Deluxe Waffle #171 answers and hints
Need a nudge on the Tuesday, August 18, 2026 grid? Start with one clue. Nothing else shows until you tap it.
The starting grid for #171
8 words hide in this 7×7 grid. You get 25 swaps, and the best solve takes 20.
Want one more try first? Play #171.
Hints for each word in #171
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: a wheeled vehicle that has two wheels and is moved by foot pedals
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with B and ends with E.
Show the word
BICYCLE
Word 2: the second row (row 3)
Hint 1: the clue
noun: an eastern subfamily of Malayo-Polynesian languages
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with O and ends with C.
Show the word
OCEANIC
Word 3: the third row (row 5)
Hint 1: the clue
noun: cereal made of especially rolled oats with dried fruits and nuts and honey or brown sugar
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with G and ends with A.
Show the word
GRANOLA
Word 4: the fourth row (row 7)
Hint 1: the clue
verb: elect again
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with R and ends with T.
Show the word
REELECT
Word 5: the first column (column 1)
Hint 1: the clue
noun: a person who keeps and updates a blog
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with B and ends with R.
Show the word
BLOGGER
Word 6: the second column (column 3)
Hint 1: the clue
verb: reduce to ashes
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with C and ends with E.
Show the word
CREMATE
Word 7: the third column (column 5)
Hint 1: the clue
verb: express or state indirectly
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with C and ends with E.
Show the word
CONNOTE
Word 8: the fourth column (column 7)
Hint 1: the clue
verb: hold spellbound
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with E and ends with T.
Show the word
ENCHANT
What is the answer to Deluxe #171?
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: BICYCLE, OCEANIC, GRANOLA, REELECT
Down: BLOGGER, CREMATE, CONNOTE, ENCHANT
How do you solve #171 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
- Swap row 1, column 2 with row 7, column 5. This puts I and E in place.
- Swap row 1, column 3 with row 5, column 1. This puts C and G in place.
- Swap row 2, column 7 with row 3, column 4. This puts N and A in place.
- Swap row 3, column 5 with row 3, column 7. This puts N and C in place.
- Swap row 1, column 4 with row 6, column 3. This puts T in place.
- Swap row 1, column 4 with row 1, column 7. This puts E in place.
- Swap row 1, column 4 with row 3, column 1. This puts O in place.
- Swap row 1, column 4 with row 6, column 7. This puts Y and N in place.
- Swap row 2, column 1 with row 3, column 6. This puts L in place.
- Swap row 2, column 3 with row 4, column 7. This puts R in place.
- Swap row 4, column 7 with row 7, column 4. This puts H and L in place.
- Swap row 2, column 5 with row 4, column 3. This puts O in place.
- Swap row 4, column 3 with row 5, column 3. This puts M and A in place.
- Swap row 3, column 2 with row 3, column 3. This puts E in place.
- Swap row 3, column 2 with row 5, column 5. This puts C and O in place.
- Swap row 3, column 6 with row 5, column 4. This puts N in place.
- Swap row 3, column 6 with row 5, column 7. This puts I in place.
- Swap row 5, column 7 with row 7, column 6. This puts A and C in place.
- Swap row 5, column 2 with row 6, column 5. This puts T in place.
- Swap row 5, column 2 with row 7, column 2. This puts R and E in place.
What do the words in #171 mean?
- BICYCLE
- noun: a wheeled vehicle that has two wheels and is moved by foot pedals
- OCEANIC
- noun: an eastern subfamily of Malayo-Polynesian languages
- GRANOLA
- noun: cereal made of especially rolled oats with dried fruits and nuts and honey or brown sugar
- REELECT
- verb: elect again
- BLOGGER
- noun: a person who keeps and updates a blog
- CREMATE
- verb: reduce to ashes
- CONNOTE
- verb: express or state indirectly
- ENCHANT
- verb: hold spellbound
Word meanings come from WordNet 3.1, a free English dictionary from Princeton University. Puzzle published Tuesday, August 18, 2026.