#184 · Monday, 8 June 2026

Ladder answer

• TRIAL 5 letters
• VIRTUAL 7 letters — adds two letters to the rung below
• LUCRATIVE 9 letters — adds two letters to the rung below

TRIAL sits inside VIRTUAL, which sits inside LUCRATIVE — the two letters added at each rung are the whole puzzle. Scrambles shown that day: LITRA · VTULAIR · VTLIAEURC.

LockCode answer: 1095

The clues and what each one tells you:

1. 7035: 2 in the right place, 0 in the wrong place — 2 of 7, 0, 3, 5 are in the code.
2. 6842 scored nothing, so 6, 8, 4, 2 are all out.
3. 6702: 0 in the right place, 1 in the wrong place — 1 of 6, 7, 0, 2 are in the code.
4. 1358: 1 in the right place, 1 in the wrong place — 2 of 1, 3, 5, 8 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.