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Waffle Daily

Daily Waffle #79 answers and hints

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

The starting grid for #79

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

Want one more try first? Play #79.

Hints for each word in #79

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: (baseball) a hit that flies straight out from the batter

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with L and ends with R.

    Show the word

    LINER

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: (music) the speed at which a composition is to be played

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with T and ends with O.

    Show the word

    TEMPO

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: (ethnic slur) offensive term for a person of Irish descent

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with P and ends with Y.

    Show the word

    PADDY

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: a pause during which things are calm or activities are diminished

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with L and ends with P.

    Show the word

    LETUP

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: a member of a people who have no permanent home but move about according to the seasons

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with N and ends with D.

    Show the word

    NOMAD

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

    Hint 1: the clue

    noun: an associate who shares a room with you

    Hint 2: first and last letter

    It starts with R and ends with Y.

    Show the word

    ROOMY

What is the answer to Waffle #79?

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: LINER, TEMPO, PADDY

Down: LETUP, NOMAD, ROOMY

How do you solve #79 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 3, column 3. This puts I and M in place.
  2. Swap row 1, column 3 with row 2, column 3. This puts N and O in place.
  3. Swap row 2, column 1 with row 3, column 4. This puts E and P in place.
  4. Swap row 3, column 1 with row 3, column 5. This puts T and O in place.
  5. Swap row 5, column 1 with row 5, column 2. This puts P and A in place.
  6. Swap row 1, column 4 with row 4, column 3. This puts E in place.
  7. Swap row 4, column 3 with row 4, column 5. This puts A and M in place.
  8. Swap row 2, column 5 with row 3, column 2. This puts O in place.
  9. Swap row 3, column 2 with row 4, column 1. This puts E in place.
  10. Swap row 4, column 1 with row 5, column 4. This puts U and D in place.

What do the words in #79 mean?

LINER
noun: (baseball) a hit that flies straight out from the batter
TEMPO
noun: (music) the speed at which a composition is to be played
PADDY
noun: (ethnic slur) offensive term for a person of Irish descent
LETUP
noun: a pause during which things are calm or activities are diminished
NOMAD
noun: a member of a people who have no permanent home but move about according to the seasons
ROOMY
noun: an associate who shares a room with you

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