Answers for Daily #15

The starting word was

First moves

6 words are one letter away from TRAIN.

BRAIN: noun The control center of the central nervous system of an animal located in the skull, consisting of the cerebrum, cerebellum, and brainstem, which is responsible for perception…
DRAIN: noun A conduit allowing liquid to flow out of an otherwise contained volume; a plughole
GRAIN: noun The harvested seeds of various grass food crops, especially wheat, maize, rye, barley, and rice.
TWAIN: numeral two
TRAIL: verb To follow behind (someone or something); to tail (someone or something).
TRAIT: noun An identifying characteristic, habit or trend.

TRAIN → BRAIN → BRUIN

Once the words before it are used, nobody can change BRUIN: a dead end, worth 3 extra points.

Every Daily hides one golden word a few moves from the start. This one was BROWN.

From TRAIN, 3,301 words can be reached one letter at a time.

Definitions from Wiktionary