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Waffle Daily

Daily Waffle #143 answers and hints

Need a nudge on the Tuesday, July 21, 2026 grid? Start with one clue. Nothing else shows until you tap it.

The starting grid for #143

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

Want one more try first? Play #143.

Hints for each word in #143

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 gesture involving the shoulders

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with S and ends with G.

    Show the word

    SHRUG

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: fear resulting from the awareness of danger

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with A and ends with M.

    Show the word

    ALARM

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: small flat mass of chopped food

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with P and ends with Y.

    Show the word

    PATTY

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    verb: walk heavily

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with S and ends with P.

    Show the word

    STAMP

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    verb: cook with dry heat, usually in an oven

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with R and ends with T.

    Show the word

    ROAST

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    adjective: having the sticky properties of an adhesive

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with G and ends with Y.

    Show the word

    GUMMY

What is the answer to Waffle #143?

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: SHRUG, ALARM, PATTY

Down: STAMP, ROAST, GUMMY

How do you solve #143 in 10 swaps?

Make the swaps that fix two tiles at once first. This grid has 6 of them. The list below is one shortest route from the start to the answer.

Show every swap
  1. Swap row 1, column 3 with row 5, column 5. This puts R and Y in place.
  2. Swap row 2, column 1 with row 3, column 4. This puts T and R in place.
  3. Swap row 3, column 3 with row 4, column 3. This puts A and S in place.
  4. Swap row 1, column 1 with row 2, column 3. This puts O in place.
  5. Swap row 1, column 1 with row 5, column 1. This puts S in place.
  6. Swap row 5, column 1 with row 5, column 2. This puts P and A in place.
  7. Swap row 1, column 4 with row 3, column 1. This puts A in place.
  8. Swap row 1, column 4 with row 4, column 1. This puts U and M in place.
  9. Swap row 1, column 5 with row 3, column 2. This puts G in place.
  10. Swap row 3, column 2 with row 5, column 4. This puts L and T in place.

What do the words in #143 mean?

SHRUG
noun: a gesture involving the shoulders
ALARM
noun: fear resulting from the awareness of danger
PATTY
noun: small flat mass of chopped food
STAMP
verb: walk heavily
ROAST
verb: cook with dry heat, usually in an oven
GUMMY
adjective: having the sticky properties of an adhesive

Word meanings come from WordNet 3.1, a free English dictionary from Princeton University. Puzzle published Tuesday, July 21, 2026.