#306 · Thursday, 8 October 2026

Ladder answer

• TREND 5 letters
• PRETEND 7 letters — adds two letters to the rung below
• PREVENTED 9 letters — adds two letters to the rung below

TREND sits inside PRETEND, which sits inside PREVENTED — the two letters added at each rung are the whole puzzle. Scrambles shown that day: EDNRT · TPNERED · DRNVEPTEE.

LockCode answer: 0869

The clues and what each one tells you:

1. 4169: 2 in the right place, 0 in the wrong place — 2 of 4, 1, 6, 9 are in the code.
2. 4653: 0 in the right place, 1 in the wrong place — 1 of 4, 6, 5, 3 are in the code.
3. 1978: 0 in the right place, 2 in the wrong place — 2 of 1, 9, 7, 8 are in the code.
4. 6021: 0 in the right place, 2 in the wrong place — 2 of 6, 0, 2, 1 are in the code.
5. After all clues, 10 codes remain possible.

With 10 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: WINDMILL