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Waffle Daily

Daily Waffle #44 answers and hints

Need a nudge on the Monday, April 13, 2026 grid? Start with one clue. Nothing else shows until you tap it.

The starting grid for #44

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

Want one more try first? Play #44.

Hints for each word in #44

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 act of passing something along from one person or group to another

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with R and ends with Y.

    Show the word

    RELAY

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: a swampy arm or slow-moving outlet of a lake (term used mainly in Mississippi and Louisiana)

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with B and ends with U.

    Show the word

    BAYOU

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    verb: walk as if unable to control one's movements

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with L and ends with H.

    Show the word

    LURCH

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: `Johnny' was applied as a nickname for Confederate soldiers by the Federal soldiers in the American Civil War

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with R and ends with L.

    Show the word

    REBEL

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: single thickness of usually some homogeneous substance

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with L and ends with R.

    Show the word

    LAYER

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: a young person (especially a young man or boy)

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with Y and ends with H.

    Show the word

    YOUTH

What is the answer to Waffle #44?

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: RELAY, BAYOU, LURCH

Down: REBEL, LAYER, YOUTH

How do you solve #44 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
  1. Swap row 1, column 2 with row 5, column 5. This puts E and H in place.
  2. Swap row 2, column 1 with row 5, column 4. This puts E and C in place.
  3. Swap row 1, column 1 with row 1, column 3. This puts R in place.
  4. Swap row 1, column 3 with row 4, column 1. This puts L and E in place.
  5. Swap row 1, column 5 with row 4, column 5. This puts Y in place.
  6. Swap row 3, column 2 with row 5, column 1. This puts L in place.
  7. Swap row 3, column 2 with row 4, column 5. This puts T in place.
  8. Swap row 3, column 2 with row 5, column 2. This puts A and U in place.
  9. Swap row 3, column 3 with row 4, column 3. This puts Y in place.
  10. Swap row 4, column 3 with row 5, column 3. This puts E and R in place.

What do the words in #44 mean?

RELAY
noun: the act of passing something along from one person or group to another
BAYOU
noun: a swampy arm or slow-moving outlet of a lake (term used mainly in Mississippi and Louisiana)
LURCH
verb: walk as if unable to control one's movements
REBEL
noun: `Johnny' was applied as a nickname for Confederate soldiers by the Federal soldiers in the American Civil War
LAYER
noun: single thickness of usually some homogeneous substance
YOUTH
noun: a young person (especially a young man or boy)

Word meanings come from WordNet 3.1, a free English dictionary from Princeton University. Puzzle published Monday, April 13, 2026.