Puzzle #161 · Jan 22, 2026
Poople #161 Answer: OWLS to POOP
Poople #161 was the puzzle for Thursday, January 22, 2026. The starting word was OWLS, and the shortest ladder to POOP takes 7 steps. We found 31 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 #161 hints
Hint 1: Which letter changes first
The first move changes the 2nd letter of OWLS, the W.
Hint 2: The next word starts with …
The word after OWLS starts with O. Halfway down, the ladder passes through a word that starts with P.
Hint 3: Show me the full ladder
OWLS → OILS → OILY → PILY → PILL → POLL → POOL → POOP
7 steps
Step count computed with our word list (ENABLE + SCOWL); the official game uses its own list.
PILY is in our word list but marked rare, so the official game may not accept it.
| Step | From | To | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | OWLS | OILS | 2nd letter W to I |
| 2 | OILS | OILY | 4th letter S to Y |
| 3 | OILY | PILY | 1st letter O to P |
| 4 | PILY | PILL | 4th letter Y to L |
| 5 | PILL | POLL | 2nd letter I to O |
| 6 | POLL | POOL | 3rd letter L to O |
| 7 | POOL | POOP | 4th letter L to P |
Play this puzzle
All shortest paths from OWLS
Our word list allows 31 shortest ladders from OWLS to POOP, each 7 steps. They are folded so they don't give the answer away.
Show all 31 paths
- OWLS → OILS → OILY → PILY → PILL → POLL → POOL → POOP
- OWLS → OILS → FILS → FILL → PILL → POLL → POOL → POOP
- OWLS → OILS → MILS → MILL → PILL → POLL → POOL → POOP
- OWLS → OILS → TILS → TILL → PILL → POLL → POOL → POOP
- OWLS → OILS → TILS → TILL → TOLL → POLL → POOL → POOP
- OWLS → OILS → TILS → TILL → TOLL → TOOL → POOL → POOP
- OWLS → OILS → OILY → PILY → POLY → POLL → POOL → POOP
- OWLS → OILS → MILS → MILD → MOLD → MOOD → POOD → POOP
- OWLS → OILS → MILS → MILL → MOLL → POLL → POOL → POOP
- OWLS → OILS → MILS → MOLS → MOOS → COOS → COOP → POOP
- OWLS → OILS → MILS → MOLS → MOOS → MOOR → POOR → POOP
- OWLS → OILS → NILS → NILL → PILL → POLL → POOL → POOP
- OWLS → AWLS → AALS → PALS → PALL → POLL → POOL → POOP
- OWLS → OILS → MILS → MILL → MOLL → MOOL → POOL → POOP
- OWLS → OILS → MILS → MOLS → MOLD → MOOD → POOD → POOP
- OWLS → OILS → MILS → MOLS → MOMS → POMS → POMP → POOP
- OWLS → OILS → MILS → MOLS → MOOS → MOOD → POOD → POOP
- OWLS → OILS → MILS → MOLS → MOOS → MOON → POON → POOP
- OWLS → OILS → MILS → MOLS → MOOS → LOOS → LOOP → POOP
- OWLS → OILS → MILS → MOLS → MOOS → MOOL → POOL → POOP
- OWLS → OILS → MILS → MOLS → COLS → COOS → COOP → POOP
- OWLS → OILS → MILS → MOLS → MOLL → POLL → POOL → POOP
- OWLS → OILS → MILS → MOLS → POLS → POLL → POOL → POOP
- OWLS → AWLS → AALS → PALS → POLS → POLL → POOL → POOP
- OWLS → OILS → MILS → MOLS → MOOS → GOOS → GOOP → POOP
- OWLS → OILS → MILS → MOLS → HOLS → HOLP → HOOP → POOP
- OWLS → OILS → MILS → MOLS → MOLL → MOOL → POOL → POOP
- OWLS → OILS → MILS → MOLS → POLS → POMS → POMP → POOP
- OWLS → OILS → NILS → NIMS → NOMS → POMS → POMP → POOP
- OWLS → AWLS → AALS → PALS → PAMS → POMS → POMP → POOP
- OWLS → AWLS → AALS → PALS → POLS → POMS → POMP → POOP
Words one letter away from OWLS
These 4 words differ from OWLS 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.
- AWLS rare
- OILS common
- OWES common
- OWNS common
How hard was Poople #161?
By our count it rates Expert: fewest 7 steps. That makes #161 harder than 93% of the 420 puzzles so far.
More Poople puzzles
- Previous: #160 ROSY (Jan 21, 2026)
- Next: #162 RIGS (Jan 23, 2026)
- Same difficulty: #130 ARIA, #147 EVEN, #151 APEX
- Every puzzle: Poople archive · Today: today's answer · Random practice: Poople Unlimited
How many steps is Poople #161?
Poople #161 takes 7 steps. We count the fewest steps from OWLS 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 #161?
The starting word for Poople #161 was OWLS, on Thursday, January 22, 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 Expert. Hints for it are at the top of this page.
Can I replay Poople #161?
Yes. Press Play this puzzle on this page and the board loads with OWLS 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.