Daily challenge: Thursday, January 1, 2026

The complete record of this day's puzzles: each grid, every word it contained, and the players who scored highest. Words are validated against Popple's 172,727-word dictionary; minimum length is 3 letters on 4×4, 4 on 5×5, and 5 on 6×6.

4x4 grid (231 possible words, minimum 3 letters)

MNNT
SNTS
EECO
RTIP

All 231 words in this grid

9-letter words (1)

POSTTEENS

8-letter words (5)

PICOTEES, POSTEENS, POSTTEEN, RETICENT, SENECIOS

7-letter words (13)

ENTOPIC, OCTETTS, PICENES, PICOTEE, POSTEEN, POTEENS, RECITES, RESECTS, RESENTS, SENECIO, SOPITES, STOITER, TREETOP

6-letter words (35)

CENSER, CENTOS, CERTES, COPIER, COPIES, COSTER, COSTES, CTENES, ERECTS, OCTETS, OCTETT, PICENE, PICOTE, PICOTS, POSTER, POTEEN, RECITE, RECTOS, RENTES, RESECT, RESENT, RESETS, RETIES, SCENES, SCIENT, SCOTER, SEITEN, SOPITE, STEENS, STERES, TENETS, TENSER, TENTER, TOPICS, TREENS

5-letter words (57)

CENSE, CENTO, CENTS, CERES, CETES, CITER, CITES, COSTE, COTES, COTTS, CTENE, ENTER, ERECT, ETENS, NETES, NETOP, NETTS, OCTET, PICOT, PIERT, PIETS, POTES, POTTS, RECIT, RECTI, RECTO, REENS, RENTE, RENTS, RESET, RETES, RETIE, SCENE, SCENT, SECTS, SENTE, SENTS, SETTS, SNEER, STEEN, STEER, STENS, STERE, STOIC, STOIT, TEENS, TENES, TENET, TENSE, TENTS, TERES, TETES, TICES, TOPIC, TREEN, TREES, TRETS

4-letter words (75)

CEES, CENS, CENT, CERE, CERT, CETE, CITE, COIT, COST, COTE, COTS, COTT, ECOS, ENES, ERES, ESNE, ETEN, ETIC, ICER, ICES, NETE, NETS, NETT, PICE, PICS, PIER, PIES, PIET, POST, POTE, POTS, POTT, RECS, REEN, REES, RENS, RENT, RETE, RETS, SCOP, SCOT, SECO, SECS, SECT, SEEN, SEER, SENE, SENT, SERE, SETS, SETT, SNEE, STEN, STET, STOP, TECS, TEEN, TEER, TEES, TENE, TENS, TENT, TETE, TETS, TICE, TICS, TIER, TIES, TOCS, TOIT, TOPI, TOST, TREE, TRES, TRET

3-letter words (45)

CEE, CIT, COP, COS, COT, ECO, EEN, ENE, ENS, ERE, ICE, IOS, NEE, NET, PIC, PIE, PIT, POI, POS, POT, REC, REE, REI, REN, RES, RET, SEC, SEE, SEI, SEN, SER, SET, SOC, SOP, SOT, TEC, TEE, TEN, TES, TET, TIC, TIE, TIP, TOC, TOP

5x5 grid (220 possible words, minimum 4 letters)

RALNN
TAOBV
ETAOS
DTUDT
TFUOH

All 220 words in this grid

7-letter words (10)

ABLATED, BLARTED, BLATTED, BLOATED, BLOTTED, LOBATED, NOTATED, RATATAT, TALBOTS, TUATARA

6-letter words (38)

ABLATE, ALATED, ALBATA, BATATA, BATTED, BLOODS, BOATED, BOOTED, BOTTED, BOUTON, DAUTED, DOATED, DOBLON, DOUTED, ETALON, HOUTED, LOBATE, LOTTED, NOTATE, OBLATE, OUTATE, OUTEAT, RATOOS, RATTED, RATTON, SOOTED, SOUTAR, TABOOS, TALBOT, TARTED, TATTED, TAUTED, TOOART, TOOTED, TOUTED, TUFTED, TUTTED, VOUDOU

5-letter words (61)

