Daily challenge: Monday, January 5, 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 (93 possible words, minimum 3 letters)

N	O	E	E
S	L	S	C
E	I	F	N
O	O	S	O

All 93 words in this grid

7-letter words (1)

FOISONS

6-letter words (5)

ECESIS, FILOSE, FOISON, NOESIS, SONSIE

5-letter words (19)

FILES, FILOS, FLEES, FLIES, FLOES, FOILS, ISLES, NOELS, OLEOS, OLIOS, SEELS, SEIFS, SEISE, SELFS, SILOS, SLOES, SOILS, SOLEI, SOLES

4-letter words (39)

CEES, CELS, EELS, ELSE, EONS, FILE, FILO, FILS, FISC, FLEE, FLOE, FOES, FOIL, FONS, ISLE, LEES, LEIS, LIES, LOSE, NOEL, NOES, NOSE, OILS, OLEO, OLES, OLIO, ONCE, SEEL, SEIF, SEIS, SELF, SELS, SILO, SLOE, SOIL, SOLE, SOLI, SOLS, SONS

3-letter words (29)

CEE, CEL, EEL, ELF, ELS, EON, FIE, FIL, FOE, FON, IFS, LEE, LEI, LIE, LIS, NOS, OES, OIL, OLE, ONS, OSE, SEC, SEE, SEI, SEL, SIS, SOL, SON, SOS

5x5 grid (65 possible words, minimum 4 letters)

E	E	E	M	O
I	B	I	I	E
A	E	S	A	A
O	L	A	B	A
E	A	N	H	E

All 65 words in this grid

6-letter words (4)

ABASIA, ANABAS, HALOES, MEASLE

5-letter words (16)

ABASE, ABELE, AISLE, ALOES, ANLAS, ASANA, BAALS, BALAS, BALES, BALSA, BANAL, BASAL, EASEL, HALES, LABIA, SELAH

4-letter words (45)

AALS, ABAS, ALAE, ALAN, ALAS, ALES, ALOE, ANAL, ANAS, ASEA, BAAL, BAAS, BALE, BALS, BASE, BEAN, BELS, BIAS, BISE, EASE, ELAN, ELSE, HAES, HALE, HALO, IBIS, ISBA, ISLE, LABS, LASE, LEAN, LEAS, LEIS, LOAN, MIBS, MISE, NABE, NABS, OLEA, OLES, SABE, SALE, SEAL, SLAB, SLOE

6x6 grid (224 possible words, minimum 5 letters)

Q	T	E	S	T	B
Qu	F	Y	T	E	O
L	E	H	T	C	F
A	A	H	I	R	A
Y	L	R	E	D	L
M	E	O	E	F	D

All 224 words in this grid

8-letter words (10)

FALDERAL, FALDEROL, FERACITY, HARICOTS, HERALDIC, HEREDITY, OCTETTES, TETHERED, TETRACID, TETRADIC

7-letter words (25)

ACRIDER, AREOLAE, AREOLAR, CALDERA, CREEDAL, EDACITY, ETHERIC, ETHICAL, FARTHER, FEDERAL, HARICOT, LARDIER, LAYERED, LEARIER, LEFTEST, OCTETTE, RADICES, REDACTS, REHIRED, THEOREM, THITHER, TIERCES, TIREDER, TREHALA, TRICOTS

6-letter words (70)

AREOLA, AREOLE, ARIDER, ARTIER, BETHEL, BETIDE, CARDER, CAREER, CARIED, CARTES, CITHER, CITRAL, CREDAL, CREDIT, CREOLE, DEICES, DICOTS, DIRELY, DITHER, EDICTS, FACETE, FACETS, FARCES, FARCIE, FEARED, FEARER, FERITY, FEYEST, FLARED, FLAYER, FOETID, FRACTI, FRITTS, FYTTES, HALOED, HEALER, HEARER, HEIRED, HERALD, HERDER, HERDIC, HITHER, LACIER, LARDER, LORICA, OBTECT, OBTEST, OCTETS, OREIDE, RACIER, REDACT, REEDIT, REHEAR, REHIRE, TETHER, TETRAD, THALER, THIRTY, THRICE, TIERCE, TIERED, TIRADE, TRACES, TRACTS, TRADER, TRICES, TRICOT, TYTHED, YEARLY, YTTRIC

5-letter words (119)

AAHED, ACRED, ACRID, AFRIT, ALDER, AREIC, BESET, BOTTS, CADRE, CAFES, CARED, CARER, CARTE, CETES, CIDER, CITES, COTES, CREED, CRIED, CRIER, DACES, DARER, DARIC, DEFER, DEICE, DEITY, DERAY, DICES, DICOT, DICTY, DIRER, DIRTY, DITES, DITTY, DRIER, EARED, EARLY, EDICT, EIDER, ERICA, ETHER, ETHIC, FACES, FACET, FACTS, FADER, FARCE, FARCI, FARED, FARER, FECAL, FERAL, FERLY, FETES, FETID, FLARE, FLEYS, FOCAL, FREED, FREER, FRERE, FRIED, FRIER, FRITH, FRITT, FYTTE, HALER, HARED, HAREM, HAYER, HEDER, HEFTY, HIDER, HIRED, HIRER, IRADE, ITHER, LAARI, LACES, LADER, LAREE, LAYER, LEFTY, LORAL, MERER, MERIT, OBESE, OCTET, QUEYS, RACES, REFED, REFER, RELAY, RICES, RIDER, RITES, TESTY, TETRA, THEFT, THEIR, THERE, THIEF, THIRD, THIRL, THREE, THROE, TICAL, TIDAL, TIRED, TRACE, TRACT, TRADE, TREED, TRICE, TRIED, TRIER, TYTHE, YARER, YETTS