Deluxe Waffle #72 answers and hints
Need a nudge on the Monday, May 11, 2026 grid? Start with one clue. Nothing else shows until you tap it.
The starting grid for #72
8 words hide in this 7×7 grid. You get 25 swaps, and the best solve takes 20.
Want one more try first? Play #72.
Hints for each word in #72
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
adjective: large in number or quantity (especially of discourse)
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with C and ends with S.
Show the word
COPIOUS
Word 2: the second row (row 3)
Hint 1: the clue
verb: put into a proper or systematic order
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with A and ends with E.
Show the word
ARRANGE
Word 3: the third row (row 5)
Hint 1: the clue
noun: a craftsman who installs and repairs pipes and fixtures and appliances
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with P and ends with R.
Show the word
PLUMBER
Word 4: the fourth row (row 7)
Hint 1: the clue
adjective: mixed with impurities
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with D and ends with D.
Show the word
DEBASED
Word 5: the first column (column 1)
Hint 1: the clue
adjective: used of skin roughened as a result of cold or exposure
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with C and ends with D.
Show the word
CHAPPED
Word 6: the second column (column 3)
Hint 1: the clue
verb: disturb in mind or make uneasy or cause to be worried or alarmed
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with P and ends with B.
Show the word
PERTURB
Word 7: the third column (column 5)
Hint 1: the clue
noun: an anthology of articles on a related subject or an anthology of the works of a single author
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with O and ends with S.
Show the word
OMNIBUS
Word 8: the fourth column (column 7)
Hint 1: the clue
adjective: having the hair or wool cut or clipped off as if with shears or clippers
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with S and ends with D.
Show the word
SHEARED
What is the answer to Deluxe #72?
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: COPIOUS, ARRANGE, PLUMBER, DEBASED
Down: CHAPPED, PERTURB, OMNIBUS, SHEARED
How do you solve #72 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
- Swap row 1, column 1 with row 6, column 1. This puts C and E in place.
- Swap row 2, column 1 with row 7, column 2. This puts H and E in place.
- Swap row 2, column 5 with row 5, column 6. This puts M and E in place.
- Swap row 3, column 4 with row 5, column 3. This puts A and U in place.
- Swap row 4, column 3 with row 7, column 3. This puts T and B in place.
- Swap row 5, column 1 with row 6, column 5. This puts P and U in place.
- Swap row 5, column 4 with row 5, column 7. This puts M and R in place.
- Swap row 1, column 3 with row 1, column 5. This puts O in place.
- Swap row 1, column 3 with row 2, column 7. This puts P and H in place.
- Swap row 1, column 4 with row 1, column 6. This puts I in place.
- Swap row 1, column 6 with row 3, column 2. This puts U in place.
- Swap row 3, column 2 with row 3, column 7. This puts R and E in place.
- Swap row 2, column 3 with row 3, column 1. This puts A in place.
- Swap row 2, column 3 with row 3, column 6. This puts E in place.
- Swap row 3, column 6 with row 4, column 1. This puts G and P in place.
- Swap row 3, column 3 with row 4, column 5. This puts R in place.
- Swap row 4, column 5 with row 7, column 4. This puts I and A in place.
- Swap row 4, column 7 with row 5, column 2. This puts L in place.
- Swap row 4, column 7 with row 6, column 3. This puts A in place.
- Swap row 6, column 3 with row 6, column 7. This puts R and E in place.
What do the words in #72 mean?
- COPIOUS
- adjective: large in number or quantity (especially of discourse)
- ARRANGE
- verb: put into a proper or systematic order
- PLUMBER
- noun: a craftsman who installs and repairs pipes and fixtures and appliances
- DEBASED
- adjective: mixed with impurities
- CHAPPED
- adjective: used of skin roughened as a result of cold or exposure
- PERTURB
- verb: disturb in mind or make uneasy or cause to be worried or alarmed
- OMNIBUS
- noun: an anthology of articles on a related subject or an anthology of the works of a single author
- SHEARED
- adjective: having the hair or wool cut or clipped off as if with shears or clippers
Word meanings come from WordNet 3.1, a free English dictionary from Princeton University. Puzzle published Monday, May 11, 2026.