ABOON, ABOUT, ADOBO, ALATE, ARTAL, ATTAR, BAAED, BATED, BATON, BATTA, BATTU, BAUDS, BLART, BLATE, BLATT, BLOAT, BLOOD, BOART, BOLAR, BOOST, BOOTH, BOOTS, BOTTE, DATAL, DATED, DATTO, DOABS, DOBLA, DOOBS, DSOBO, FUTON, LATED, LATTE, LOADS, LOBOS, LOOTS, LOTTE, NOTAL, NOTED, OTTAR, OUTED, RATAL, RATED, RATOO, SOOTE, STOAT, STOOL, STOUT, TAATA, TABLA, TABOO, TALAR, TALON, TATAR, TETRA, TOADS, TOLAR, TOOTH, TOOTS, TRATT, VODOU

4-letter words (111)

ABOS, ADOS, ALAE, ALAR, ALBA, ALBS, ATUA, AUTO, BAAL, BADS, BATE, BATT, BAUD, BLAE, BLAT, BLOT, BOAR, BOAT, BODS, BOLA, BOOL, BOON, BOOS, BOOT, BOTA, BOTH, BOTS, BOTT, BOUT, DABS, DATA, DATE, DATO, DAUT, DEAL, DEAR, DOAB, DOAT, DOBS, DOOB, DOOL, DOON, DOST, DOTH, DOTS, DOUT, DUOS, ETAT, FUDS, HODS, HOTS, HOUF, HOUT, LATE, LATU, LOAD, LOBO, LOBS, LOOS, LOOT, LOTA, LOTE, NOBS, NOTA, NOTE, NOTT, OBOL, OBOS, ODSO, OOTS, OUDS, RATA, RATE, RATO, RATU, SOBA, SODA, SOOL, SOON, SOOT, SOTH, SOUT, STOA, STOB, TAAL, TABS, TADS, TAED, TALA, TAOS, TARA, TART, TATE, TATT, TATU, TAUT, TEAL, TEAR, TEAT, THOU, TOAD, TODS, TOLA, TOOL, TOON, TOOT, TOUT, TRAT, TUFT, TUTU, UDOS

6x6 grid (181 possible words, minimum 5 letters)

TTPFRU
DAETLS
NMDWER
NAVNOO
IPTTWL
PIOOTL

All 181 words in this grid

8-letter words (4)

ADAPTERS, MANDATED, PINNATED, RESULTED

7-letter words (14)

ADAPTER, ADEPTER, ANNATTO, ATTONES, DEADMAN, ENTAMED, FEWTERS, LENTORS, MANDATE, METEORS, MEWLERS, PEWTERS, PINNATE, TANNATE

6-letter words (59)

AMATED, ANADEM, ANATTO, APEMAN, ATTONE, DEFTER, DEMAIN, DEMAND, DETENT, DETERS, DEWOOL, ENTAME, FEWTER, FLEWED, INMATE, INNATE, LENTOR, LONERS, LORELS, LOWERS, LOWNES, LOWTED, MANATI, MATIPO, MATTED, METEOR, METERS, MEWLER, NORSEL, OWLERS, OWNERS, PATTED, PETERS, PEWTER, PINNAE, RESULT, RETEAM, ROTTAN, ROWELS, ROWTED, RULERS, SELFED, SEROON, SLEWED, SURFED, TENORS, TEWELS, TONERS, TORSEL, TOWELS, TOWERS, TOWTED, TWOERS, VANMAN, WEFTES, WELTED, WOOERS, WORSEN, WORSET

5-letter words (104)

ADAPT, ADEPT, ADMAN, AMAIN, AMATE, AMNIA, ANNAT, APTED, APTER, DAMAN, DATED, DATTO, DEMAN, DETER, DWELT, ELFED, ENDEW, EORLS, EWERS, FETES, FETTA, FEWER, INAPT, LENTI, LENTO, LONER, LOREL, LORES, LOTTO, LOWED, LOWER, LOWES, LOWND, LOWNE, LUSER, MANAT, MANNA, MATED, MATTE, METER, METES, MEWLS, NAMED, NAPED, NAPOO, NEROL, NEWED, NOELS, NOWED, NOWLS, ONERS, ORLES, OWLER, OWLET, OWNER, PADMA, PANDA, PATED, PATIO, PATTE, PETER, PINNA, PIPIT, POTOO, POTTO, RETEM, REWED, REWET, REWON, RONDE, RONEO, RONES, ROWED, ROWEL, ROWEN, ROWND, RULER, RULES, SENOR, SENTI, SERON, SEROW, SEWED, TAMED, TANNA, TAPED, TAPET, TENOR, TETES, TEWED, TEWEL, TONER, TONES, TORES, TORSE, TOWED, TOWEL, TOWER, TWOER, VANDA, WEFTE, WOOER, WORSE, WOWED