Daily Waffle #71 answers and hints
Need a nudge on the Sunday, May 10, 2026 grid? Start with one clue. Nothing else shows until you tap it.
The starting grid for #71
6 words hide in this 5×5 grid. You get 15 swaps, and the best solve takes 10.
Want one more try first? Play #71.
Hints for each word in #71
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: set or keep apart
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with S and ends with R.
Show the word
SEVER
Word 2: the middle row (row 3)
Hint 1: the clue
noun: a bowling game played on a level lawn with biased wooden balls that are rolled at a jack
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with B and ends with S.
Show the word
BOWLS
Word 3: the bottom row (row 5)
Hint 1: the clue
verb: gather
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with R and ends with Y.
Show the word
RALLY
Word 4: the left column (column 1)
Hint 1: the clue
adjective: not affected by a chemical substance (especially alcohol)
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with S and ends with R.
Show the word
SOBER
Word 5: the middle column (column 3)
Hint 1: the clue
noun: a speech sound made with the vocal tract open
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with V and ends with L.
Show the word
VOWEL
Word 6: the right column (column 5)
Hint 1: the clue
adjective: involving risk or danger
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with R and ends with Y.
Show the word
RISKY
What is the answer to Waffle #71?
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: SEVER, BOWLS, RALLY
Down: SOBER, VOWEL, RISKY
How do you solve #71 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 1 with row 5, column 2. This puts S and A in place.
- Swap row 1, column 2 with row 2, column 1. This puts E and O in place.
- Swap row 1, column 5 with row 4, column 3. This puts R and E in place.
- Swap row 3, column 5 with row 5, column 3. This puts S and L in place.
- Swap row 1, column 3 with row 1, column 4. This puts E in place.
- Swap row 1, column 3 with row 3, column 2. This puts V and O in place.
- Swap row 2, column 3 with row 4, column 1. This puts O in place.
- Swap row 4, column 1 with row 5, column 5. This puts E and Y in place.
- Swap row 3, column 1 with row 3, column 3. This puts W in place.
- Swap row 3, column 1 with row 5, column 1. This puts B and R in place.
What do the words in #71 mean?
- SEVER
- verb: set or keep apart
- BOWLS
- noun: a bowling game played on a level lawn with biased wooden balls that are rolled at a jack
- RALLY
- verb: gather
- SOBER
- adjective: not affected by a chemical substance (especially alcohol)
- VOWEL
- noun: a speech sound made with the vocal tract open
- RISKY
- adjective: involving risk or danger
Word meanings come from WordNet 3.1, a free English dictionary from Princeton University. Puzzle published Sunday, May 10, 2026.