Poople #367: NEXT to POOP

Path analysis

This route reaches POOP in 6 moves. Breadth-first search reaches every route with fewer moves first, so POOP cannot be reached in fewer than 6 moves from NEXT.

Moves

6

Difficulty

Hard

Shortest paths

5

The dictionary has 5 equally short routes; the route below is one of them.

1. Move 1: NEXT → NEAT — change the 3rd letter from X to A.
2. Move 2: NEAT → BEAT — change the 1st letter from N to B.
3. Move 3: BEAT → BOAT — change the 2nd letter from E to O.
4. Move 4: BOAT → BOOT — change the 3rd letter from A to O.
5. Move 5: BOOT → BOOP — change the 4th letter from T to P.
6. Move 6: BOOP → POOP — change the 1st letter from B to P.