Puzzle #148 · Jan 9, 2026
Poople #148 Answer: BULB to POOP
Poople #148 was the puzzle for Friday, January 9, 2026. The starting word was BULB, and the shortest ladder to POOP takes 5 steps. We found 2 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 #148 hints
Hint 1: Which letter changes first
The first move changes the 4th letter of BULB, the B.
Hint 2: The next word starts with …
The word after BULB starts with B. Halfway down, the ladder passes through a word that starts with P.
Hint 3: Show me the full ladder
BULB → BULL → PULL → POLL → POOL → POOP
5 steps
Step count computed with our word list (ENABLE + SCOWL); the official game uses its own list.
| Step | From | To | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BULB | BULL | 4th letter B to L |
| 2 | BULL | PULL | 1st letter B to P |
| 3 | PULL | POLL | 2nd letter U to O |
| 4 | POLL | POOL | 3rd letter L to O |
| 5 | POOL | POOP | 4th letter L to P |
Play this puzzle
All shortest paths from BULB
Our word list allows 2 shortest ladders from BULB to POOP, each 5 steps. They are folded so they don't give the answer away.
Show all 2 paths
- BULB → BULL → PULL → POLL → POOL → POOP
- BULB → BULL → BOLL → POLL → POOL → POOP
Words one letter away from BULB
These 2 words differ from BULB 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.
- BULK common
- BULL common
How hard was Poople #148?
By our count it rates Hard: fewest 5 steps. That makes #148 harder than 13% of the 420 puzzles so far.
More Poople puzzles
- Previous: #147 EVEN (Jan 8, 2026)
- Next: #149 WENT (Jan 10, 2026)
- Same difficulty: #144 MULE, #145 PECK, #146 GIFT
- Every puzzle: Poople archive · Today: today's answer · Random practice: Poople Unlimited
How many steps is Poople #148?
Poople #148 takes 5 steps. We count the fewest steps from BULB 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 #148?
The starting word for Poople #148 was BULB, on Friday, January 9, 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 #148?
Yes. Press Play this puzzle on this page and the board loads with BULB 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.