Skip to content
Waffle Daily

Deluxe Waffle #9 answers and hints

Need a nudge on the Monday, March 9, 2026 grid? Start with one clue. Nothing else shows until you tap it.

The starting grid for #9

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

Want one more try first? Play #9.

Hints for each word in #9

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: a unit of heat equal to the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water by one degree at one atmosphere pressure

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with C and ends with E.

    Show the word

    CALORIE

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: an ardent early supporter of a cause or reform

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with A and ends with E.

    Show the word

    APOSTLE

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: someone who is being trained

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with T and ends with E.

    Show the word

    TRAINEE

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    adjective: radiating or as if radiating light

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with R and ends with T.

    Show the word

    RADIANT

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: a resident of a coastal area

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with C and ends with R.

    Show the word

    COASTER

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: a tight-fitting garment of stretchy material that covers the body from the shoulders to the thighs (and may have long sleeves or legs reaching down to the ankles)

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with L and ends with D.

    Show the word

    LEOTARD

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: a building having a circular plan and a dome

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with R and ends with A.

    Show the word

    ROTUNDA

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: an abstract part of something

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with E and ends with T.

    Show the word

    ELEMENT

What is the answer to Deluxe #9?

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: CALORIE, APOSTLE, TRAINEE, RADIANT

Down: COASTER, LEOTARD, ROTUNDA, ELEMENT

How do you solve #9 in 20 swaps?

Make the swaps that fix two tiles at once first. This grid has 12 of them. The list below is one shortest route from the start to the answer.

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

What do the words in #9 mean?

CALORIE
noun: a unit of heat equal to the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water by one degree at one atmosphere pressure
APOSTLE
noun: an ardent early supporter of a cause or reform
TRAINEE
noun: someone who is being trained
RADIANT
adjective: radiating or as if radiating light
COASTER
noun: a resident of a coastal area
LEOTARD
noun: a tight-fitting garment of stretchy material that covers the body from the shoulders to the thighs (and may have long sleeves or legs reaching down to the ankles)
ROTUNDA
noun: a building having a circular plan and a dome
ELEMENT
noun: an abstract part of something

Word meanings come from WordNet 3.1, a free English dictionary from Princeton University. Puzzle published Monday, March 9, 2026.