Deluxe Waffle #159 answers and hints
Need a nudge on the Thursday, August 6, 2026 grid? Start with one clue. Nothing else shows until you tap it.
The starting grid for #159
8 words hide in this 7×7 grid. You get 25 swaps, and the best solve takes 20.
Want one more try first? Play #159.
Hints for each word in #159
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 first row (row 1)
Hint 1: the clue
noun: money collected under a tariff
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with C and ends with S.
Show the word
CUSTOMS
Word 2: the second row (row 3)
Hint 1: the clue
verb: present for acceptance or rejection
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with P and ends with R.
Show the word
PROFFER
Word 3: the third row (row 5)
Hint 1: the clue
noun: one of the ancient Norse warriors legendary for working themselves into a frenzy before a battle and fighting with reckless savagery and insane fury
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with B and ends with K.
Show the word
BERSERK
Word 4: the fourth row (row 7)
Hint 1: the clue
noun: a citizen who has a legal right to vote
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with E and ends with R.
Show the word
ELECTOR
Word 5: the first column (column 1)
Hint 1: the clue
adjective: (usually followed by `of') having capacity or ability
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with C and ends with E.
Show the word
CAPABLE
Word 6: the second column (column 3)
Hint 1: the clue
noun: a whip used to inflict punishment (often used for pedantic humor)
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with S and ends with E.
Show the word
SCOURGE
Word 7: the third column (column 5)
Hint 1: the clue
adjective: (informal) strikingly unconventional
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with O and ends with T.
Show the word
OFFBEAT
Word 8: the fourth column (column 7)
Hint 1: the clue
noun: a forward on a soccer team
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with S and ends with R.
Show the word
STRIKER
What is the answer to Deluxe #159?
The answer is 8 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: CUSTOMS, PROFFER, BERSERK, ELECTOR
Down: CAPABLE, SCOURGE, OFFBEAT, STRIKER
How do you solve #159 in 20 swaps?
Make the swaps that fix two tiles at once first. This grid has 11 of them. The list below is one shortest route from the start to the answer.
Show every swap
- Swap row 1, column 5 with row 4, column 5. This puts O and B in place.
- Swap row 2, column 5 with row 3, column 7. This puts F and R in place.
- Swap row 5, column 1 with row 7, column 4. This puts B and C in place.
- Swap row 5, column 6 with row 7, column 2. This puts R and L in place.
- Swap row 1, column 1 with row 1, column 7. This puts S in place.
- Swap row 1, column 1 with row 4, column 3. This puts C and U in place.
- Swap row 1, column 2 with row 5, column 3. This puts R in place.
- Swap row 1, column 2 with row 3, column 1. This puts P in place.
- Swap row 1, column 2 with row 6, column 5. This puts U and A in place.
- Swap row 1, column 4 with row 2, column 3. This puts T in place.
- Swap row 2, column 3 with row 7, column 1. This puts C and E in place.
- Swap row 1, column 6 with row 4, column 1. This puts M in place.
- Swap row 4, column 1 with row 5, column 5. This puts A and E in place.
- Swap row 2, column 7 with row 5, column 2. This puts E in place.
- Swap row 2, column 7 with row 5, column 7. This puts T and K in place.
- Swap row 3, column 2 with row 3, column 6. This puts R in place.
- Swap row 3, column 6 with row 4, column 7. This puts E and I in place.
- Swap row 3, column 3 with row 3, column 4. This puts F in place.
- Swap row 3, column 3 with row 5, column 4. This puts O in place.
- Swap row 5, column 4 with row 6, column 7. This puts S and E in place.
What do the words in #159 mean?
- CUSTOMS
- noun: money collected under a tariff
- PROFFER
- verb: present for acceptance or rejection
- BERSERK
- noun: one of the ancient Norse warriors legendary for working themselves into a frenzy before a battle and fighting with reckless savagery and insane fury
- ELECTOR
- noun: a citizen who has a legal right to vote
- CAPABLE
- adjective: (usually followed by `of') having capacity or ability
- SCOURGE
- noun: a whip used to inflict punishment (often used for pedantic humor)
- OFFBEAT
- adjective: (informal) strikingly unconventional
- STRIKER
- noun: a forward on a soccer team
Word meanings come from WordNet 3.1, a free English dictionary from Princeton University. Puzzle published Thursday, August 6, 2026.