Daily Waffle #161 answers and hints
Need a nudge on the Saturday, August 8, 2026 grid? Start with one clue. Nothing else shows until you tap it.
The starting grid for #161
6 words hide in this 5×5 grid. You get 15 swaps, and the best solve takes 10.
Want one more try first? Play #161.
Hints for each word in #161
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
verb: do something that one considers to be below one's dignity
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with D and ends with N.
Show the word
DEIGN
Word 2: the middle row (row 3)
Hint 1: the clue
noun: a package of several things tied together for carrying or storing
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with S and ends with F.
Show the word
SHEAF
Word 3: the bottom row (row 5)
Hint 1: the clue
verb: behave carelessly or indifferently
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with D and ends with Y.
Show the word
DALLY
Word 4: the left column (column 1)
Hint 1: the clue
adjective: treated with some kind of application
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with D and ends with D.
Show the word
DOSED
Word 5: the middle column (column 3)
Hint 1: the clue
noun: the idea of something that is perfect
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with I and ends with L.
Show the word
IDEAL
Word 6: the right column (column 5)
Hint 1: the clue
adjective: very good
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with N and ends with Y.
Show the word
NIFTY
What is the answer to Waffle #161?
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: DEIGN, SHEAF, DALLY
Down: DOSED, IDEAL, NIFTY
How do you solve #161 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 3, column 4. This puts G in place.
- Swap row 1, column 5 with row 2, column 1. This puts O in place.
- Swap row 1, column 5 with row 4, column 3. This puts N and A in place.
- Swap row 2, column 3 with row 3, column 4. This puts A in place.
- Swap row 2, column 3 with row 4, column 5. This puts D and T in place.
- Swap row 2, column 5 with row 3, column 3. This puts I in place.
- Swap row 3, column 3 with row 5, column 4. This puts E and L in place.
- Swap row 3, column 1 with row 3, column 2. This puts H in place.
- Swap row 3, column 1 with row 5, column 2. This puts S in place.
- Swap row 5, column 2 with row 5, column 5. This puts A and Y in place.
What do the words in #161 mean?
- DEIGN
- verb: do something that one considers to be below one's dignity
- SHEAF
- noun: a package of several things tied together for carrying or storing
- DALLY
- verb: behave carelessly or indifferently
- DOSED
- adjective: treated with some kind of application
- IDEAL
- noun: the idea of something that is perfect
- NIFTY
- adjective: very good
Word meanings come from WordNet 3.1, a free English dictionary from Princeton University. Puzzle published Saturday, August 8, 2026.