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Waffle Daily

Daily Waffle #17 answers and hints

Need a nudge on the Tuesday, March 17, 2026 grid? Start with one clue. Nothing else shows until you tap it.

The starting grid for #17

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

Want one more try first? Play #17.

Hints for each word in #17

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: the immature free-living form of most invertebrates and amphibians and fish which at hatching from the egg is fundamentally unlike its parent and must metamorphose

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with L and ends with A.

    Show the word

    LARVA

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: social status or position conferred by a system based on class

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with C and ends with E.

    Show the word

    CASTE

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    adjective: bordered by a line of things

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with L and ends with D.

    Show the word

    LINED

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    adjective: relating to or applicable to or concerned with the administration of a city or town or district rather than a larger area

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with L and ends with L.

    Show the word

    LOCAL

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    adjective: (of e.g. celestial bodies) above the horizon

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with R and ends with N.

    Show the word

    RISEN

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    adverb: at or in the front

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with A and ends with D.

    Show the word

    AHEAD

What is the answer to Waffle #17?

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: LARVA, CASTE, LINED

Down: LOCAL, RISEN, AHEAD

How do you solve #17 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 3, column 2 with row 5, column 5. This puts A and D in place.
  2. Swap row 3, column 5 with row 5, column 1. This puts E and L in place.
  3. Swap row 4, column 3 with row 5, column 2. This puts E and I in place.
  4. Swap row 1, column 1 with row 1, column 2. This puts A in place.
  5. Swap row 1, column 1 with row 1, column 4. This puts L and V in place.
  6. Swap row 1, column 3 with row 1, column 5. This puts R in place.
  7. Swap row 1, column 5 with row 2, column 5. This puts A and H in place.
  8. Swap row 2, column 1 with row 3, column 3. This puts O in place.
  9. Swap row 3, column 3 with row 4, column 5. This puts S in place.
  10. Swap row 4, column 5 with row 5, column 4. This puts A and E in place.

What do the words in #17 mean?

LARVA
noun: the immature free-living form of most invertebrates and amphibians and fish which at hatching from the egg is fundamentally unlike its parent and must metamorphose
CASTE
noun: social status or position conferred by a system based on class
LINED
adjective: bordered by a line of things
LOCAL
adjective: relating to or applicable to or concerned with the administration of a city or town or district rather than a larger area
RISEN
adjective: (of e.g. celestial bodies) above the horizon
AHEAD
adverb: at or in the front

Word meanings come from WordNet 3.1, a free English dictionary from Princeton University. Puzzle published Tuesday, March 17, 2026.