Infinite Wordplay › Grid › Archive › #28
Daily Word Grid #28: October 21, 2026
The daily word grid from October 21, 2026 (#28): 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
intense sorrow caused by loss of a loved one (especially by death)
Its first letter
G
The word
GRIEF
Middle row: a clue
freshwater carnivorous mammal having webbed and clawed feet and dark brown fur
Its first letter
O
The word
OTTER
Bottom row: a clue
get ready for something difficult or unpleasant
Its first letter
N
The word
NERVE
Left column: a clue
(of animals) fully developed
Its first letter
G
The word
GROWN
Middle column: a clue
place in a grave or tomb
Its first letter
I
The word
INTER
Right column: a clue
furnace consisting of a special hearth where metal is heated before shaping
Its first letter
F
The word
FORGE
The answer
Across: GRIEF, OTTER, NERVE. Down: GROWN, INTER, FORGE.
A 10-swap solution
One of the shortest ways, starting from the grid above (rows and columns counted from the top left):
- Swap E (row 2, column 1) with R (row 3, column 4)
- Swap V (row 2, column 5) with O (row 5, column 4)
- Swap R (row 3, column 2) with T (row 3, column 5)
- Swap E (row 5, column 1) with N (row 5, column 2)
- Swap W (row 1, column 2) with R (row 5, column 5)
- Swap R (row 1, column 3) with I (row 3, column 3)
- Swap T (row 1, column 5) with F (row 5, column 3)
- Swap R (row 3, column 3) with T (row 5, column 3)
- Swap G (row 4, column 1) with W (row 5, column 5)
- Swap E (row 4, column 5) with G (row 5, column 5)
Frequently asked questions
What were the words in grid #28?
Across: GRIEF, OTTER, NERVE. Down: GROWN, INTER, FORGE.
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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