#110 · Thursday, 26 March 2026

Ladder answer

• INNER 5 letters
• EARNING 7 letters — adds two letters to the rung below
• GARDENING 9 letters — adds two letters to the rung below

INNER sits inside EARNING, which sits inside GARDENING — the two letters added at each rung are the whole puzzle. Scrambles shown that day: RNENI · EGNIANR · RNGAINGED.

LockCode answer: 8730

The clues and what each one tells you:

1. 8632: 2 in the right place, 0 in the wrong place — 2 of 8, 6, 3, 2 are in the code.
2. 9541 scored nothing, so 9, 5, 4, 1 are all out.
3. 3286: 0 in the right place, 2 in the wrong place — 2 of 3, 2, 8, 6 are in the code.
4. 9108: 0 in the right place, 2 in the wrong place — 2 of 9, 1, 0, 8 are in the code.
5. After all clues, 4 codes remain possible.

With 4 candidates left, a good second guess splits them by feedback so the third guess is forced. Read the LockCode strategy guide for the method.