Puzzle #146 · Jan 7, 2026
Poople #146 Answer: GIFT to POOP
Poople #146 was the puzzle for Wednesday, January 7, 2026. The starting word was GIFT, and the shortest ladder to POOP takes 5 steps. We found 1 shortest path 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 #146 hints
Hint 1: Which letter changes first
The first move changes the 1st letter of GIFT, the G.
Hint 2: The next word starts with …
The word after GIFT starts with L. Halfway down, the ladder passes through a word that starts with L.
Hint 3: Show me the full ladder
GIFT → LIFT → LOFT → LOOT → LOOP → POOP
5 steps
Step count computed with our word list (ENABLE + SCOWL); the official game uses its own list.
| Step | From | To | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GIFT | LIFT | 1st letter G to L |
| 2 | LIFT | LOFT | 2nd letter I to O |
| 3 | LOFT | LOOT | 3rd letter F to O |
| 4 | LOOT | LOOP | 4th letter T to P |
| 5 | LOOP | POOP | 1st letter L to P |
Play this puzzle
Words one letter away from GIFT
These 6 words differ from GIFT 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.
- GILT common
- GIRT rare
- GIST common
- LIFT common
- RIFT common
- SIFT common
How hard was Poople #146?
By our count it rates Hard: fewest 5 steps. That makes #146 harder than 13% of the 420 puzzles so far.
More Poople puzzles
- Previous: #145 PECK (Jan 6, 2026)
- Next: #147 EVEN (Jan 8, 2026)
- Same difficulty: #142 JEST, #144 MULE, #145 PECK
- Every puzzle: Poople archive · Today: today's answer · Random practice: Poople Unlimited
How many steps is Poople #146?
Poople #146 takes 5 steps. We count the fewest steps from GIFT 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 #146?
The starting word for Poople #146 was GIFT, on Wednesday, January 7, 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 #146?
Yes. Press Play this puzzle on this page and the board loads with GIFT 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.