#106 · Sunday, 22 March 2026

Ladder answer

• RESET 5 letters
• EASTERN 7 letters — adds two letters to the rung below
• EARNESTLY 9 letters — adds two letters to the rung below

RESET sits inside EASTERN, which sits inside EARNESTLY — the two letters added at each rung are the whole puzzle. Scrambles shown that day: RTSEE · TEARNES · RLASETENY.

LockCode answer: 5918

The clues and what each one tells you:

1. 5081: 1 in the right place, 2 in the wrong place — 3 of 5, 0, 8, 1 are in the code.
2. 6073 scored nothing, so 6, 0, 7, 3 are all out.
3. 2749: 0 in the right place, 1 in the wrong place — 1 of 2, 7, 4, 9 are in the code.
4. 7194: 0 in the right place, 2 in the wrong place — 2 of 7, 1, 9, 4 are in the code.
5. After all clues, 8 codes remain possible.

With 8 candidates left, a good second guess splits them by feedback so the third guess is forced. Read the LockCode strategy guide for the method.