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Waffle Daily

Daily Waffle #171 answers and hints

Need a nudge on the Tuesday, August 18, 2026 grid? Start with one clue. Nothing else shows until you tap it.

The starting grid for #171

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

Want one more try first? Play #171.

Hints for each word in #171

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

    adverb: (in writing) at an earlier place

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with A and ends with E.

    Show the word

    ABOVE

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: a contestant who loses the contest

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with L and ends with R.

    Show the word

    LOSER

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with W and ends with R.

    Show the word

    WATER

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    adjective: softly bright or radiant

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with A and ends with W.

    Show the word

    AGLOW

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: the beginning or early stages

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with O and ends with T.

    Show the word

    ONSET

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with E and ends with R.

    Show the word

    ERROR

What is the answer to Waffle #171?

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: ABOVE, LOSER, WATER

Down: AGLOW, ONSET, ERROR

How do you solve #171 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 3, column 5 with row 4, column 5. This puts R and O in place.
  2. Swap row 1, column 1 with row 1, column 4. This puts A in place.
  3. Swap row 1, column 2 with row 2, column 3. This puts B in place.
  4. Swap row 2, column 3 with row 5, column 5. This puts N and R in place.
  5. Swap row 1, column 4 with row 3, column 2. This puts O in place.
  6. Swap row 1, column 4 with row 3, column 3. This puts V in place.
  7. Swap row 3, column 3 with row 5, column 4. This puts S and E in place.
  8. Swap row 1, column 5 with row 4, column 1. This puts E in place.
  9. Swap row 4, column 1 with row 5, column 1. This puts W in place.
  10. Swap row 4, column 1 with row 5, column 3. This puts O and T in place.

What do the words in #171 mean?

ABOVE
adverb: (in writing) at an earlier place
LOSER
noun: a contestant who loses the contest
WATER
noun: binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid
AGLOW
adjective: softly bright or radiant
ONSET
noun: the beginning or early stages
ERROR
noun: a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention

Word meanings come from WordNet 3.1, a free English dictionary from Princeton University. Puzzle published Tuesday, August 18, 2026.