Puzzle #178 · Feb 8, 2026
Poople #178 Answer: GIGS to POOP
Poople #178 was the puzzle for Sunday, February 8, 2026. The starting word was GIGS, and the shortest ladder to POOP takes 5 steps. We found 3 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 #178 hints
Hint 1: Which letter changes first
The first move changes the 3rd letter of GIGS, the G.
Hint 2: The next word starts with …
The word after GIGS starts with G. Halfway down, the ladder passes through a word that starts with G.
Hint 3: Show me the full ladder
GIGS → GIBS → GOBS → GOOS → GOOP → POOP
5 steps
Step count computed with our word list (ENABLE + SCOWL); the official game uses its own list.
GIBS and GOOS and GOOP are in our word list but marked rare, so the official game may not accept them.
| Step | From | To | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GIGS | GIBS | 3rd letter G to B |
| 2 | GIBS | GOBS | 2nd letter I to O |
| 3 | GOBS | GOOS | 3rd letter B to O |
| 4 | GOOS | GOOP | 4th letter S to P |
| 5 | GOOP | POOP | 1st letter G to P |
Play this puzzle
All shortest paths from GIGS
Our word list allows 3 shortest ladders from GIGS to POOP, each 5 steps. They are folded so they don't give the answer away.
Show all 3 paths
- GIGS → GIBS → GOBS → GOOS → GOOP → POOP
- GIGS → GIDS → GODS → GOOS → GOOP → POOP
- GIGS → GIES → GOES → GOOS → GOOP → POOP
Words one letter away from GIGS
These 18 words differ from GIGS 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.
- BIGS rare
- DIGS common
- FIGS common
- GAGS common
- GIBS rare
- GIDS rare
- GIES rare
- GIGA rare
- GINS common
- GIPS rare
- GITS rare
- JIGS common
- MIGS rare
- PIGS common
- RIGS common
- VIGS rare
- WIGS common
- ZIGS rare
How hard was Poople #178?
By our count it rates Hard: fewest 5 steps. That makes #178 harder than 13% of the 420 puzzles so far.
More Poople puzzles
- Previous: #177 ETCH (Feb 7, 2026)
- Next: #179 WEPT (Feb 9, 2026)
- Same difficulty: #170 SAVE, #174 SHAM, #175 RIFT
- Every puzzle: Poople archive · Today: today's answer · Random practice: Poople Unlimited
How many steps is Poople #178?
Poople #178 takes 5 steps. We count the fewest steps from GIGS 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 #178?
The starting word for Poople #178 was GIGS, on Sunday, February 8, 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 #178?
Yes. Press Play this puzzle on this page and the board loads with GIGS 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.