#157 · Tuesday, 12 May 2026

Ladder answer

• LATER 5 letters
• LITERAL 7 letters — adds two letters to the rung below
• BILATERAL 9 letters — adds two letters to the rung below

LATER sits inside LITERAL, which sits inside BILATERAL — the two letters added at each rung are the whole puzzle. Scrambles shown that day: LATRE · TALREIL · ABELTRLIA.

LockCode answer: 3429

The clues and what each one tells you:

1. 3879: 2 in the right place, 0 in the wrong place — 2 of 3, 8, 7, 9 are in the code.
2. 8176 scored nothing, so 8, 1, 7, 6 are all out.
3. 8391: 0 in the right place, 2 in the wrong place — 2 of 8, 3, 9, 1 are in the code.
4. 6520: 1 in the right place, 0 in the wrong place — 1 of 6, 5, 2, 0 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.