Puzzle #145 · Jan 6, 2026
Poople #145 Answer: PECK to POOP
Poople #145 was the puzzle for Tuesday, January 6, 2026. The starting word was PECK, and the shortest ladder to POOP takes 5 steps. We found 9 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 #145 hints
Hint 1: Which letter changes first
The first move changes the 3rd letter of PECK, the C.
Hint 2: The next word starts with …
The word after PECK starts with P. Halfway down, the ladder passes through a word that starts with P.
Hint 3: Show me the full ladder
PECK → PEEK → PEEP → PREP → PROP → POOP
5 steps
Step count computed with our word list (ENABLE + SCOWL); the official game uses its own list.
PREP is in our word list but marked rare, so the official game may not accept it.
| Step | From | To | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PECK | PEEK | 3rd letter C to E |
| 2 | PEEK | PEEP | 4th letter K to P |
| 3 | PEEP | PREP | 2nd letter E to R |
| 4 | PREP | PROP | 3rd letter E to O |
| 5 | PROP | POOP | 2nd letter R to O |
Play this puzzle
All shortest paths from PECK
Our word list allows 9 shortest ladders from PECK to POOP, each 5 steps. They are folded so they don't give the answer away.
Show all 9 paths
- PECK → PEEK → PEEP → PREP → PROP → POOP
- PECK → HECK → HOCK → HOOK → HOOP → POOP
- PECK → POCK → COCK → COOK → COOP → POOP
- PECK → POCK → HOCK → HOOK → HOOP → POOP
- PECK → POCK → LOCK → LOOK → LOOP → POOP
- PECK → PEAK → PEAN → PEON → POON → POOP
- PECK → PEEK → PEEN → PEON → POON → POOP
- PECK → PERK → PORK → PORN → POON → POOP
- PECK → POCK → PORK → PORN → POON → POOP
Words one letter away from PECK
These 17 words differ from PECK 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.
- BECK rare
- DECK common
- FECK rare
- GECK rare
- HECK rare
- KECK rare
- NECK common
- PACK common
- PEAK common
- PECH rare
- PECS rare
- PEEK common
- PERK common
- PICK common
- POCK rare
- PUCK common
- RECK rare
How hard was Poople #145?
By our count it rates Hard: fewest 5 steps. That makes #145 harder than 13% of the 420 puzzles so far.
More Poople puzzles
- Previous: #144 MULE (Jan 5, 2026)
- Next: #146 GIFT (Jan 7, 2026)
- Same difficulty: #140 BULK, #142 JEST, #144 MULE
- Every puzzle: Poople archive · Today: today's answer · Random practice: Poople Unlimited
How many steps is Poople #145?
Poople #145 takes 5 steps. We count the fewest steps from PECK 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 #145?
The starting word for Poople #145 was PECK, on Tuesday, January 6, 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 #145?
Yes. Press Play this puzzle on this page and the board loads with PECK 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.