Puzzle #182 · Feb 12, 2026
Poople #182 Answer: LAID to POOP
Poople #182 was the puzzle for Thursday, February 12, 2026. The starting word was LAID, 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 #182 hints
Hint 1: Which letter changes first
The first move changes the 4th letter of LAID, the D.
Hint 2: The next word starts with …
The word after LAID starts with L. Halfway down, the ladder passes through a word that starts with L.
Hint 3: Show me the full ladder
LAID → LAIN → LOIN → LOON → 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 | LAID | LAIN | 4th letter D to N |
| 2 | LAIN | LOIN | 2nd letter A to O |
| 3 | LOIN | LOON | 3rd letter I to O |
| 4 | LOON | LOOP | 4th letter N to P |
| 5 | LOOP | POOP | 1st letter L to P |
Play this puzzle
All shortest paths from LAID
Our word list allows 3 shortest ladders from LAID to POOP, each 5 steps. They are folded so they don't give the answer away.
Show all 3 paths
- LAID → LAIN → LOIN → LOON → LOOP → POOP
- LAID → LAIN → LOIN → LOON → POON → POOP
- LAID → LAUD → LOUD → LOUP → LOOP → POOP
Words one letter away from LAID
These 12 words differ from LAID 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.
- CAID rare
- LAIC rare
- LAIN common
- LAIR common
- LAND common
- LARD common
- LAUD common
- MAID common
- PAID common
- QAID rare
- RAID common
- SAID common
How hard was Poople #182?
By our count it rates Hard: fewest 5 steps. That makes #182 harder than 13% of the 420 puzzles so far.
More Poople puzzles
- Previous: #181 QUAY (Feb 11, 2026)
- Next: #183 CELL (Feb 13, 2026)
- Same difficulty: #175 RIFT, #178 GIGS, #180 HAUL
- Every puzzle: Poople archive · Today: today's answer · Random practice: Poople Unlimited
How many steps is Poople #182?
Poople #182 takes 5 steps. We count the fewest steps from LAID 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 #182?
The starting word for Poople #182 was LAID, on Thursday, February 12, 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 #182?
Yes. Press Play this puzzle on this page and the board loads with LAID 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.