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Waffle Daily

Daily Waffle #9 answers and hints

Need a nudge on the Monday, March 9, 2026 grid? Start with one clue. Nothing else shows until you tap it.

The starting grid for #9

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

Want one more try first? Play #9.

Hints for each word in #9

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: a boneless steak cut from the tenderloin of beef

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with F and ends with T.

    Show the word

    FILET

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: fear resulting from the awareness of danger

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with A and ends with M.

    Show the word

    ALARM

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    adjective: characteristic of a fluid

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with R and ends with Y.

    Show the word

    RUNNY

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: a natural talent

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with F and ends with R.

    Show the word

    FLAIR

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    verb: gain knowledge or skills

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with L and ends with N.

    Show the word

    LEARN

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: slang for a paunch

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with T and ends with Y.

    Show the word

    TUMMY

What is the answer to Waffle #9?

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: FILET, ALARM, RUNNY

Down: FLAIR, LEARN, TUMMY

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

What do the words in #9 mean?

FILET
noun: a boneless steak cut from the tenderloin of beef
ALARM
noun: fear resulting from the awareness of danger
RUNNY
adjective: characteristic of a fluid
FLAIR
noun: a natural talent
LEARN
verb: gain knowledge or skills
TUMMY
noun: slang for a paunch

Word meanings come from WordNet 3.1, a free English dictionary from Princeton University. Puzzle published Monday, March 9, 2026.