Daily challenge: Friday, January 9, 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 (166 possible words, minimum 3 letters)

EOQuB
PTEE
EDOR
HWES

All 166 words in this grid

7-letter words (8)

HEPTOSE, HETEROS, PETERED, QUEERED, QUOTERS, RESOWED, TEREDOS, TOWERED

6-letter words (15)

DETERS, DOTERS, DOWERS, ERODES, HEDERS, HETERO, HEWERS, PETERS, QUEERS, QUOTED, QUOTER, REDOES, REDTOP, TEREDO, TOWERS

5-letter words (45)

BEDEW, BEERS, BERET, DEERS, DEPOT, DETER, DOERS, DOSER, DOTER, DOWER, ERODE, EROSE, EWERS, HEDER, HEWED, HEWER, OPTED, PEDES, PETER, QUEER, QUOTE, REDES, REDOS, RESOD, RESOW, REWED, REWET, RODEO, ROSED, ROWED, SEDER, SERED, SEROW, SEWED, SOWED, SOWER, TERSE, TEWED, TOPED, TOQUE, TORES, TORSE, TOWED, TOWER, WORSE

4-letter words (40)

BEER, BEET, DEER, DERE, DOER, DOES, DORE, DORS, DOSE, DOTE, EROS, EWER, EWES, ODES, OPED, ORES, OWED, OWES, POET, REDE, REDO, REED, RETE, RODE, ROES, ROSE, ROTE, ROTO, SERE, SORE, TOED, TOES, TOPE, TORE, TORS, WEPT, WERE, WHET, WOES, WORE

3-letter words (58)

BED, BEE, BET, DEB, DEE, DEW, DOE, DOR, DOS, DOT, DOW, EDH, ERE, ERS, EWE, HEP, HET, HEW, ODE, OES, OPE, OPT, ORE, ORS, OSE, OWE, PED, PEH, PET, PEW, POT, REB, RED, REE, RES, RET, ROD, ROE, ROT, ROW, SER, SEW, SOD, SOT, SOW, TED, TEE, TEW, TOD, TOE, TOP, TOR, TOW, WED, WET, WOE, WOS, WOT

5x5 grid (437 possible words, minimum 4 letters)

OOLCO
EIETA
MTSPS
TTOSE
AHALN

All 437 words in this grid

9-letter words (6)

MILEPOSTS, NEPOTISTS, PASTELIST, PESTHOLES, SPOTTIEST, TOTEMISTS

8-letter words (13)

COATLESS, METISSES, MILEPOST, MISSPACE, MISSPELT, NEPOTIST, PASTLESS, PECTASES, PELISSES, PESTHOLE, POTTIEST, TATTIEST, TOTEMIST

7-letter words (37)

ACETOSE, APOSTIL, APOSTLE, ASPECTS, ATTESTS, CAPOTES, CASSATA, CASTLES, ECTASES, HOSTILE, HOTTEST, LOESSAL, LOESSES, METEPAS, METISSE, METOPES, MISPENS, MITOSES, NESTLES, OOLITES, OSTIOLE, PECTASE, PELISSE, PELOTAS, PESTLES, POSSETS, POSTALS, POTTIES, SAPOTAS, SAPOTES, SEPTETS, SESSILE, SESTETS, STALEST, TASSETS, TATTIES, TSETSES

6-letter words (78)

APTEST, ASLOPE, ASPECT, ASPENS, ASSETS, ATTEST, CAPOTE, CASTES, CASTLE, CESSES, CESTAS, CESTOS, CLEPES, COAPTS, COASTS, ELOPES, EPACTS, EPOSES, ESTOPS, ETAPES, HALEST, HAOLES, HASSEL, HOSTAS, HOSTEL, LASSIE, LATTES, LESSEN, LOOIES, LOSSES, LOTTES, METEPA, METOPE, MISPEN, MISSAL, MISSEL, MISSES, NESTLE, OCTETS, OOLITE, PASSEL, PASTEL, PASTES, PELITE, PELOTA, PESTLE, PESTOS, POSSES, POSSET, POSTAL, POTSIE, SALEPS, SAPOTA, SAPOTE, SEPSES, SEPTET, SESTET, SETOSE, SLOPES, SPACES, SPATES, SPEISS, SPELTS, STALES, STAPES, STASES, STILTS, STOLEN, STOLES, STOPES, TASSEL, TASSET, TASSIE, TATTIE, THOLES, TOSSES, TOTALS, TSETSE

5-letter words (142)

ALOHA, APSES, ASPEN, ASSET, CAPES, CAPOS, CASES, CASTE, CASTS, CATES, CELTS, CEPES, CESTA, CESTI, CLEPE, CLEPT, CLIME, COAPT, COAST, COATS, COTES, ELITE, ELOPE, EMITS, EPACT, ESSES, ESTOP, ETAPE, HALES, HALOS, HAOLE, HASPS, HOLES, HOPES, HOSEL, HOSEN, HOSES, HOSTA, HOSTS, HOTEL, ISTLE, LASES, LASSO, LATTE, LEPTA, LISPS, LISTS, LOATH, LOESS, LOOIE, LOPES, LOSEL, LOSES, LOTAH, LOTAS, LOTTE, METES, METIS, MILES, MILTS, MISOS, MISTS, MITES, MITTS, NESTS, OASES, OASTS, OCTET, OPENS, PACES, PACTS, PASES, PASSE, PASTE, PASTS, PATES, PELTS, PESOS, PESTO, PESTS, PETTO, POLES, POSES, POSIT, POSSE, POSTS, PSOAS, SALEP, SALES, SATES, SECTS, SELAH, SENSA, SEPTA, SEPTS, SILTS, SLATS, SLEPT, SLOPE, SLOPS, SLOTH, SLOTS, SOLES, SPACE, SPATE, SPATS, SPEIL, SPELT, SPOTS, STALE, STEPS, STETS, STILE, STILT, STIME, STOAS, STOAT, STOLE, STOPE, STOPS, STOPT, STOSS, TACES, TACET, TALES, TAPES, TASSE, TECTA, TELOI, TEPAS, TESTA, TESTS, THOLE, THOSE, TILES, TILTS, TOLAS, TOLES, TOPES, TOTAL, TOTEM, TOTES

