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Waffle Daily

Deluxe Waffle #169 answers and hints

Need a nudge on the Sunday, August 16, 2026 grid? Start with one clue. Nothing else shows until you tap it.

The starting grid for #169

8 words hide in this 7×7 grid. You get 25 swaps, and the best solve takes 20.

Want one more try first? Play #169.

Hints for each word in #169

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 first row (row 1)

    Hint 1: the clue

    adjective: suffering from lack of food

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with S and ends with D.

    Show the word

    STARVED

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: a creation of the highest excellence

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with C and ends with C.

    Show the word

    CLASSIC

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    verb: tie or link together

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with E and ends with E.

    Show the word

    ENTWINE

  4. Word 4: the fourth row (row 7)

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: emotions experienced when not in a state of well-being

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with S and ends with S.

    Show the word

    SADNESS

  5. Word 5: the first column (column 1)

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: an event that accomplishes its intended purpose

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with S and ends with S.

    Show the word

    SUCCESS

  6. Word 6: the second column (column 3)

    Hint 1: the clue

    adjective: expected hopefully

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with A and ends with D.

    Show the word

    AWAITED

  7. Word 7: the third column (column 5)

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: an indication that something has been present

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with V and ends with E.

    Show the word

    VESTIGE

  8. Word 8: the fourth column (column 7)

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: the wife of a duke or a woman holding ducal title in her own right

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with D and ends with S.

    Show the word

    DUCHESS

What is the answer to Deluxe #169?

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: STARVED, CLASSIC, ENTWINE, SADNESS

Down: SUCCESS, AWAITED, VESTIGE, DUCHESS

How do you solve #169 in 20 swaps?

Make the swaps that fix two tiles at once first. This grid has 10 of them. The list below is one shortest route from the start to the answer.

Show every swap
  1. Swap row 1, column 7 with row 4, column 3. This puts D and I in place.
  2. Swap row 3, column 2 with row 7, column 6. This puts L and S in place.
  3. Swap row 3, column 5 with row 7, column 2. This puts S and A in place.
  4. Swap row 5, column 3 with row 5, column 6. This puts T and N in place.
  5. Swap row 1, column 2 with row 2, column 3. This puts W in place.
  6. Swap row 1, column 2 with row 6, column 1. This puts S in place.
  7. Swap row 1, column 2 with row 6, column 3. This puts T and E in place.
  8. Swap row 1, column 4 with row 3, column 1. This puts C in place.
  9. Swap row 1, column 4 with row 5, column 1. This puts R and E in place.
  10. Swap row 1, column 5 with row 5, column 2. This puts N in place.
  11. Swap row 1, column 5 with row 5, column 4. This puts V in place.
  12. Swap row 1, column 6 with row 5, column 4. This puts W in place.
  13. Swap row 1, column 6 with row 6, column 5. This puts E and G in place.
  14. Swap row 2, column 5 with row 3, column 6. This puts I in place.
  15. Swap row 2, column 5 with row 4, column 1. This puts E and C in place.
  16. Swap row 2, column 7 with row 5, column 5. This puts U in place.
  17. Swap row 3, column 7 with row 7, column 1. This puts S in place.
  18. Swap row 3, column 7 with row 7, column 4. This puts C and N in place.
  19. Swap row 5, column 5 with row 7, column 5. This puts I in place.
  20. Swap row 7, column 5 with row 7, column 7. This puts E and S in place.

What do the words in #169 mean?

STARVED
adjective: suffering from lack of food
CLASSIC
noun: a creation of the highest excellence
ENTWINE
verb: tie or link together
SADNESS
noun: emotions experienced when not in a state of well-being
SUCCESS
noun: an event that accomplishes its intended purpose
AWAITED
adjective: expected hopefully
VESTIGE
noun: an indication that something has been present
DUCHESS
noun: the wife of a duke or a woman holding ducal title in her own right

Word meanings come from WordNet 3.1, a free English dictionary from Princeton University. Puzzle published Sunday, August 16, 2026.