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Waffle Daily

Daily Waffle #81 answers and hints

Need a nudge on the Wednesday, May 20, 2026 grid? Start with one clue. Nothing else shows until you tap it.

The starting grid for #81

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

Want one more try first? Play #81.

Hints for each word in #81

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

    adjective: below the required standards for a purpose

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with U and ends with T.

    Show the word

    UNFIT

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: a communist nation that covers a vast territory in eastern Asia

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with C and ends with A.

    Show the word

    CHINA

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: any of numerous perennial bulbous herbs having linear or broadly lanceolate leaves and usually a single showy flower

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with T and ends with P.

    Show the word

    TULIP

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    adjective: not trimmed

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with U and ends with T.

    Show the word

    UNCUT

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: (paleontology) a bony plate that curves upward behind the skull of many ceratopsian dinosaurs

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with F and ends with L.

    Show the word

    FRILL

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: a vagrant

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with T and ends with P.

    Show the word

    TRAMP

What is the answer to Waffle #81?

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: UNFIT, CHINA, TULIP

Down: UNCUT, FRILL, TRAMP

How do you solve #81 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 1, column 1 with row 3, column 5. This puts U and A in place.
  2. Swap row 1, column 2 with row 4, column 3. This puts N and L in place.
  3. Swap row 3, column 3 with row 3, column 4. This puts I and N in place.
  4. Swap row 1, column 3 with row 4, column 1. This puts U in place.
  5. Swap row 1, column 3 with row 1, column 4. This puts I in place.
  6. Swap row 1, column 3 with row 5, column 3. This puts F and L in place.
  7. Swap row 2, column 1 with row 3, column 2. This puts H in place.
  8. Swap row 2, column 1 with row 5, column 4. This puts N and I in place.
  9. Swap row 2, column 5 with row 3, column 1. This puts R in place.
  10. Swap row 3, column 1 with row 4, column 5. This puts C and M in place.

What do the words in #81 mean?

UNFIT
adjective: below the required standards for a purpose
CHINA
noun: a communist nation that covers a vast territory in eastern Asia
TULIP
noun: any of numerous perennial bulbous herbs having linear or broadly lanceolate leaves and usually a single showy flower
UNCUT
adjective: not trimmed
FRILL
noun: (paleontology) a bony plate that curves upward behind the skull of many ceratopsian dinosaurs
TRAMP
noun: a vagrant

Word meanings come from WordNet 3.1, a free English dictionary from Princeton University. Puzzle published Wednesday, May 20, 2026.