4-letter words (161)

ACES, ACTS, ALES, ALSO, APES, APSE, ASPS, ATES, ATOP, CAPE, CAPO, CAPS, CASE, CAST, CATE, CATS, CEIL, CELT, CEPE, CEPS, CESS, CETE, COAT, COTE, COTS, EMIT, EPOS, ETAS, HALE, HALO, HASP, HATS, HOLE, HOLS, HOPE, HOPS, HOSE, HOST, HOTS, ITEM, LASE, LASS, LATH, LATS, LEIS, LENS, LEPT, LESS, LEST, LETS, LIES, LIME, LISP, LIST, LITE, LITS, LOPE, LOPS, LOSE, LOSS, LOST, LOTA, LOTH, LOTI, LOTS, METE, MILE, MILO, MILT, MISE, MISO, MISS, MIST, MITE, MITT, NESS, NEST, OAST, OATH, OATS, OCAS, OLES, OLIO, OPEN, OPES, OPTS, OSES, OSSA, PACE, PACT, PASE, PASS, PAST, PATE, PATS, PELT, PENS, PESO, PEST, PETS, POLE, POLS, POSE, POST, POTS, PSST, SALE, SAPS, SATE, SECT, SELS, SEPT, SETA, SETS, SETT, SILO, SILT, SITE, SLAT, SLOP, SLOT, SOLA, SOLE, SOLS, SOPS, SOTH, SOTS, SPAS, SPAT, SPEC, SPOT, STAT, STEM, STEP, STET, STOA, STOP, TACE, TACO, TALE, TAOS, TAPE, TAPS, TASS, TATS, TEPA, TEST, TETS, THAT, TIES, TILE, TILT, TIME, TOLA, TOLE, TOPE, TOPS, TOSS, TOST, TOTE, TOTS

6x6 grid (194 possible words, minimum 5 letters)

UOLNLY
TDSEEN
AIFHAW
IERMWS
NETEEN
IHHEUT

All 194 words in this grid

10-letter words (1)

FREEWHEELS

9-letter words (2)

FREEWHEEL, SWEETENER

8-letter words (8)

EMERITAE, ENWHEELS, ETHERISH, FETERITA, TREADLES, TREATISE, TRISHAWS, WEENSIER

7-letter words (23)

DIETHER, DISEASE, EMERITA, ENWHEEL, FERMENT, FIREMAN, FIREMEN, FREEMAN, INHERIT, LOUDISH, LOUTISH, NEREIDS, READOUT, SOLDIER, SWEETEN, SWEETER, TEETHER, THEREAT, THEREIN, THERMAE, THERMES, TREADLE, TRISHAW

6-letter words (55)

AETHER, AIRMAN, AIRMEN, AMRITA, ANELES, DIETER, DIRHAM, DOTIER, ETHENE, FIRMAN, HEINIE, HEREAT, HEREIN, HERMAE, HETMAN, INHERE, LEANLY, MEETER, MENSAE, NEREID, NEREIS, NETHER, OLDISH, REFEEL, REFELS, REMEET, RETENE, RIFELY, SANELY, SAWNEY, SEAMEN, SEAMER, SEETHE, SHAMES, SHEENY, SHREWS, SIREES, SOLELY, TEEMER, TEETER, TEETHE, TEIIDS, TENIAE, THEINE, THEMES, THERME, TREADS, TREENS, TRIADS, TRIENE, UNSAWN, WETHER, WHEELS, WHEENS, WHENAS

5-letter words (105)

AIRTH, AISLE, AMEER, AMENS, AMENT, ANELE, DATOS, DIENE, DOLES, EERIE, EIDOS, ETHER, FEASE, FERIA, FIDOS, FIRTH, FREES, FRISE, HAMES, HAWSE, HEELS, HELOS, HELOT, HEMES, HERMA, IDLES, IDOLS, INERT, LEASE, LENES, LENSE, LOSEL, MANLY, MENSA, MERIT, METER, METRE, NAMER, NAMES, NEIFS, NEMAS, NEWER, OLDIE, OSIER, READS, REEFS, REFEL, REFIT, REHEM, REIFS, REMAN, REMET, RETEM, REWAN, REWET, RHEAS, RISEN, SAWER, SEELY, SEWAN, SEWER, SHAME, SHAWM, SHAWN, SHAWS, SHEAS, SHEEN, SHEWN, SHEWS, SHREW, SIDLE, SIREE, SIREN, SNEER, SOLDI, SWEER, SWEET, TEENS, TEETH, TEIID, TENIA, THEIN, THEME, THERE, THERM, THEWS, THINE, TOLES, TREAD, TREAT, TREEN, TREES, TREWS, TRIAD, TUNES, UNSET, UNSEW, WAMES, WANEY, WANLY, WEENS, WHEEL, WHEEN, WHENS, WHEWS