From The Enigma
NPL Magazine - June, 2014
LEXMAN (adapted)

From the word ARE, create an eight-letter word in five steps by adding one letter at a time. Each "rung" of the ladder is a common or fairly common, uncapitalized word.

HINT:
The second word is AVER.

Answer:

ARE
AVER
RAVEL
REVEAL
SEVERAL
REVERSAL