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Daily Word Grid #40: November 2, 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 (#40) →

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

follow, discover, or ascertain the course of development of something

Its first letter

T

The word

TRACE

Middle row: a clue

have or possess in combination

Its first letter

U

The word

UNITE

Bottom row: a clue

a sweet yellow liquid produced by bees

Its first letter

H

The word

HONEY

Left column: a clue

not given to gentleness or sentimentality

Its first letter

T

The word

TOUGH

Middle column: a clue

place in a line or arrange so as to be parallel or straight

Its first letter

A

The word

ALIGN

Right column: a clue

an opposing military force

Its first letter

E

The word

ENEMY

Today's answer

Show the answer

Across: TRACE, UNITE, HONEY. Down: TOUGH, ALIGN, ENEMY.

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 Y (row 1, column 1) with T (row 5, column 5)
  2. Swap E (row 1, column 3) with A (row 1, column 5)
  3. Swap N (row 2, column 1) with O (row 2, column 5)
  4. Swap O (row 1, column 2) with R (row 3, column 1)
  5. Swap N (row 1, column 4) with C (row 5, column 4)
  6. Swap E (row 3, column 2) with N (row 5, column 4)
  7. Swap O (row 3, column 1) with U (row 4, column 3)
  8. Swap G (row 3, column 4) with T (row 3, column 5)
  9. Swap G (row 3, column 5) with E (row 5, column 2)
  10. Swap O (row 4, column 3) with G (row 5, column 2)

Frequently asked questions

What are the words in grid #40?

Six everyday five-letter words: three across and three down. The top row starts with T 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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