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Waffle Daily

Daily Waffle #169 answers and hints

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

The starting grid for #169

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

Want one more try first? Play #169.

Hints for each word in #169

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: expressive of contempt

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with S and ends with E.

    Show the word

    SNIDE

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: a narrow gorge with a stream running through it

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with G and ends with H.

    Show the word

    GULCH

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: a local tax on property (usually used in the plural)

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with R and ends with S.

    Show the word

    RATES

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: a white crystalline carbohydrate used as a sweetener and preservative

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with S and ends with R.

    Show the word

    SUGAR

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: an arm off of a larger body of water (often between rocky headlands)

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with I and ends with T.

    Show the word

    INLET

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: (anthropology) the distinctive spirit of a culture or an era

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with E and ends with S.

    Show the word

    ETHOS

What is the answer to Waffle #169?

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: SNIDE, GULCH, RATES

Down: SUGAR, INLET, ETHOS

How do you solve #169 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 2 with row 1, column 5. This puts N and E in place.
  2. Swap row 1, column 4 with row 2, column 3. This puts D and N in place.
  3. Swap row 3, column 1 with row 4, column 1. This puts G and A in place.
  4. Swap row 4, column 3 with row 5, column 5. This puts E and S in place.
  5. Swap row 1, column 1 with row 3, column 5. This puts H in place.
  6. Swap row 1, column 1 with row 5, column 3. This puts S and T in place.
  7. Swap row 2, column 1 with row 5, column 1. This puts R in place.
  8. Swap row 2, column 1 with row 5, column 2. This puts U and A in place.
  9. Swap row 3, column 2 with row 3, column 4. This puts U in place.
  10. Swap row 3, column 4 with row 5, column 4. This puts C and E in place.

What do the words in #169 mean?

SNIDE
adjective: expressive of contempt
GULCH
noun: a narrow gorge with a stream running through it
RATES
noun: a local tax on property (usually used in the plural)
SUGAR
noun: a white crystalline carbohydrate used as a sweetener and preservative
INLET
noun: an arm off of a larger body of water (often between rocky headlands)
ETHOS
noun: (anthropology) the distinctive spirit of a culture or an era

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