This page has hints and the answer for the Washington Post Keyword puzzle of 21 October 2026. The puzzle hides one six-letter word; five hints are folded below from the lightest to the strongest, and the answer and the solved board come after them.
Six words run down today’s board, each with one empty square. The six empty squares lie in one row, and the letters that fill them spell the keyword.
Washington Post Keyword hints for October 21, 2026
Open the hints one at a time. Each hint gives away more than the one before it.
Hint 1 · word type
A noun used in money and business.
Hint 2 · letters and vowels
The word has two vowels and at least one letter appears more than once.
Hint 3 · common setting
You might encounter it when setting aside savings for unexpected costs.
Hint 4 · first letter
The word starts with the letter B.
Hint 5 · plain meaning
A reserve of money kept for difficult circumstances.
Washington Post Keyword Answer – October 21, 2026
The answer is hidden in the fold below. Open it after you have finished guessing.
Today’s Keyword answer
BUFFER
Part of speech: noun
A buffer can mean money held in reserve for difficult circumstances.
Example: Our savings gave us a buffer when the car needed repairs.
Keyword Board Solution October 21, 2026
The fold below lists the six words that run down the board, each with its missing letter, and shows the solved board.
Board words and solved board
- Column 1: ROBBER, missing letter B
- Column 2: FULL, missing letter U
- Column 3: FOLK, missing letter F
- Column 4: FOE, missing letter F
- Column 5: SEAT, missing letter E
- Column 6: UNWORTHY, missing letter R
Yesterday’s Keyword answer for 20 October 2026
RATTLE
More Keyword: Yesterday’s puzzle · Play Keyword on The Washington Post
Also today: Wordle · Connections · Strands · Pips · Phrazle · Quordle · Colordle · Unwordle · Hurdle · NYT Crossword · NYT Mini · NYT Midi · Jumble · Spelling Bee · Letter Boxed · Parseword · Poeltl
Earlier days: 20 Oct · 19 Oct · 18 Oct · 17 Oct · 16 Oct · 15 Oct · 14 Oct
Questions about Keyword
How is Keyword played?
The goal is to guess the six-letter keyword. Letters must spell words across and down. The player selects a square to guess a letter.
When does Keyword change to a new puzzle?
A new puzzle arrives at midnight in the player’s own time zone.
How many tries does a player get in Keyword?
The game counts every letter guess, and a wrong letter can be tried again.
Where can a person play Keyword?
Play Keyword in a web browser on The Washington Post’s games pages.
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