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Waffle Daily

Deluxe Waffle #177 answers and hints

Need a nudge on the Monday, August 24, 2026 grid? Start with one clue. Nothing else shows until you tap it.

The starting grid for #177

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

Want one more try first? Play #177.

Hints for each word in #177

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: unpleasantly harsh or grating in sound

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with R and ends with G.

    Show the word

    RASPING

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: subtly skillful handling of a situation

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with F and ends with E.

    Show the word

    FINESSE

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    adverb: most slowly

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with S and ends with T.

    Show the word

    SLOWEST

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    adjective: relatively long in duration

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with L and ends with Y.

    Show the word

    LENGTHY

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: the act of refusing

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with R and ends with L.

    Show the word

    REFUSAL

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: the time in the evening at which the sun begins to fall below the horizon

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with S and ends with N.

    Show the word

    SUNDOWN

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    verb: look over carefully

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with I and ends with T.

    Show the word

    INSPECT

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    adverb: to an extraordinary extent or degree

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with G and ends with Y.

    Show the word

    GREATLY

What is the answer to Deluxe #177?

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: RASPING, FINESSE, SLOWEST, LENGTHY

Down: REFUSAL, SUNDOWN, INSPECT, GREATLY

How do you solve #177 in 20 swaps?

Make the swaps that fix two tiles at once first. This grid has 8 of them. The list below is one shortest route from the start to the answer.

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

What do the words in #177 mean?

RASPING
adjective: unpleasantly harsh or grating in sound
FINESSE
noun: subtly skillful handling of a situation
SLOWEST
adverb: most slowly
LENGTHY
adjective: relatively long in duration
REFUSAL
noun: the act of refusing
SUNDOWN
noun: the time in the evening at which the sun begins to fall below the horizon
INSPECT
verb: look over carefully
GREATLY
adverb: to an extraordinary extent or degree

Word meanings come from WordNet 3.1, a free English dictionary from Princeton University. Puzzle published Monday, August 24, 2026.