Poople #1962026-02-26

Poople #196: WEST to POOP

The shortest 5-step ladder from WEST to POOP, plus the full solution and a replay of puzzle #196.

Play Poople #196

#196 WEST

W
E
S
T
start

Poople #196 answer: WEST to POOP

Hidden

Answer path

west
hest
host
hoot
hoop
poop
5 movesHardFirst hint: change the 1st letter.

Path analysis

This route reaches POOP in 5 moves. Breadth-first search reaches every route with fewer moves first, so POOP cannot be reached in fewer than 5 moves from WEST.

Moves
5
Difficulty
Hard
Shortest paths
2

The dictionary has 2 equally short routes; the route below is one of them.

  1. Move 1: WESTHEST — change the 1st letter from W to H.
  2. Move 2: HESTHOST — change the 2nd letter from E to O.
  3. Move 3: HOSTHOOT — change the 3rd letter from S to O.
  4. Move 4: HOOTHOOP — change the 4th letter from T to P.
  5. Move 5: HOOPPOOP — change the 1st letter from H to P.

This Poople puzzle starts from WEST and reaches POOP by changing one letter at a time. The shortest known path takes 5 moves.

Poople #196 Answer for 2026-02-26 — WEST to POOP