Infinite Wordplay › Grid › Archive › #8
Daily Word Grid #8: October 1, 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.
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
something or someone that has suffered ruin or dilapidation
Its first letter
W
The word
WRECK
Middle row: a clue
operate or control a vehicle
Its first letter
D
The word
DRIVE
Bottom row: a clue
a simple machine consisting of a circular frame with spokes (or a solid disc) that can rotate on a shaft or axle (as in vehicles or other machines)
Its first letter
W
The word
WHEEL
Left column: a clue
a woman whose husband is dead especially one who has not remarried
Its first letter
W
The word
WIDOW
Middle column: a clue
a person who is voluntarily absent from home or country
Its first letter
E
The word
EXILE
Right column: a clue
supporting yourself on your knees
Its first letter
K
The word
KNEEL
Today's answer
Show the answer
Across: WRECK, DRIVE, WHEEL. Down: WIDOW, EXILE, KNEEL.
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):
- Swap O (row 1, column 3) with E (row 4, column 1)
- Swap D (row 2, column 3) with X (row 3, column 1)
- Swap E (row 2, column 5) with N (row 5, column 3)
- Swap E (row 5, column 2) with H (row 5, column 4)
- Swap K (row 1, column 4) with C (row 4, column 3)
- Swap R (row 1, column 5) with K (row 4, column 3)
- Swap L (row 2, column 1) with I (row 3, column 5)
- Swap W (row 3, column 2) with R (row 4, column 3)
- Swap L (row 3, column 5) with E (row 5, column 1)
- Swap W (row 4, column 3) with L (row 5, column 1)
Frequently asked questions
What are the words in grid #8?
Six everyday five-letter words: three across and three down. The top row starts with W 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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