#181 · Friday, 5 June 2026

Ladder answer

• WHERE 5 letters
• WHETHER 7 letters — adds two letters to the rung below
• THEREWITH 9 letters — adds two letters to the rung below

WHERE sits inside WHETHER, which sits inside THEREWITH — the two letters added at each rung are the whole puzzle. Scrambles shown that day: HREWE · RTEHEHW · THTIEHWRE.

LockCode answer: 2079

The clues and what each one tells you:

1. 7206: 0 in the right place, 3 in the wrong place — 3 of 7, 2, 0, 6 are in the code.
2. 7849: 1 in the right place, 1 in the wrong place — 2 of 7, 8, 4, 9 are in the code.
3. 3215: 0 in the right place, 1 in the wrong place — 1 of 3, 2, 1, 5 are in the code.
4. 0681: 0 in the right place, 1 in the wrong place — 1 of 0, 6, 8, 1 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.