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Waffle Daily

Deluxe Waffle #81 answers and hints

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

The starting grid for #81

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

Want one more try first? Play #81.

Hints for each word in #81

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

    noun: a gross untruth

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with W and ends with R.

    Show the word

    WHOPPER

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    adjective: of or relating to the diet

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with D and ends with Y.

    Show the word

    DIETARY

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    adjective: done by design

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with W and ends with L.

    Show the word

    WILLFUL

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    adverb: in a royal manner

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with R and ends with Y.

    Show the word

    ROYALLY

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: a man whose wife is dead especially one who has not remarried

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with W and ends with R.

    Show the word

    WIDOWER

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    verb: put something on top of something else

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with O and ends with Y.

    Show the word

    OVERLAY

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    adjective: full of fun and high spirits

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with P and ends with L.

    Show the word

    PLAYFUL

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: payment to the holder of a patent or copyright or resource for the right to use their property

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with R and ends with Y.

    Show the word

    ROYALTY

What is the answer to Deluxe #81?

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: WHOPPER, DIETARY, WILLFUL, ROYALLY

Down: WIDOWER, OVERLAY, PLAYFUL, ROYALTY

How do you solve #81 in 20 swaps?

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

What do the words in #81 mean?

WHOPPER
noun: a gross untruth
DIETARY
adjective: of or relating to the diet
WILLFUL
adjective: done by design
ROYALLY
adverb: in a royal manner
WIDOWER
noun: a man whose wife is dead especially one who has not remarried
OVERLAY
verb: put something on top of something else
PLAYFUL
adjective: full of fun and high spirits
ROYALTY
noun: payment to the holder of a patent or copyright or resource for the right to use their property

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