Skip to content
Waffle Daily

Deluxe Waffle #173 answers and hints

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

The starting grid for #173

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

Want one more try first? Play #173.

Hints for each word in #173

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

    verb: make plain and comprehensible

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with E and ends with N.

    Show the word

    EXPLAIN

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: polymerized from acrylonitrile

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with A and ends with C.

    Show the word

    ACRYLIC

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: a swing used by circus acrobats

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with T and ends with E.

    Show the word

    TRAPEZE

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with C and ends with R.

    Show the word

    CREATOR

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    adjective: capable of resuming original shape after stretching or compression

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with E and ends with C.

    Show the word

    ELASTIC

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    verb: spread or diffuse through

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with P and ends with E.

    Show the word

    PERVADE

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: an often persistent bodily disorder or disease

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with A and ends with T.

    Show the word

    AILMENT

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    adjective: (weapons) deriving destructive energy from the release of atomic energy

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with N and ends with R.

    Show the word

    NUCLEAR

What is the answer to Deluxe #173?

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: EXPLAIN, ACRYLIC, TRAPEZE, CREATOR

Down: ELASTIC, PERVADE, AILMENT, NUCLEAR

How do you solve #173 in 20 swaps?

Make the swaps that fix two tiles at once first. This grid has 12 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 1, column 3. This puts E and P in place.
  2. Swap row 1, column 7 with row 3, column 5. This puts N and L in place.
  3. Swap row 2, column 3 with row 3, column 1. This puts E and A in place.
  4. Swap row 2, column 5 with row 3, column 4. This puts I and Y in place.
  5. Swap row 4, column 3 with row 5, column 3. This puts V and A in place.
  6. Swap row 5, column 2 with row 6, column 3. This puts R and D in place.
  7. Swap row 1, column 5 with row 2, column 7. This puts U in place.
  8. Swap row 1, column 5 with row 3, column 2. This puts A and C in place.
  9. Swap row 1, column 6 with row 4, column 1. This puts I in place.
  10. Swap row 4, column 1 with row 4, column 5. This puts S and M in place.
  11. Swap row 3, column 3 with row 3, column 6. This puts I in place.
  12. Swap row 3, column 3 with row 5, column 4. This puts R in place.
  13. Swap row 3, column 7 with row 6, column 1. This puts I in place.
  14. Swap row 3, column 7 with row 6, column 5. This puts C and N in place.
  15. Swap row 4, column 7 with row 7, column 1. This puts C in place.
  16. Swap row 4, column 7 with row 7, column 6. This puts L and O in place.
  17. Swap row 5, column 4 with row 5, column 5. This puts P in place.
  18. Swap row 5, column 5 with row 5, column 6. This puts E and Z in place.
  19. Swap row 5, column 7 with row 7, column 2. This puts R in place.
  20. Swap row 5, column 7 with row 7, column 4. This puts E and A in place.

What do the words in #173 mean?

EXPLAIN
verb: make plain and comprehensible
ACRYLIC
noun: polymerized from acrylonitrile
TRAPEZE
noun: a swing used by circus acrobats
CREATOR
noun: terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God
ELASTIC
adjective: capable of resuming original shape after stretching or compression
PERVADE
verb: spread or diffuse through
AILMENT
noun: an often persistent bodily disorder or disease
NUCLEAR
adjective: (weapons) deriving destructive energy from the release of atomic energy

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