#84 · Saturday, 28 February 2026

Ladder answer

• ONION 5 letters
• OPINION 7 letters — adds two letters to the rung below
• POISONING 9 letters — adds two letters to the rung below

ONION sits inside OPINION, which sits inside POISONING — the two letters added at each rung are the whole puzzle. Scrambles shown that day: ONNIO · INPNIOO · NOIGNISPO.

LockCode answer: 7284

The clues and what each one tells you:

1. 8273: 1 in the right place, 2 in the wrong place — 3 of 8, 2, 7, 3 are in the code.
2. 9213: 1 in the right place, 0 in the wrong place — 1 of 9, 2, 1, 3 are in the code.
3. 9325: 0 in the right place, 1 in the wrong place — 1 of 9, 3, 2, 5 are in the code.
4. 8963: 0 in the right place, 1 in the wrong place — 1 of 8, 9, 6, 3 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.