Puzzle #144 · Jan 5, 2026

Poople #144 Answer: MULE to POOP

Poople #144 was the puzzle for Monday, January 5, 2026. The starting word was MULE, and the shortest ladder to POOP takes 5 steps. We found 14 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 #144 hints

Hint 1: Which letter changes first

The first move changes the 2nd letter of MULE, the U.

Hint 2: The next word starts with …

The word after MULE starts with M. Halfway down, the ladder passes through a word that starts with P.

Hint 3: Show me the full ladder

MULE → MOLE → POLE → POLL → POOL → POOP

Shortest ladder Hard

5 steps

Step count computed with our word list (ENABLE + SCOWL); the official game uses its own list.

Letter changes, step by step
StepFromToChange
1MULEMOLE2nd letter U to O
2MOLEPOLE1st letter M to P
3POLEPOLL4th letter E to L
4POLLPOOL3rd letter L to O
5POOLPOOP4th letter L to P
Play this puzzle

All shortest paths from MULE

Our word list allows 14 shortest ladders from MULE to POOP, each 5 steps. They are folded so they don't give the answer away.

Show all 14 paths
  1. MULE → MOLE → POLE → POLL → POOL → POOP
  2. MULE → MULL → PULL → POLL → POOL → POOP
  3. MULE → MOLE → HOLE → HOLP → HOOP → POOP
  4. MULE → MOLE → MOLD → MOOD → POOD → POOP
  5. MULE → MOLE → POLE → POME → POMP → POOP
  6. MULE → MOLE → MOLL → POLL → POOL → POOP
  7. MULE → MULL → MOLL → POLL → POOL → POOP
  8. MULE → PULE → POLE → POLL → POOL → POOP
  9. MULE → PULE → PULL → POLL → POOL → POOP
  10. MULE → PULE → PULP → PUMP → POMP → POOP
  11. MULE → MOLE → MOLL → MOOL → POOL → POOP
  12. MULE → MOLE → MOME → POME → POMP → POOP
  13. MULE → MULL → MOLL → MOOL → POOL → POOP
  14. MULE → PULE → POLE → POME → POMP → POOP

Words one letter away from MULE

These 11 words differ from MULE 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.

  • MALE common
  • MILE common
  • MOLE common
  • MULL common
  • MURE rare
  • MUSE common
  • MUTE common
  • PULE rare
  • RULE common
  • TULE rare
  • YULE rare

How hard was Poople #144?

By our count it rates Hard: fewest 5 steps. That makes #144 harder than 13% of the 420 puzzles so far.

More Poople puzzles

How many steps is Poople #144?

Poople #144 takes 5 steps. We count the fewest steps from MULE 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 #144?

The starting word for Poople #144 was MULE, on Monday, January 5, 2026. 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 #144?

Yes. Press Play this puzzle on this page and the board loads with MULE 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.