#288 · Sunday, 20 September 2026

Ladder answer

• DRESS 5 letters
• DESSERT 7 letters — adds two letters to the rung below
• PERSISTED 9 letters — adds two letters to the rung below

DRESS sits inside DESSERT, which sits inside PERSISTED — the two letters added at each rung are the whole puzzle. Scrambles shown that day: DRSSE · TRSESDE · DSIESPERT.

LockCode answer: 1397

The clues and what each one tells you:

1. 1795: 2 in the right place, 1 in the wrong place — 3 of 1, 7, 9, 5 are in the code.
2. 2614: 0 in the right place, 1 in the wrong place — 1 of 2, 6, 1, 4 are in the code.
3. 6038: 0 in the right place, 1 in the wrong place — 1 of 6, 0, 3, 8 are in the code.
4. 5032: 0 in the right place, 1 in the wrong place — 1 of 5, 0, 3, 2 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: PLANE