Daily Waffle #116 answers and hints
Need a nudge on the Wednesday, June 24, 2026 grid? Start with one clue. Nothing else shows until you tap it.
The starting grid for #116
6 words hide in this 5×5 grid. You get 15 swaps, and the best solve takes 10.
Want one more try first? Play #116.
Hints for each word in #116
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 top row (row 1)
Hint 1: the clue
noun: a small fragment of something broken off from the whole
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with F and ends with K.
Show the word
FLECK
Word 2: the middle row (row 3)
Hint 1: the clue
adjective: full of or characterized by loud and nonmusical sounds
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with N and ends with Y.
Show the word
NOISY
Word 3: the bottom row (row 5)
Hint 1: the clue
noun: a very small spot
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with S and ends with K.
Show the word
SPECK
Word 4: the left column (column 1)
Hint 1: the clue
noun: assets in the form of money
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with F and ends with S.
Show the word
FUNDS
Word 5: the middle column (column 3)
Hint 1: the clue
verb: expel from a country
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with E and ends with E.
Show the word
EXILE
Word 6: the right column (column 5)
Hint 1: the clue
noun: a small canoe consisting of a light frame made watertight with animal skins
Hint 2: first and last letter
It starts with K and ends with K.
Show the word
KAYAK
What is the answer to Waffle #116?
The answer is 6 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: FLECK, NOISY, SPECK
Down: FUNDS, EXILE, KAYAK
How do you solve #116 in 10 swaps?
Make the swaps that fix two tiles at once first. This grid has 6 of them. The list below is one shortest route from the start to the answer.
Show every swap
- Swap row 1, column 3 with row 4, column 3. This puts E and L in place.
- Swap row 3, column 2 with row 5, column 4. This puts O and C in place.
- Swap row 4, column 1 with row 5, column 5. This puts D and K in place.
- Swap row 1, column 4 with row 2, column 5. This puts C in place.
- Swap row 1, column 5 with row 3, column 4. This puts K in place.
- Swap row 3, column 4 with row 4, column 5. This puts S and A in place.
- Swap row 2, column 3 with row 3, column 1. This puts X in place.
- Swap row 3, column 1 with row 3, column 3. This puts N and I in place.
- Swap row 2, column 5 with row 3, column 5. This puts Y in place.
- Swap row 2, column 5 with row 5, column 3. This puts A and E in place.
What do the words in #116 mean?
- FLECK
- noun: a small fragment of something broken off from the whole
- NOISY
- adjective: full of or characterized by loud and nonmusical sounds
- SPECK
- noun: a very small spot
- FUNDS
- noun: assets in the form of money
- EXILE
- verb: expel from a country
- KAYAK
- noun: a small canoe consisting of a light frame made watertight with animal skins
Word meanings come from WordNet 3.1, a free English dictionary from Princeton University. Puzzle published Wednesday, June 24, 2026.