Infinite Wordplay › Grid › Archive › #26
Daily Word Grid #26: October 19, 2026
The daily word grid from October 19, 2026 (#26): 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
the location of something surrounded by other things
Its first letter
M
The word
MIDST
Middle row: a clue
a deep ravine (usually with a river running through it)
Its first letter
G
The word
GORGE
Bottom row: a clue
any of various mints of the genus Thymus
Its first letter
T
The word
THYME
Left column: a clue
physical strength
Its first letter
M
The word
MIGHT
Middle column: a clue
a felt hat that is round and hard with a narrow brim
Its first letter
D
The word
DERBY
Right column: a clue
An everyday five-letter word.
Its first letter
T
The word
THESE
The answer
Across: MIDST, GORGE, THYME. Down: MIGHT, DERBY, THESE.
A 10-swap solution
One of the shortest ways, starting from the grid above (rows and columns counted from the top left):
- Swap M (row 2, column 1) with I (row 5, column 4)
- Swap B (row 2, column 3) with E (row 4, column 3)
- Swap Y (row 4, column 1) with H (row 5, column 3)
- Swap E (row 1, column 1) with M (row 5, column 1)
- Swap E (row 5, column 1) with T (row 5, column 5)
- Swap S (row 1, column 2) with I (row 3, column 4)
- Swap G (row 1, column 4) with S (row 3, column 4)
- Swap E (row 3, column 1) with G (row 3, column 2)
- Swap E (row 3, column 2) with O (row 4, column 5)
- Swap S (row 3, column 5) with E (row 4, column 5)
Frequently asked questions
What were the words in grid #26?
Across: MIDST, GORGE, THYME. Down: MIGHT, DERBY, THESE.
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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