Skip to content
Waffle Daily

Deluxe Waffle #3 answers and hints

Need a nudge on the Tuesday, March 3, 2026 grid? Start with one clue. Nothing else shows until you tap it.

The starting grid for #3

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

Want one more try first? Play #3.

Hints for each word in #3

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: having or showing profound knowledge

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with E and ends with E.

    Show the word

    ERUDITE

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: a mountain peak in central Washington

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with R and ends with R.

    Show the word

    RAINIER

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: the event of something being raised upward

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with R and ends with G.

    Show the word

    RAISING

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    adjective: confused and vague

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with M and ends with D.

    Show the word

    MUDDLED

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: the membrane in the ear that vibrates to sound

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with E and ends with M.

    Show the word

    EARDRUM

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    adjective: formed or united into a whole

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with U and ends with D.

    Show the word

    UNIFIED

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: the first letter of a word (especially a person's name)

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with I and ends with L.

    Show the word

    INITIAL

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    adjective: marked by extreme anger

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with E and ends with D.

    Show the word

    ENRAGED

What is the answer to Deluxe #3?

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: ERUDITE, RAINIER, RAISING, MUDDLED

Down: EARDRUM, UNIFIED, INITIAL, ENRAGED

How do you solve #3 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
  1. Swap row 1, column 3 with row 4, column 3. This puts U and F in place.
  2. Swap row 3, column 7 with row 6, column 1. This puts R and U in place.
  3. Swap row 4, column 1 with row 5, column 3. This puts D and I in place.
  4. Swap row 5, column 6 with row 7, column 7. This puts N and D in place.
  5. Swap row 6, column 3 with row 7, column 3. This puts E and D in place.
  6. Swap row 6, column 5 with row 6, column 7. This puts A and E in place.
  7. Swap row 1, column 1 with row 2, column 3. This puts N in place.
  8. Swap row 1, column 1 with row 3, column 3. This puts E and I in place.
  9. Swap row 1, column 2 with row 1, column 5. This puts R in place.
  10. Swap row 1, column 4 with row 3, column 2. This puts D in place.
  11. Swap row 1, column 5 with row 2, column 1. This puts I in place.
  12. Swap row 1, column 7 with row 3, column 5. This puts E in place.
  13. Swap row 2, column 1 with row 2, column 7. This puts A in place.
  14. Swap row 2, column 7 with row 7, column 1. This puts N and M in place.
  15. Swap row 3, column 1 with row 4, column 7. This puts A in place.
  16. Swap row 3, column 1 with row 5, column 5. This puts R and I in place.
  17. Swap row 3, column 2 with row 7, column 2. This puts U in place.
  18. Swap row 3, column 2 with row 7, column 6. This puts A and E in place.
  19. Swap row 3, column 5 with row 5, column 4. This puts S in place.
  20. Swap row 3, column 5 with row 7, column 4. This puts I and D in place.

What do the words in #3 mean?

ERUDITE
adjective: having or showing profound knowledge
RAINIER
noun: a mountain peak in central Washington
RAISING
noun: the event of something being raised upward
MUDDLED
adjective: confused and vague
EARDRUM
noun: the membrane in the ear that vibrates to sound
UNIFIED
adjective: formed or united into a whole
INITIAL
noun: the first letter of a word (especially a person's name)
ENRAGED
adjective: marked by extreme anger

Word meanings come from WordNet 3.1, a free English dictionary from Princeton University. Puzzle published Tuesday, March 3, 2026.