Daily Waffle #157 answers and hints
Need a nudge on the Tuesday, August 4, 2026 grid? Start with one clue. Nothing else shows until you tap it.
The starting grid for #157
6 words hide in this 5×5 grid. You get 15 swaps, and the best solve takes 10.
Want one more try first? Play #157.
Hints for each word in #157
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 top row (row 1)
Hint 1: the clue
noun: cloth covering that forms the part of a garment below the waist
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with S and ends with T.
Show the word
SKIRT
Word 2: the middle row (row 3)
Hint 1: the clue
adjective: the topmost one of two
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with U and ends with R.
Show the word
UPPER
Word 3: the bottom row (row 5)
Hint 1: the clue
verb: turn up, loosen, or remove earth
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with D and ends with E.
Show the word
DELVE
Word 4: the left column (column 1)
Hint 1: the clue
noun: a smallest army unit
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with S and ends with D.
Show the word
SQUAD
Word 5: the middle column (column 3)
Hint 1: the clue
verb: urge or force (a person) to an action
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with I and ends with L.
Show the word
IMPEL
Word 6: the right column (column 5)
Hint 1: the clue
noun: the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with T and ends with E.
Show the word
THREE
What is the answer to Waffle #157?
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: SKIRT, UPPER, DELVE
Down: SQUAD, IMPEL, THREE
How do you solve #157 in 10 swaps?
Make the swaps that fix two tiles at once first. This grid has 4 of them. The list below is one shortest route from the start to the answer.
Show every swap
- Swap row 1, column 4 with row 2, column 1. This puts R and Q in place.
- Swap row 1, column 2 with row 2, column 5. This puts H in place.
- Swap row 1, column 2 with row 2, column 3. This puts M in place.
- Swap row 1, column 2 with row 5, column 5. This puts K and E in place.
- Swap row 1, column 3 with row 1, column 5. This puts T in place.
- Swap row 1, column 3 with row 3, column 5. This puts R in place.
- Swap row 1, column 3 with row 5, column 2. This puts I in place.
- Swap row 5, column 2 with row 5, column 4. This puts E and V in place.
- Swap row 3, column 1 with row 4, column 1. This puts A in place.
- Swap row 3, column 1 with row 4, column 5. This puts U and E in place.
What do the words in #157 mean?
- SKIRT
- noun: cloth covering that forms the part of a garment below the waist
- UPPER
- adjective: the topmost one of two
- DELVE
- verb: turn up, loosen, or remove earth
- SQUAD
- noun: a smallest army unit
- IMPEL
- verb: urge or force (a person) to an action
- THREE
- noun: the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
Word meanings come from WordNet 3.1, a free English dictionary from Princeton University. Puzzle published Tuesday, August 4, 2026.