The Puzzle Yard

Daily Squares

October 17, 2026 · No. 54

0 / 9Words
00:00Time
L
M
D
E
E
T
R
N
B
E
S
R
E
A
D
S
O
A
F
R
X
N
L
O
T
S
I
R
B
U
A
C
N
P
M
D
E
E
I
J
T
I
A
A
L
S
L
B
S
I
S
C
R
M
A
E
I
G
I
M
T
C
V
R
S
G
A
L
H
M
Y
A
H
E
G
D
U
S
K
Y
N
P
I
E
C
M
F
D
E
S
T
D
R
T
R
E
Y
S
C
D

Words to Find

0/9
  • PLEASED
  • BRISTOL
  • PHRASE
  • BIGGER
  • DIESEL
  • JIMMY
  • READS
  • SILK
  • MARC

How to play Daily Squares

Daily Squares is a word search. Each day's 10 × 10 grid hides twelve words of three letters or more. Find every word on the list to clear the board.

Step by step

  1. Read the word list. It sits beside the grid on wider screens and below it on phones.
  2. Press on the first letter of a word and drag in a straight line to its last letter. Words run across, down, diagonally, and in any of those directions backwards.
  3. Prefer tapping? Tap the first letter, then tap the last letter. The path between them is selected for you.
  4. Let go. A correct word stays highlighted and is ticked off the list; anything else is cleared, with no penalty.
  5. Find all twelve words to finish the puzzle.

Example: four words in a small grid

  1. CATS runs left to right along the top row.
  2. ROAD runs left to right along the second row.
  3. COW runs diagonally from the top-left corner: C, then O, then W.
  4. NET is backwards: start on the N in the bottom row and drag left through E to T.

Scoring and winning

  • There are no points. The puzzle is complete when every word on the list has been found.
  • The clock starts the first time you touch the grid and stops the moment the last word is found. Your finishing time is recorded with your result.
  • Finishing today's puzzle on consecutive days builds your streak. Missing a day starts it again from one.
  • Archive puzzles add to your totals but never change your daily streak, so you can catch up on missed days without gaming it.
  • A new puzzle arrives every day at midnight Sydney time.

Strategy tips

  • Scan for letters that are rare in the grid, such as J, Q, X, Z or K. A word containing one has only a few possible starting points.
  • Look for the last letter as well as the first. If a word starts with a common letter, its final letter may be easier to spot.
  • Check diagonals and reversed words deliberately. Most players search left to right first and leave these until last.
  • Words can cross and share letters, so a found word is a useful landmark for nearby ones.

Common mistakes

  • Bending the path. Selections only travel in straight lines; you can't turn a corner mid-word.
  • Stopping one letter short or long. A selection must start and end exactly on the word's first and last letters.
  • Finding a word that isn't on the list. Real words appear by chance in any grid; only listed words count.

Frequently asked questions

Does a wrong selection cost me anything?
No. It simply clears. Only the clock keeps running.
Are there hints?
Not in Daily Squares. Every word is on the list, so the list is your guide.
If I close the page, do I lose my progress?
No. Words you've found and your time are saved on this device and restored when you come back the same day.
Can I replay an old puzzle?
Yes. Past grids are in the Daily Squares archive, and finished archive puzzles can be played again.

Missed a day? Browse the Daily Squares archive.