#246 · Sunday, 9 August 2026

Ladder answer

• NIGHT 5 letters
• HEATING 7 letters — adds two letters to the rung below
• BREATHING 9 letters — adds two letters to the rung below

NIGHT sits inside HEATING, which sits inside BREATHING — the two letters added at each rung are the whole puzzle. Scrambles shown that day: INGTH · IHEANTG · INAHTEGBR.

LockCode answer: 4602

The clues and what each one tells you:

1. 7604: 2 in the right place, 1 in the wrong place — 3 of 7, 6, 0, 4 are in the code.
2. 9017: 0 in the right place, 1 in the wrong place — 1 of 9, 0, 1, 7 are in the code.
3. 9760: 0 in the right place, 2 in the wrong place — 2 of 9, 7, 6, 0 are in the code.
4. 5618: 1 in the right place, 0 in the wrong place — 1 of 5, 6, 1, 8 are in the code.
5. After all clues, 8 codes remain possible.

With 8 candidates left, a good second guess splits them by feedback so the third guess is forced. Read the LockCode strategy guide for the method.