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Daily Word Grid #12: October 5, 2026

Stuck on today's grid? Start with a clue for each word; the letters and the answer only show when you open them. Give the daily grid another go first.

Play today's grid (#12) →

The starting grid

Green tiles start in the right place; yellow ones belong elsewhere in their row or column; gray ones are not needed in their row or column.

Clues for the six words

Top row: a clue

annoy continually or chronically

Its first letter

B

The word

BESET

Middle row: a clue

any compound of oxygen with another element or a radical

Its first letter

O

The word

OXIDE

Bottom row: a clue

one of the elements that collectively form a system of numeration

Its first letter

D

The word

DIGIT

Left column: a clue

a light grayish yellow to near white

Its first letter

B

The word

BLOND

Middle column: a clue

a kind of pain; something as sudden and painful as being stung

Its first letter

S

The word

STING

Right column: a clue

the act of taking something from someone unlawfully

Its first letter

T

The word

THEFT

Today's answer

Show the answer

Across: BESET, OXIDE, DIGIT. Down: BLOND, STING, THEFT.

A 10-swap solution

Show the swaps

One of the shortest ways, starting from the grid above (rows and columns counted from the top left):

  1. Swap I (row 1, column 2) with E (row 5, column 2)
  2. Swap X (row 2, column 3) with T (row 3, column 2)
  3. Swap I (row 3, column 5) with E (row 5, column 4)
  4. Swap G (row 4, column 1) with N (row 5, column 3)
  5. Swap H (row 1, column 1) with B (row 3, column 4)
  6. Swap F (row 1, column 4) with E (row 2, column 5)
  7. Swap I (row 2, column 1) with L (row 4, column 5)
  8. Swap F (row 2, column 5) with H (row 3, column 4)
  9. Swap D (row 3, column 3) with I (row 4, column 5)
  10. Swap F (row 3, column 4) with D (row 4, column 5)

Frequently asked questions

What are the words in grid #12?

Six everyday five-letter words: three across and three down. The top row starts with B and the left column shares that letter. The answer is on this page, folded away.

Can it really be solved in 10 swaps?

Yes. Every grid is checked so that its shortest solution is exactly 10 swaps. You get 15, and each one you save is a star.

When does the next grid come out?

Every day at midnight Eastern Time (New York). Everyone gets the same grid that day.

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