Daily Word Ladder Solution 2026-03-05: DRUG → SHOW

Date: 2026-03-05

DRUG → SHOW

Difficulty: Hard Goal Steps: 8 4 Letters

Today's Word Ladder puzzle connects DRUG to SHOW in 8 steps. This 4-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 DRUG → DRAG

Change the 3rd letter U to A, turning DRUG into DRAG.

Step 2 DRAG → DRAW

Change the 4th letter G to W, turning DRAG into DRAW.

Step 3 DRAW → DREW

Change the 3rd letter A to E, turning DRAW into DREW.

Step 4 DREW → GREW

Change the 1st letter D to G, turning DREW into GREW.

Step 5 GREW → GROW

Change the 3rd letter E to O, turning GREW into GROW.

Step 6 GROW → GLOW

Change the 2nd letter R to L, turning GROW into GLOW.

Step 7 GLOW → SLOW

Change the 1st letter G to S, turning GLOW into SLOW.

Step 8 SLOW → SHOW

Change the 2nd letter L to H, turning SLOW into SHOW.

Puzzle Insights

Change positions: pos 1: 2, pos 2: 2, pos 3: 3, pos 4: 1. Most-changed position: 3 (3).

Change sequence: 3, 4, 3, 1, 3, 2, 1, 2.

Letter mix: V→V 3, V→C 0, C→V 0, C→C 5.

Word stats: 9 words, 11 unique letters. Start/target share 0 positions.

Try It Before You Reveal the Path

Cover the steps and work from both DRUG and SHOW first. This ladder needs 8 moves, and the endpoints already share 0 letter positions—so a useful move does not always look immediately closer to the target.

The recorded route changes position 3 from U to A first, but saves position 2 (L to H) for the finish. That is a useful reminder to enter a familiar word family before forcing the final spelling.

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

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