Skip to content
Waffle Daily

Daily Waffle #165 answers and hints

Need a nudge on the Wednesday, August 12, 2026 grid? Start with one clue. Nothing else shows until you tap it.

The starting grid for #165

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

Want one more try first? Play #165.

Hints for each word in #165

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: characterized by dignity and propriety

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with S and ends with D.

    Show the word

    STAID

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    adjective: relating to time long past

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with O and ends with N.

    Show the word

    OLDEN

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: machine that converts other forms of energy into mechanical energy and so imparts motion

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with M and ends with R.

    Show the word

    MOTOR

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: a violent weather condition with winds 64-72 knots (11 on the Beaufort scale) and precipitation and thunder and lightning

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with S and ends with M.

    Show the word

    STORM

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: an inspection of the accounting procedures and records by a trained accountant or CPA

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with A and ends with T.

    Show the word

    AUDIT

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: a person eating a meal (especially in a restaurant)

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with D and ends with R.

    Show the word

    DINER

What is the answer to Waffle #165?

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: STAID, OLDEN, MOTOR

Down: STORM, AUDIT, DINER

How do you solve #165 in 10 swaps?

Make the swaps that fix two tiles at once first. This grid has 5 of them. The list below is one shortest route from the start to the answer.

Show every swap
  1. Swap row 1, column 5 with row 2, column 3. This puts D and U in place.
  2. Swap row 3, column 4 with row 5, column 2. This puts E and O in place.
  3. Swap row 1, column 2 with row 1, column 4. This puts T in place.
  4. Swap row 1, column 4 with row 3, column 5. This puts I in place.
  5. Swap row 3, column 5 with row 4, column 1. This puts N and R in place.
  6. Swap row 2, column 1 with row 4, column 5. This puts T in place.
  7. Swap row 4, column 5 with row 5, column 5. This puts E and R in place.
  8. Swap row 3, column 1 with row 3, column 3. This puts D in place.
  9. Swap row 3, column 1 with row 4, column 3. This puts I in place.
  10. Swap row 3, column 1 with row 5, column 3. This puts O and T in place.

What do the words in #165 mean?

STAID
adjective: characterized by dignity and propriety
OLDEN
adjective: relating to time long past
MOTOR
noun: machine that converts other forms of energy into mechanical energy and so imparts motion
STORM
noun: a violent weather condition with winds 64-72 knots (11 on the Beaufort scale) and precipitation and thunder and lightning
AUDIT
noun: an inspection of the accounting procedures and records by a trained accountant or CPA
DINER
noun: a person eating a meal (especially in a restaurant)

Word meanings come from WordNet 3.1, a free English dictionary from Princeton University. Puzzle published Wednesday, August 12, 2026.