#161 · Saturday, 16 May 2026

Ladder answer

• HINGE 5 letters
• HEADING 7 letters — adds two letters to the rung below
• HARDENING 9 letters — adds two letters to the rung below

HINGE sits inside HEADING, which sits inside HARDENING — the two letters added at each rung are the whole puzzle. Scrambles shown that day: EHIGN · GENDIAH · EIGRDNAHN.

LockCode answer: 6521

The clues and what each one tells you:

1. 6508: 2 in the right place, 0 in the wrong place — 2 of 6, 5, 0, 8 are in the code.
2. 5308: 0 in the right place, 1 in the wrong place — 1 of 5, 3, 0, 8 are in the code.
3. 8560: 1 in the right place, 1 in the wrong place — 2 of 8, 5, 6, 0 are in the code.
4. 9460: 0 in the right place, 1 in the wrong place — 1 of 9, 4, 6, 0 are in the code.
5. After all clues, 6 codes remain possible.

With 6 candidates left, a good second guess splits them by feedback so the third guess is forced. Read the LockCode strategy guide for the method.