#153 · Friday, 8 May 2026

Ladder answer

• RIGID 5 letters
• DRIVING 7 letters — adds two letters to the rung below
• PROVIDING 9 letters — adds two letters to the rung below

RIGID sits inside DRIVING, which sits inside PROVIDING — the two letters added at each rung are the whole puzzle. Scrambles shown that day: RGDII · RDNIVIG · ODGPRINVI.

LockCode answer: 8902

The clues and what each one tells you:

1. 1952: 2 in the right place, 0 in the wrong place — 2 of 1, 9, 5, 2 are in the code.
2. 9320: 0 in the right place, 3 in the wrong place — 3 of 9, 3, 2, 0 are in the code.
3. 2013: 0 in the right place, 2 in the wrong place — 2 of 2, 0, 1, 3 are in the code.
4. 9710: 0 in the right place, 2 in the wrong place — 2 of 9, 7, 1, 0 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.