#310 · Monday, 12 October 2026

Ladder answer

• INCUR 5 letters
• CURTAIN 7 letters — adds two letters to the rung below
• INCUBATOR 9 letters — adds two letters to the rung below

INCUR sits inside CURTAIN, which sits inside INCUBATOR — the two letters added at each rung are the whole puzzle. Scrambles shown that day: CINRU · AUNCTIR · UIRBTCNAO.

LockCode answer: 9053

The clues and what each one tells you:

1. 9086: 2 in the right place, 0 in the wrong place — 2 of 9, 0, 8, 6 are in the code.
2. 7296: 0 in the right place, 1 in the wrong place — 1 of 7, 2, 9, 6 are in the code.
3. 9087: 2 in the right place, 0 in the wrong place — 2 of 9, 0, 8, 7 are in the code.
4. 7928: 0 in the right place, 1 in the wrong place — 1 of 7, 9, 2, 8 are in the code.
5. After all clues, 12 codes remain possible.

With 12 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: CLOVER