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Waffle Daily

Daily Waffle #153 answers and hints

Need a nudge on the Friday, July 31, 2026 grid? Start with one clue. Nothing else shows until you tap it.

The starting grid for #153

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

Want one more try first? Play #153.

Hints for each word in #153

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

    noun: annual or biennial or perennial herbs having showy flowers

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with P and ends with Y.

    Show the word

    POPPY

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: any property detected by the olfactory system

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with A and ends with A.

    Show the word

    AROMA

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    adverb: in such a manner as could not be otherwise

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with N and ends with S.

    Show the word

    NEEDS

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    adjective: clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with P and ends with N.

    Show the word

    PLAIN

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: ordinary writing as distinguished from verse

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with P and ends with E.

    Show the word

    PROSE

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: a late time of life

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with Y and ends with S.

    Show the word

    YEARS

What is the answer to Waffle #153?

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: POPPY, AROMA, NEEDS

Down: PLAIN, PROSE, YEARS

How do you solve #153 in 10 swaps?

Make the swaps that fix two tiles at once first. This grid has 4 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 P in place.
  2. Swap row 1, column 2 with row 3, column 1. This puts A in place.
  3. Swap row 1, column 2 with row 4, column 5. This puts O and R in place.
  4. Swap row 1, column 3 with row 4, column 1. This puts P in place.
  5. Swap row 1, column 4 with row 3, column 3. This puts P in place.
  6. Swap row 3, column 3 with row 5, column 5. This puts O and S in place.
  7. Swap row 2, column 1 with row 4, column 1. This puts I in place.
  8. Swap row 2, column 1 with row 5, column 3. This puts L and E in place.
  9. Swap row 3, column 2 with row 4, column 3. This puts S in place.
  10. Swap row 3, column 2 with row 5, column 1. This puts R and N in place.

What do the words in #153 mean?

POPPY
noun: annual or biennial or perennial herbs having showy flowers
AROMA
noun: any property detected by the olfactory system
NEEDS
adverb: in such a manner as could not be otherwise
PLAIN
adjective: clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
PROSE
noun: ordinary writing as distinguished from verse
YEARS
noun: a late time of life

Word meanings come from WordNet 3.1, a free English dictionary from Princeton University. Puzzle published Friday, July 31, 2026.