Infinite Wordplay › Grid › Archive › #21
Daily Word Grid #21: October 14, 2026
The daily word grid from October 14, 2026 (#21): how it started, the answer, and one way to solve it in 10 swaps.
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
(law) a right or legal share of something; a financial involvement with something
Its first letter
S
The word
STAKE
Middle row: a clue
evergreen tree cultivated in the Mediterranean region since antiquity and now elsewhere; has edible shiny black fruits
Its first letter
O
The word
OLIVE
Bottom row: a clue
a small being, human in form, playful and having magical powers
Its first letter
F
The word
FAIRY
Left column: a clue
a composition that imitates or misrepresents somebody's style, usually in a humorous way
Its first letter
S
The word
SPOOF
Middle column: a clue
(law) a defense by an accused person purporting to show that they could not have committed the crime in question
Its first letter
A
The word
ALIBI
Right column: a clue
a hard grey-black mineral consisting of corundum and either hematite or magnetite; used as an abrasive (especially as a coating on paper)
Its first letter
E
The word
EMERY
The answer
Across: STAKE, OLIVE, FAIRY. Down: SPOOF, ALIBI, EMERY.
A 10-swap solution
One of the shortest ways, starting from the grid above (rows and columns counted from the top left):
- Swap O (row 1, column 1) with S (row 4, column 1)
- Swap A (row 1, column 5) with E (row 5, column 2)
- Swap R (row 5, column 1) with F (row 5, column 4)
- Swap M (row 1, column 2) with T (row 3, column 1)
- Swap P (row 1, column 3) with A (row 2, column 5)
- Swap V (row 1, column 4) with K (row 3, column 2)
- Swap V (row 3, column 2) with L (row 3, column 4)
- Swap E (row 2, column 1) with P (row 2, column 5)
- Swap E (row 2, column 5) with M (row 3, column 1)
- Swap E (row 3, column 1) with O (row 3, column 5)
Frequently asked questions
What were the words in grid #21?
Across: STAKE, OLIVE, FAIRY. Down: SPOOF, ALIBI, EMERY.
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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