#220 · Tuesday, 14 July 2026

Ladder answer

• EARLY 5 letters
• REALITY 7 letters — adds two letters to the rung below
• LITERALLY 9 letters — adds two letters to the rung below

EARLY sits inside REALITY, which sits inside LITERALLY — the two letters added at each rung are the whole puzzle. Scrambles shown that day: EYLAR · LIRYTEA · LLEAITRYL.

LockCode answer: 7941

The clues and what each one tells you:

1. 3940: 2 in the right place, 0 in the wrong place — 2 of 3, 9, 4, 0 are in the code.
2. 3260 scored nothing, so 3, 2, 6, 0 are all out.
3. 0942: 2 in the right place, 0 in the wrong place — 2 of 0, 9, 4, 2 are in the code.
4. 2061: 1 in the right place, 0 in the wrong place — 1 of 2, 0, 6, 1 are in the code.
5. After all clues, 3 codes remain possible.

With 3 candidates left, a good second guess splits them by feedback so the third guess is forced. Read the LockCode strategy guide for the method.