Skip to content
Waffle Daily

Daily Waffle #142 answers and hints

Need a nudge on the Monday, July 20, 2026 grid? Start with one clue. Nothing else shows until you tap it.

The starting grid for #142

6 words hide in this 5×5 grid. You get 15 swaps, and the best solve takes 10.

Want one more try first? Play #142.

Hints for each word in #142

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 top row (row 1)

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: a seat for one person, with a support for the back

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with C and ends with R.

    Show the word

    CHAIR

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    adjective: completely unclothed

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with N and ends with D.

    Show the word

    NAKED

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    verb: crouch or curl up

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with C and ends with R.

    Show the word

    COWER

  4. Word 4: the left column (column 1)

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: someone who is critical of the motives of others

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with C and ends with C.

    Show the word

    CYNIC

  5. Word 5: the middle column (column 3)

    Hint 1: the clue

    adjective: turned or twisted toward one side

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with A and ends with W.

    Show the word

    ASKEW

  6. Word 6: the right column (column 5)

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: a traveler who actively rides an animal (as a horse or camel)

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with R and ends with R.

    Show the word

    RIDER

What is the answer to Waffle #142?

The answer is 6 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: CHAIR, NAKED, COWER

Down: CYNIC, ASKEW, RIDER

How do you solve #142 in 10 swaps?

Make the swaps that fix two tiles at once first. This grid has 5 of them. The list below is one shortest route from the start to the answer.

Show every swap
  1. Swap row 1, column 1 with row 2, column 3. This puts C and S in place.
  2. Swap row 1, column 2 with row 3, column 1. This puts H in place.
  3. Swap row 3, column 1 with row 5, column 3. This puts N and W in place.
  4. Swap row 1, column 3 with row 3, column 5. This puts D in place.
  5. Swap row 1, column 3 with row 1, column 5. This puts R in place.
  6. Swap row 1, column 3 with row 4, column 3. This puts A and E in place.
  7. Swap row 2, column 1 with row 4, column 1. This puts I in place.
  8. Swap row 2, column 1 with row 5, column 4. This puts Y and E in place.
  9. Swap row 4, column 5 with row 5, column 2. This puts O in place.
  10. Swap row 4, column 5 with row 5, column 5. This puts E and R in place.

What do the words in #142 mean?

CHAIR
noun: a seat for one person, with a support for the back
NAKED
adjective: completely unclothed
COWER
verb: crouch or curl up
CYNIC
noun: someone who is critical of the motives of others
ASKEW
adjective: turned or twisted toward one side
RIDER
noun: a traveler who actively rides an animal (as a horse or camel)

Word meanings come from WordNet 3.1, a free English dictionary from Princeton University. Puzzle published Monday, July 20, 2026.