#311 · Tuesday, 13 October 2026

Ladder answer

• TOPIC 5 letters
• OPTICAL 7 letters — adds two letters to the rung below
• COMPLAINT 9 letters — adds two letters to the rung below

TOPIC sits inside OPTICAL, which sits inside COMPLAINT — the two letters added at each rung are the whole puzzle. Scrambles shown that day: TOCPI · TCLOIAP · ICAMNOPLT.

LockCode answer: 1547

The clues and what each one tells you:

1. 1927: 2 in the right place, 0 in the wrong place — 2 of 1, 9, 2, 7 are in the code.
2. 3128: 0 in the right place, 1 in the wrong place — 1 of 3, 1, 2, 8 are in the code.
3. 6821: 0 in the right place, 1 in the wrong place — 1 of 6, 8, 2, 1 are in the code.
4. 5062: 0 in the right place, 1 in the wrong place — 1 of 5, 0, 6, 2 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: SHIP