#43 · Sunday, 18 January 2026

Ladder answer

• COVER 5 letters
• CONVERT 7 letters — adds two letters to the rung below
• CONTRIVED 9 letters — adds two letters to the rung below

COVER sits inside CONVERT, which sits inside CONTRIVED — the two letters added at each rung are the whole puzzle. Scrambles shown that day: CRVOE · RNCOTVE · CONREDVIT.

LockCode answer: 0932

The clues and what each one tells you:

1. 2983: 1 in the right place, 2 in the wrong place — 3 of 2, 9, 8, 3 are in the code.
2. 7631: 1 in the right place, 0 in the wrong place — 1 of 7, 6, 3, 1 are in the code.
3. 1527: 0 in the right place, 1 in the wrong place — 1 of 1, 5, 2, 7 are in the code.
4. 8629: 0 in the right place, 2 in the wrong place — 2 of 8, 6, 2, 9 are in the code.
5. After all clues, 7 codes remain possible.

With 7 candidates left, a good second guess splits them by feedback so the third guess is forced. Read the LockCode strategy guide for the method.