TodayHint

Letter Boxed October 25, 2026: Hints & Answers

edited by Sam Ezersky.

Recap

This puzzle required a strategic approach to find a chain that uses all 12 letters. Solvers had to balance using common letters to keep options open, while also working towards a solution that fits the board's constraints.

The board that was printed

Twelve letters, three to a side. A word could hop from any side to any other but never twice in a row from the same side, and each word had to start on the letter the last one ended on.

  • TopDAK
  • RightNTR
  • BottomLEB
  • LeftIWC

Par is 4 words. This board accepts 1631 words in total.

Letter Boxed hints, one rung at a time

Six rungs, softest first. The recap above already named the chain, so this ladder is here for anyone replaying the board fresh rather than as a spoiler shield.

  1. How the board wanted to be attacked

    Method only — no word from the chain.

    The board has a mix of common and uncommon letters. Look for an opening word that uses a side with multiple common letters. The goal is to find a word that sets up multiple possibilities for the next word. Focus on using sides with letters that appear in many words.

  2. Board facts: letters, par and how many words fitted

    Read off the board.

    Top side
    D · A · K
    Right side
    N · T · R
    Bottom side
    L · E · B
    Left side
    I · W · C
    Par
    4 words
    Official chain
    2 words
    Words this board accepted
    1631
    Back to the twelve letters
  3. The opening word, without naming it

    The first word has 5 letters and starts with A. It's a good idea to start with a word that has a high chance of leading to multiple next words.

  4. How long the opening word was, and where it started
    Opening word
    10 letters, starts with C
    Word 2
    6 letters
  5. The opening word itself

    The recap above already named it; this rung is for a replay.

    Word 1
    CRABWALKED
  6. What each remaining word had to do

    Last rung before the full chain.

    Each word after the first began on the letter the previous one ended on, and between them they covered all 12 letters.

    Word 2
    6 letters, starts with D
    Open the full chain

Every word of that day's chain

All the words, folded. Each one stays hidden until you open it.

  • Word 1 · 10 letters

    CRABWALKED

    This 10-letter word describes a type of movement. It clears the letters C, R, A, B, W, L, K, E, and D.

  • Word 2 · 6 letters

    DETAIN

    This 6-letter word means to hold or keep someone in a place. It clears the letters D, E, T, A, I, and N.

Other chains that solved that board

Any chain using all twelve letters, each word starting where the last ended, was a win. These came out of that board's own word list, so every one of them was playable.

  • Alternate chain 1 · 2 words

    ALIENATEDDRAWBACK

  • Alternate chain 2 · 2 words

    BACKCRAWLLANDTIE

  • Alternate chain 3 · 2 words

    BACKTALKKIRKWARDEN

This board by the numbers

Date
Sunday, October 25, 2026
Board
4 sides of 3 letters
Par
4 words
Official chain
2 words
Words accepted
1631 on this board
Other chains we verified
3

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