Puzzle #123 · Dec 15, 2025
Poople #123 Answer: DUES to POOP
Poople #123 was the puzzle for Monday, December 15, 2025. The starting word was DUES, and the shortest ladder to POOP takes 5 steps. We found 3 different shortest paths with our word list. Open the hints below one at a time if you want a nudge, or reveal the full ladder at the end.
Poople #123 hints
Hint 1: Which letter changes first
The first move changes the 2nd letter of DUES, the U.
Hint 2: The next word starts with …
The word after DUES starts with D. Halfway down, the ladder passes through a word that starts with D.
Hint 3: Show me the full ladder
DUES → DOES → DOER → DOOR → POOR → POOP
5 steps
Step count computed with our word list (ENABLE + SCOWL); the official game uses its own list.
| Step | From | To | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DUES | DOES | 2nd letter U to O |
| 2 | DOES | DOER | 4th letter S to R |
| 3 | DOER | DOOR | 3rd letter E to O |
| 4 | DOOR | POOR | 1st letter D to P |
| 5 | POOR | POOP | 4th letter R to P |
Play this puzzle
All shortest paths from DUES
Our word list allows 3 shortest ladders from DUES to POOP, each 5 steps. They are folded so they don't give the answer away.
Show all 3 paths
- DUES → DOES → DOER → DOOR → POOR → POOP
- DUES → DOES → GOES → GOOS → GOOP → POOP
- DUES → DOES → DOMS → POMS → POMP → POOP
Words one letter away from DUES
These 18 words differ from DUES in one letter. Common words are in SCOWL size 35; rare words are only in the ENABLE list, and the official game is more likely to reject them.
- CUES common
- DEES rare
- DIES common
- DOES common
- DUBS common
- DUDS common
- DUEL common
- DUET common
- DUGS rare
- DUNS rare
- DUOS rare
- DUPS rare
- DYES common
- HUES common
- KUES rare
- LUES rare
- RUES common
- SUES common
How hard was Poople #123?
By our count it rates Hard: fewest 5 steps. That makes #123 harder than 13% of the 420 puzzles so far.
More Poople puzzles
- Previous: #122 ODDS (Dec 14, 2025)
- Next: #124 SASH (Dec 16, 2025)
- Same difficulty: #119 WITH, #120 HATE, #121 LENT
- Every puzzle: Poople archive · Today: today's answer · Random practice: Poople Unlimited
How many steps is Poople #123?
Poople #123 takes 5 steps. We count the fewest steps from DUES to POOP with a breadth-first search over our four-letter word list (ENABLE + SCOWL), and the official game uses its own word list, so its count can differ from ours.
What was the starting word for Poople #123?
The starting word for Poople #123 was DUES, on Monday, December 15, 2025. Every Poople puzzle ends at POOP, so the start word is the only thing that changes from day to day. With our word list this one rates Hard. Hints for it are at the top of this page.
Can I replay Poople #123?
Yes. Press Play this puzzle on this page and the board loads with DUES as the start word, with Undo, Restart and three levels of hints. You can also play unlimited random puzzles on the home page, or pick any other past puzzle from the archive.