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Elucidating Lexoku

 

Using your powers of deduction, you can now fill in the rest of the grid.
To see the completed solution, click here.

If you've never seen Lexoku before, you might find the rules a little confusing, so here's where I give you a push in the right direction to get you started.

 

 

 

 

 

All 18 words are used once in the grid.
Complete the grid so that every row, every column and every 2x3 block contains all the letters of one of the following words:
ASCENT
CALVES
CAVERN
CHEATS
EVADES
GHOSTS
MENACE
MINUTE
PARCEL
PRANCE
RUSTED
SCROLL
SINGLE
SMOOTH
SOLDER
STRONG
TRANCE
TURNIP

 

The grid is already starting to take shape after putting in just three letters.  Row 4 is almost complete — a quick glance at the word list will tell you it's just missing an E from MENACE.  Once you've put in the E, there are several ways to proceed.
Personally I'd look at column 5, which must contain SMOOTH.  The O can't go in row 6 because that would give an impossible combination in the bottom right block, so the O must go in row 2 and the S in row 6.


All 18 of the words must be contained within a row, a column, or a 2x3 block, but the letters can be in any order.  Every word is used once only, so you can cross off words from the list as you use them.
You will see that the middle right block already contains the letters ETI.  There is only one word in the list that fits the bill, namely MINUTE.  You must now decide where to put the remaining three letters (M, N and U).
The U cannot go in row 4, since there is no word containing ACEU, so a U is forced in row 3, column 4.  Likewise, there is no word that includes HTNO, so the N must go in row 4, column 6, leaving the M to go in row 4, column 5.

 

 

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