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Waffle Daily

Daily Waffle #138 answers and hints

Need a nudge on the Thursday, July 16, 2026 grid? Start with one clue. Nothing else shows until you tap it.

The starting grid for #138

6 words hide in this 5×5 grid. You get 15 swaps, and the best solve takes 10.

Want one more try first? Play #138.

Hints for each word in #138

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 top row (row 1)

    Hint 1: the clue

    adjective: preceding all others in time or space or degree

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with F and ends with T.

    Show the word

    FIRST

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: a position particularly well suited to the person who occupies it

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with N and ends with E.

    Show the word

    NICHE

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    adjective: having services engaged for a fee

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with H and ends with D.

    Show the word

    HIRED

  4. Word 4: the left column (column 1)

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: any of numerous small songbirds with short stout bills adapted for crushing seeds

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with F and ends with H.

    Show the word

    FINCH

  5. Word 5: the middle column (column 3)

    Hint 1: the clue

    verb: happen or occur again

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with R and ends with R.

    Show the word

    RECUR

  6. Word 6: the right column (column 5)

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: a general direction in which something tends to move

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with T and ends with D.

    Show the word

    TREND

What is the answer to Waffle #138?

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: FIRST, NICHE, HIRED

Down: FINCH, RECUR, TREND

How do you solve #138 in 10 swaps?

Make the swaps that fix two tiles at once first. This grid has 7 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 5. This puts F and E in place.
  2. Swap row 1, column 2 with row 1, column 3. This puts I and R in place.
  3. Swap row 2, column 5 with row 3, column 3. This puts R and C in place.
  4. Swap row 3, column 4 with row 5, column 4. This puts H and E in place.
  5. Swap row 1, column 5 with row 4, column 1. This puts T in place.
  6. Swap row 4, column 1 with row 5, column 3. This puts C and R in place.
  7. Swap row 2, column 3 with row 5, column 1. This puts E in place.
  8. Swap row 5, column 1 with row 5, column 2. This puts H and I in place.
  9. Swap row 3, column 1 with row 3, column 2. This puts I in place.
  10. Swap row 3, column 1 with row 5, column 5. This puts N and D in place.

What do the words in #138 mean?

FIRST
adjective: preceding all others in time or space or degree
NICHE
noun: a position particularly well suited to the person who occupies it
HIRED
adjective: having services engaged for a fee
FINCH
noun: any of numerous small songbirds with short stout bills adapted for crushing seeds
RECUR
verb: happen or occur again
TREND
noun: a general direction in which something tends to move

Word meanings come from WordNet 3.1, a free English dictionary from Princeton University. Puzzle published Thursday, July 16, 2026.