#282 · Monday, 14 September 2026

Ladder answer

• ROUTE 5 letters
• RECOUNT 7 letters — adds two letters to the rung below
• CONSTRUED 9 letters — adds two letters to the rung below

ROUTE sits inside RECOUNT, which sits inside CONSTRUED — the two letters added at each rung are the whole puzzle. Scrambles shown that day: EUTRO · ENOTURC · ORUETNDCS.

LockCode answer: 6123

The clues and what each one tells you:

1. 6197: 2 in the right place, 0 in the wrong place — 2 of 6, 1, 9, 7 are in the code.
2. 5417: 0 in the right place, 1 in the wrong place — 1 of 5, 4, 1, 7 are in the code.
3. 9386: 0 in the right place, 2 in the wrong place — 2 of 9, 3, 8, 6 are in the code.
4. 9864: 0 in the right place, 1 in the wrong place — 1 of 9, 8, 6, 4 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.

Lumen answer: CAMERA