#73 · Tuesday, 17 February 2026

Ladder answer

• DECOR 5 letters
• PROCEED 7 letters — adds two letters to the rung below
• PROTECTED 9 letters — adds two letters to the rung below

DECOR sits inside PROCEED, which sits inside PROTECTED — the two letters added at each rung are the whole puzzle. Scrambles shown that day: OEDCR · CDOEEPR · PDECTRETO.

LockCode answer: 7053

The clues and what each one tells you:

1. 7235: 1 in the right place, 2 in the wrong place — 3 of 7, 2, 3, 5 are in the code.
2. 7504: 1 in the right place, 2 in the wrong place — 3 of 7, 5, 0, 4 are in the code.
3. 1689 scored nothing, so 1, 6, 8, 9 are all out.
4. 4038: 1 in the right place, 1 in the wrong place — 2 of 4, 0, 3, 8 are in the code.
5. After all clues, 3 codes remain possible.

With 3 candidates left, a good second guess splits them by feedback so the third guess is forced. Read the LockCode strategy guide for the method.