Puzzle #186 · Feb 16, 2026
Poople #186 Answer: LAIR to POOP
Poople #186 was the puzzle for Monday, February 16, 2026. The starting word was LAIR, 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 #186 hints
Hint 1: Which letter changes first
The first move changes the 4th letter of LAIR, the R.
Hint 2: The next word starts with …
The word after LAIR starts with L. Halfway down, the ladder passes through a word that starts with L.
Hint 3: Show me the full ladder
LAIR → 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 | LAIR | LAIN | 4th letter R 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 LAIR
Our word list allows 2 shortest ladders from LAIR to POOP, each 5 steps. They are folded so they don't give the answer away.
Show all 2 paths
- LAIR → LAIN → LOIN → LOON → LOOP → POOP
- LAIR → LAIN → LOIN → LOON → POON → POOP
Words one letter away from LAIR
These 9 words differ from LAIR 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.
- FAIR common
- HAIR common
- LAIC rare
- LAID common
- LAIN common
- MAIR rare
- PAIR common
- VAIR rare
- WAIR rare
How hard was Poople #186?
By our count it rates Hard: fewest 5 steps. That makes #186 harder than 13% of the 420 puzzles so far.
More Poople puzzles
- Previous: #185 TICS (Feb 15, 2026)
- Next: #187 ANEW (Feb 17, 2026)
- Same difficulty: #180 HAUL, #182 LAID, #183 CELL
- Every puzzle: Poople archive · Today: today's answer · Random practice: Poople Unlimited
How many steps is Poople #186?
Poople #186 takes 5 steps. We count the fewest steps from LAIR 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 #186?
The starting word for Poople #186 was LAIR, on Monday, February 16, 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 #186?
Yes. Press Play this puzzle on this page and the board loads with LAIR 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.