Daily Word Ladder Solution 2025-11-18: FEARS → STATE

Date: 2025-11-18

FEARS → STATE

Difficulty: Easy Goal Steps: 5 5 Letters

Today's Word Ladder puzzle connects FEARS to STATE in 5 steps. This 5-letter word puzzle challenges your vocabulary and logic skills. Can you find the shortest path?

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Step-by-Step Solution

Step 1 FEARS → BEARS

Change the 1st letter F to B, turning FEARS into BEARS.

Step 2 BEARS → BEATS

Change the 4th letter R to T, turning BEARS into BEATS.

Step 3 BEATS → SEATS

Change the 1st letter B to S, turning BEATS into SEATS.

Step 4 SEATS → STATS

Change the 2nd letter E to T, turning SEATS into STATS.

Step 5 STATS → STATE

Change the 5th letter S to E, turning STATS into STATE.

Puzzle Insights

Change positions: pos 1: 2, pos 2: 1, pos 4: 1, pos 5: 1. Most-changed position: 1 (2).

Change sequence: 1, 4, 1, 2, 5.

Letter mix: V→V 0, V→C 1, C→V 1, C→C 3.

Word stats: 6 words, 7 unique letters. Start/target share 1 position.

Try It Before You Reveal the Path

Cover the steps and work from both FEARS and STATE first. This ladder needs 5 moves, and the endpoints already share 1 letter position—so a useful move does not always look immediately closer to the target.

The recorded route changes position 1 from F to B first, but saves position 5 (S to E) for the finish. That is a useful reminder to enter a familiar word family before forcing the final spelling.

At the midpoint, SEATS matches 3 target positions. On your replay, explain why that bridge gives you more options than a random swap; this path changes position 1 most often.

Practice prompt: choose two unfamiliar bridge words, check their definitions, and write a short sentence for each. Then replay FEARS to STATE without looking at the route and compare your reasoning with the solution.