with R.
Show the word
CHARTER
Word 6: the second column (column 3)
Hint 1: the clue
noun: an inquiry into the cause of an unexpected death
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with I and ends with T.
Show the word
INQUEST
Word 7: the third column (column 5)
Hint 1: the clue
noun: a stiff fiber (coarse hair or filament)
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with B and ends with E.
Show the word
BRISTLE
Word 8: the fourth column (column 7)
Hint 1: the clue
verb: elect again
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with R and ends with T.
Show the word
REELECT
What is the answer to Deluxe #24?
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: CLIMBER, ACQUIRE, TRESTLE, RETREAT
Down: CHARTER, INQUEST, BRISTLE, REELECT
How do you solve #24 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 7 with row 3, column 5. This puts R and I in place.
- Swap row 2, column 1 with row 6, column 3. This puts H and S in place.
- Swap row 3, column 1 with row 4, column 7. This puts A and L in place.
- Swap row 3, column 3 with row 7, column 3. This puts Q and T in place.
- Swap row 4, column 1 with row 4, column 5. This puts R and S in place.
- Swap row 1, column 3 with row 1, column 5. This puts B in place.
- Swap row 1, column 3 with row 6, column 5. This puts I in place.
- Swap row 6, column 5 with row 7, column 4. This puts L and R in place.
- Swap row 1, column 4 with row 3, column 7. This puts M in place.
- Swap row 3, column 7 with row 5, column 5. This puts E and T in place.
- Swap row 2, column 7 with row 3, column 2. This puts E in place.
- Swap row 3, column 2 with row 5, column 6. This puts C and L in place.
- Swap row 3, column 4 with row 5, column 3. This puts U in place.
- Swap row 5, column 3 with row 7, column 7. This puts E and T in place.
- Swap row 3, column 6 with row 4, column 3. This puts R in place.
- Swap row 4, column 3 with row 7, column 5. This puts U in place.
- Swap row 5, column 4 with row 7, column 5. This puts E in place.
- Swap row 5, column 4 with row 7, column 6. This puts S and A in place.
- Swap row 6, column 7 with row 7, column 1. This puts C in place.
- Swap row 7, column 1 with row 7, column 2. This puts R and E in place.
What do the words in #24 mean?
- CLIMBER
- noun: a vine or climbing plant that readily grows up a support or over other plants
- ACQUIRE
- verb: come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
- TRESTLE
- noun: a supporting tower used to support a bridge
- RETREAT
- noun: (military) withdrawal of troops to a more favorable position to escape the enemy's superior forces or after a defeat
- CHARTER
- noun: a document incorporating an institution and specifying its rights
- INQUEST
- noun: an inquiry into the cause of an unexpected death
- BRISTLE
- noun: a stiff fiber (coarse hair or filament)
- REELECT
- verb: elect again
Word meanings come from WordNet 3.1, a free English dictionary from Princeton University. Puzzle published Tuesday, March 24, 2026.