#129 · Tuesday, 14 April 2026

Ladder answer

• METAL 5 letters
• CLIMATE 7 letters — adds two letters to the rung below
• METABOLIC 9 letters — adds two letters to the rung below

METAL sits inside CLIMATE, which sits inside METABOLIC — the two letters added at each rung are the whole puzzle. Scrambles shown that day: METLA · ELITCAM · BOATLCIEM.

LockCode answer: 2107

The clues and what each one tells you:

1. 2867: 2 in the right place, 0 in the wrong place — 2 of 2, 8, 6, 7 are in the code.
2. 1460: 0 in the right place, 2 in the wrong place — 2 of 1, 4, 6, 0 are in the code.
3. 3640: 0 in the right place, 1 in the wrong place — 1 of 3, 6, 4, 0 are in the code.
4. 4502: 1 in the right place, 1 in the wrong place — 2 of 4, 5, 0, 2 are in the code.
5. After all clues, 2 codes remain possible.

With 2 candidates left, a good second guess splits them by feedback so the third guess is forced. Read the LockCode strategy guide for the method.