#230 · Friday, 24 July 2026

Ladder answer

• IDEAL 5 letters
• DISABLE 7 letters — adds two letters to the rung below
• DESIRABLE 9 letters — adds two letters to the rung below

IDEAL sits inside DISABLE, which sits inside DESIRABLE — the two letters added at each rung are the whole puzzle. Scrambles shown that day: LAIDE · SBDALEI · BEARELIDS.

LockCode answer: 1205

The clues and what each one tells you:

1. 3250: 1 in the right place, 2 in the wrong place — 3 of 3, 2, 5, 0 are in the code.
2. 1734: 1 in the right place, 0 in the wrong place — 1 of 1, 7, 3, 4 are in the code.
3. 6871: 0 in the right place, 1 in the wrong place — 1 of 6, 8, 7, 1 are in the code.
4. 5896: 0 in the right place, 1 in the wrong place — 1 of 5, 8, 9, 6 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.