#78 · Sunday, 22 February 2026

Ladder answer

• GREEN 5 letters
• GENERIC 7 letters — adds two letters to the rung below
• RECEIVING 9 letters — adds two letters to the rung below

GREEN sits inside GENERIC, which sits inside RECEIVING — the two letters added at each rung are the whole puzzle. Scrambles shown that day: RENGE · ECGRINE · GVEIECRIN.

LockCode answer: 0968

The clues and what each one tells you:

1. 1968: 3 in the right place, 0 in the wrong place — 3 of 1, 9, 6, 8 are in the code.
2. 4196: 0 in the right place, 2 in the wrong place — 2 of 4, 1, 9, 6 are in the code.
3. 8196: 0 in the right place, 3 in the wrong place — 3 of 8, 1, 9, 6 are in the code.
4. 2467: 1 in the right place, 0 in the wrong place — 1 of 2, 4, 6, 7 are in the code.
5. After all clues, 6 codes remain possible.

With 6 candidates left, a good second guess splits them by feedback so the third guess is forced. Read the LockCode strategy guide for the method.