#124 · Thursday, 9 April 2026

Ladder answer

• TREAT 5 letters
• PATTERN 7 letters — adds two letters to the rung below
• PENETRATE 9 letters — adds two letters to the rung below

TREAT sits inside PATTERN, which sits inside PENETRATE — the two letters added at each rung are the whole puzzle. Scrambles shown that day: TATER · NARETPT · EPAEETNTR.

LockCode answer: 5091

The clues and what each one tells you:

1. 5092: 3 in the right place, 0 in the wrong place — 3 of 5, 0, 9, 2 are in the code.
2. 8906: 0 in the right place, 2 in the wrong place — 2 of 8, 9, 0, 6 are in the code.
3. 5962: 1 in the right place, 1 in the wrong place — 2 of 5, 9, 6, 2 are in the code.
4. 7139: 0 in the right place, 2 in the wrong place — 2 of 7, 1, 3, 9 are in the code.
5. After all clues, 5 codes remain possible.

With 5 candidates left, a good second guess splits them by feedback so the third guess is forced. Read the LockCode strategy guide for the method.