Daily Waffle #249 answers and hints

Need a nudge on grid #249? Start with one clue. Nothing else shows until you tap it.

IOSIEMNGLNLDSEIESHUGA

The starting grid for #249

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

Want one more try first? Play #249.

Hints for each word in #249

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: be bright by reflecting or casting light
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with S and ends with E.
Show the word
SHINE
Word 2: the middle row (row 3)
Hint 1: the clue
noun: a large number or amount
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with L and ends with S.
Show the word
LOADS
Word 3: the bottom row (row 5)
Hint 1: the clue
noun: the action of an armed force that surrounds a fortified place and isolates it while continuing to attack
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with S and ends with E.
Show the word
SIEGE
Word 4: the left column (column 1)
Hint 1: the clue
noun: United States operatic soprano (born in 1929)
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with S and ends with S.
Show the word
SILLS
Word 5: the middle column (column 3)
Hint 1: the clue
noun: an iconic mental representation
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with I and ends with E.
Show the word
IMAGE
Word 6: the right column (column 5)
Hint 1: the clue
verb: issue or terminate (in a specified way, state, etc.)
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with E and ends with E.
Show the word
ENSUE

What is the answer to Waffle #249?

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

SHINEIMNLOADSLGUSIEGE

Across: SHINE, LOADS, SIEGE

Down: SILLS, IMAGE, ENSUE

How do you solve #249 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

Swap row 1, column 1 with row 1, column 3. This puts S and I in place.
Swap row 4, column 5 with row 5, column 3. This puts U and E in place.
Swap row 1, column 2 with row 3, column 2. This puts O in place.
Swap row 1, column 2 with row 1, column 4. This puts N in place.
Swap row 1, column 2 with row 5, column 2. This puts H and I in place.
Swap row 2, column 1 with row 2, column 3. This puts M in place.
Swap row 2, column 1 with row 2, column 5. This puts N in place.
Swap row 2, column 1 with row 4, column 3. This puts I and G in place.
Swap row 3, column 3 with row 4, column 1. This puts L in place.
Swap row 3, column 3 with row 5, column 5. This puts A and E in place.

What do the words in #249 mean?

SHINE: verb: be bright by reflecting or casting light
LOADS: noun: a large number or amount
SIEGE: noun: the action of an armed force that surrounds a fortified place and isolates it while continuing to attack
SILLS: noun: United States operatic soprano (born in 1929)
IMAGE: noun: an iconic mental representation
ENSUE: verb: issue or terminate (in a specified way, state, etc.)

Word meanings come from WordNet 3.1, a free English dictionary from Princeton University.

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