Skip to content
Waffle Daily

Deluxe Waffle #96 answers and hints

Need a nudge on the Thursday, June 4, 2026 grid? Start with one clue. Nothing else shows until you tap it.

The starting grid for #96

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

Want one more try first? Play #96.

Hints for each word in #96

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 literary work based on the imagination and not necessarily on fact

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with F and ends with N.

    Show the word

    FICTION

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: a soldier in a motorized army unit

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with T and ends with R.

    Show the word

    TROOPER

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: a government order imposing a trade barrier

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with E and ends with O.

    Show the word

    EMBARGO

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: a quantity much larger than is needed

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with S and ends with S.

    Show the word

    SURPLUS

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: the quality of being suitable

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with F and ends with S.

    Show the word

    FITNESS

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: a heavy iron lever with one end forged into a wedge

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with C and ends with R.

    Show the word

    CROWBAR

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    verb: pose a threat to

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with I and ends with L.

    Show the word

    IMPERIL

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    adjective: easily agitated

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with N and ends with S.

    Show the word

    NERVOUS

What is the answer to Deluxe #96?

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: FICTION, TROOPER, EMBARGO, SURPLUS

Down: FITNESS, CROWBAR, IMPERIL, NERVOUS

How do you solve #96 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 4 with row 4, column 7. This puts T and V in place.
  2. Swap row 3, column 2 with row 4, column 5. This puts R and E in place.
  3. Swap row 1, column 2 with row 6, column 1. This puts I in place.
  4. Swap row 6, column 1 with row 7, column 6. This puts S and U in place.
  5. Swap row 1, column 5 with row 2, column 5. This puts I in place.
  6. Swap row 2, column 3 with row 3, column 4. This puts R in place.
  7. Swap row 2, column 5 with row 3, column 4. This puts O in place.
  8. Swap row 2, column 5 with row 5, column 4. This puts M and A in place.
  9. Swap row 2, column 7 with row 3, column 5. This puts P in place.
  10. Swap row 2, column 7 with row 3, column 7. This puts E and R in place.
  11. Swap row 3, column 1 with row 4, column 3. This puts T in place.
  12. Swap row 4, column 3 with row 7, column 4. This puts W and P in place.
  13. Swap row 3, column 3 with row 5, column 3. This puts O in place.
  14. Swap row 5, column 3 with row 6, column 7. This puts B and U in place.
  15. Swap row 3, column 6 with row 5, column 2. This puts M in place.
  16. Swap row 3, column 6 with row 7, column 1. This puts S in place.
  17. Swap row 3, column 6 with row 7, column 3. This puts E and R in place.
  18. Swap row 5, column 5 with row 5, column 6. This puts G in place.
  19. Swap row 5, column 5 with row 5, column 7. This puts R in place.
  20. Swap row 5, column 7 with row 7, column 5. This puts O and L in place.

What do the words in #96 mean?

FICTION
noun: a literary work based on the imagination and not necessarily on fact
TROOPER
noun: a soldier in a motorized army unit
EMBARGO
noun: a government order imposing a trade barrier
SURPLUS
noun: a quantity much larger than is needed
FITNESS
noun: the quality of being suitable
CROWBAR
noun: a heavy iron lever with one end forged into a wedge
IMPERIL
verb: pose a threat to
NERVOUS
adjective: easily agitated

Word meanings come from WordNet 3.1, a free English dictionary from Princeton University. Puzzle published Thursday, June 4, 2026.