Daily Waffle #40 answers and hints
Need a nudge on the Thursday, April 9, 2026 grid? Start with one clue. Nothing else shows until you tap it.
The starting grid for #40
6 words hide in this 5×5 grid. You get 15 swaps, and the best solve takes 10.
Want one more try first? Play #40.
Hints for each word in #40
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: devote (oneself) fully to
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with S and ends with P.
Show the word
STEEP
Word 2: the middle row (row 3)
Hint 1: the clue
noun: a fully differentiated structural and functional unit in an animal that is specialized for some particular function
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with O and ends with N.
Show the word
ORGAN
Word 3: the bottom row (row 5)
Hint 1: the clue
noun: the property of sound that varies with variation in the frequency of vibration
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with P and ends with H.
Show the word
PITCH
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
STOMP
Word 5: the middle column (column 3)
Hint 1: the clue
adjective: being one more than seven
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with E and ends with T.
Show the word
EIGHT
Word 6: the right column (column 5)
Hint 1: the clue
verb: squeeze tightly between the fingers
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with P and ends with H.
Show the word
PINCH
What is the answer to Waffle #40?
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: STEEP, ORGAN, PITCH
Down: STOMP, EIGHT, PINCH
How do you solve #40 in 10 swaps?
Make the swaps that fix two tiles at once first. This grid has 7 of them. The list below is one shortest route from the start to the answer.
Show every swap
- Swap row 1, column 3 with row 3, column 1. This puts E and O in place.
- Swap row 1, column 5 with row 4, column 1. This puts P and M in place.
- Swap row 2, column 1 with row 2, column 3. This puts T and I in place.
- Swap row 4, column 3 with row 5, column 4. This puts H and C in place.
- Swap row 5, column 2 with row 5, column 5. This puts I and H in place.
- Swap row 1, column 1 with row 4, column 5. This puts S in place.
- Swap row 1, column 4 with row 3, column 2. This puts E in place.
- Swap row 3, column 2 with row 3, column 5. This puts R and N in place.
- Swap row 2, column 5 with row 4, column 5. This puts C in place.
- Swap row 2, column 5 with row 5, column 3. This puts I and T in place.
What do the words in #40 mean?
- STEEP
- verb: devote (oneself) fully to
- ORGAN
- noun: a fully differentiated structural and functional unit in an animal that is specialized for some particular function
- PITCH
- noun: the property of sound that varies with variation in the frequency of vibration
- STOMP
- verb: walk heavily
- EIGHT
- adjective: being one more than seven
- PINCH
- verb: squeeze tightly between the fingers
Word meanings come from WordNet 3.1, a free English dictionary from Princeton University. Puzzle published Thursday, April 9, 2026.