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Waffle Daily

Deluxe Waffle #97 answers and hints

Need a nudge on the Friday, June 5, 2026 grid? Start with one clue. Nothing else shows until you tap it.

The starting grid for #97

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

Want one more try first? Play #97.

Hints for each word in #97

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

    verb: part

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with D and ends with E.

    Show the word

    DIVORCE

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    adjective: having a mental age of between eight and twelve years

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with M and ends with C.

    Show the word

    MORONIC

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: the act of shooting a gun

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with G and ends with T.

    Show the word

    GUNSHOT

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    adjective: marked with an asterisk

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with S and ends with D.

    Show the word

    STARRED

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: a sum of money paid in compensation for loss or injury

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with D and ends with S.

    Show the word

    DAMAGES

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: a porch along the outside of a building (sometimes partly enclosed)

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with V and ends with A.

    Show the word

    VERANDA

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: a person who owns or operates a ranch

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with R and ends with R.

    Show the word

    RANCHER

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    adjective: (of persons) excessively affected by emotion

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with E and ends with D.

    Show the word

    EXCITED

What is the answer to Deluxe #97?

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: DIVORCE, MORONIC, GUNSHOT, STARRED

Down: DAMAGES, VERANDA, RANCHER, EXCITED

How do you solve #97 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
  1. Swap row 1, column 4 with row 4, column 1. This puts O and A in place.
  2. Swap row 3, column 2 with row 7, column 1. This puts O and S in place.
  3. Swap row 3, column 3 with row 6, column 5. This puts R and E in place.
  4. Swap row 4, column 3 with row 5, column 1. This puts A and G in place.
  5. Swap row 5, column 3 with row 7, column 7. This puts N and D in place.
  6. Swap row 1, column 1 with row 6, column 7. This puts E in place.
  7. Swap row 1, column 1 with row 7, column 3. This puts A in place.
  8. Swap row 1, column 1 with row 5, column 4. This puts S in place.
  9. Swap row 1, column 1 with row 7, column 4. This puts D and R in place.
  10. Swap row 1, column 2 with row 1, column 7. This puts E in place.
  11. Swap row 1, column 2 with row 5, column 2. This puts I and U in place.
  12. Swap row 1, column 3 with row 3, column 5. This puts V in place.
  13. Swap row 1, column 5 with row 4, column 5. This puts R in place.
  14. Swap row 4, column 5 with row 5, column 5. This puts C and H in place.
  15. Swap row 3, column 4 with row 3, column 7. This puts C in place.
  16. Swap row 3, column 4 with row 7, column 6. This puts O and E in place.
  17. Swap row 3, column 5 with row 6, column 3. This puts D in place.
  18. Swap row 3, column 5 with row 7, column 2. This puts N and T in place.
  19. Swap row 4, column 7 with row 5, column 7. This puts I in place.
  20. Swap row 5, column 7 with row 7, column 5. This puts T and R in place.

What do the words in #97 mean?

DIVORCE
verb: part
MORONIC
adjective: having a mental age of between eight and twelve years
GUNSHOT
noun: the act of shooting a gun
STARRED
adjective: marked with an asterisk
DAMAGES
noun: a sum of money paid in compensation for loss or injury
VERANDA
noun: a porch along the outside of a building (sometimes partly enclosed)
RANCHER
noun: a person who owns or operates a ranch
EXCITED
adjective: (of persons) excessively affected by emotion

Word meanings come from WordNet 3.1, a free English dictionary from Princeton University. Puzzle published Friday, June 5, 2026.