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Waffle Daily

Daily Waffle #197 answers and hints

Need a nudge on the Sunday, September 13, 2026 grid? Start with one clue. Nothing else shows until you tap it.

The starting grid for #197

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

Want one more try first? Play #197.

Hints for each word in #197

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: (used of soaps or cleaning agents) having a substance (an abrasive or filler) added to increase effectiveness

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with B and ends with T.

    Show the word

    BUILT

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: a line that forms the length of an arrow pointer

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with S and ends with T.

    Show the word

    SHAFT

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    adjective: openly distrustful and unwilling to confide

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with L and ends with Y.

    Show the word

    LEERY

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: any of several Old World tropical aromatic annual or perennial herbs of the genus Ocimum

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with B and ends with L.

    Show the word

    BASIL

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    adjective: feeling or showing extreme anger

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with I and ends with E.

    Show the word

    IRATE

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    adjective: showing signs of wear and tear

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with T and ends with Y.

    Show the word

    TATTY

What is the answer to Waffle #197?

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: BUILT, SHAFT, LEERY

Down: BASIL, IRATE, TATTY

How do you solve #197 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 3 with row 1, column 5. This puts I and T in place.
  2. Swap row 1, column 4 with row 5, column 5. This puts L and Y in place.
  3. Swap row 3, column 1 with row 3, column 3. This puts S and A in place.
  4. Swap row 3, column 4 with row 5, column 1. This puts F and L in place.
  5. Swap row 1, column 1 with row 2, column 5. This puts A in place.
  6. Swap row 1, column 1 with row 4, column 3. This puts B and T in place.
  7. Swap row 1, column 2 with row 2, column 1. This puts U in place.
  8. Swap row 2, column 1 with row 2, column 3. This puts A and R in place.
  9. Swap row 3, column 2 with row 5, column 2. This puts H in place.
  10. Swap row 5, column 2 with row 5, column 4. This puts E and R in place.

What do the words in #197 mean?

BUILT
adjective: (used of soaps or cleaning agents) having a substance (an abrasive or filler) added to increase effectiveness
SHAFT
noun: a line that forms the length of an arrow pointer
LEERY
adjective: openly distrustful and unwilling to confide
BASIL
noun: any of several Old World tropical aromatic annual or perennial herbs of the genus Ocimum
IRATE
adjective: feeling or showing extreme anger
TATTY
adjective: showing signs of wear and tear

Word meanings come from WordNet 3.1, a free English dictionary from Princeton University. Puzzle published Sunday, September 13, 2026.