Puzzle #204 · Mar 6, 2026

Poople #204 Answer: LAKE to POOP

Poople #204 was the puzzle for Friday, March 6, 2026. The starting word was LAKE, and the shortest ladder to POOP takes 6 steps. We found 61 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 #204 hints

Hint 1: Which letter changes first

The first move changes the 3rd letter of LAKE, the K.

Hint 2: The next word starts with …

The word after LAKE starts with L. Halfway down, the ladder passes through a word that starts with L.

Hint 3: Show me the full ladder

LAKE → LACE → LACK → LOCK → LOOK → LOOP → POOP

Shortest ladder Expert

6 steps

Step count computed with our word list (ENABLE + SCOWL); the official game uses its own list.

Letter changes, step by step
StepFromToChange
1LAKELACE3rd letter K to C
2LACELACK4th letter E to K
3LACKLOCK2nd letter A to O
4LOCKLOOK3rd letter C to O
5LOOKLOOP4th letter K to P
6LOOPPOOP1st letter L to P
Play this puzzle

All shortest paths from LAKE

Our word list allows 61 shortest ladders from LAKE to POOP, each 6 steps. They are folded so they don't give the answer away.

Show the first 60 of 61 paths
  1. LAKE → LACE → LACK → LOCK → LOOK → LOOP → POOP
  2. LAKE → LAME → LAMP → LUMP → PUMP → POMP → POOP
  3. LAKE → LAME → LAMP → RAMP → ROMP → POMP → POOP
  4. LAKE → CAKE → CAME → CAMP → COMP → COOP → POOP
  5. LAKE → CAKE → CAME → CAMP → COMP → POMP → POOP
  6. LAKE → CAKE → CAME → COME → COMP → COOP → POOP
  7. LAKE → CAKE → CAME → COME → COMP → POMP → POOP
  8. LAKE → CAKE → CAME → COME → POME → POMP → POOP
  9. LAKE → CAKE → COKE → COME → COMP → COOP → POOP
  10. LAKE → CAKE → COKE → COME → COMP → POMP → POOP
  11. LAKE → CAKE → COKE → COME → POME → POMP → POOP
  12. LAKE → CAKE → COKE → POKE → POME → POMP → POOP
  13. LAKE → LAME → CAME → CAMP → COMP → COOP → POOP
  14. LAKE → LAME → CAME → CAMP → COMP → POMP → POOP
  15. LAKE → LAME → CAME → COME → COMP → COOP → POOP
  16. LAKE → LAME → CAME → COME → COMP → POMP → POOP
  17. LAKE → LAME → CAME → COME → POME → POMP → POOP
  18. LAKE → LAME → DAME → DOME → POME → POMP → POOP
  19. LAKE → LAME → LAMP → CAMP → COMP → COOP → POOP
  20. LAKE → LAME → LAMP → CAMP → COMP → POMP → POOP
  21. LAKE → LAME → LAMP → LIMP → PIMP → POMP → POOP
  22. LAKE → LAME → LIME → LIMP → PIMP → POMP → POOP
  23. LAKE → LAME → SAME → SOME → POME → POMP → POOP
  24. LAKE → LAME → TAME → TOME → POME → POMP → POOP
  25. LAKE → LIKE → LIME → LIMP → PIMP → POMP → POOP
  26. LAKE → LIKE → PIKE → POKE → POME → POMP → POOP
  27. LAKE → SAKE → SAME → SOME → POME → POMP → POOP
  28. LAKE → TAKE → TAME → TOME → POME → POMP → POOP
  29. LAKE → WAKE → WOKE → POKE → POME → POMP → POOP
  30. LAKE → LASE → LAST → LOST → LOOT → LOOP → POOP
  31. LAKE → LASE → LOSE → LOST → LOOT → LOOP → POOP
  32. LAKE → LAME → NAME → NOME → POME → POMP → POOP
  33. LAKE → LAME → HAME → HOME → POME → POMP → POOP
  34. LAKE → LANE → LONE → PONE → POND → POOD → POOP
  35. LAKE → LANE → LONE → PONE → POME → POMP → POOP
  36. LAKE → LANE → PANE → PONE → POND → POOD → POOP
  37. LAKE → LANE → PANE → PONE → POME → POMP → POOP
  38. LAKE → LATE → LATS → LOTS → LOOS → LOOP → POOP
  39. LAKE → MAKE → MOKE → POKE → POME → POMP → POOP
  40. LAKE → SAKE → SOKE → POKE → POME → POMP → POOP
  41. LAKE → SAKE → SOKE → SOME → POME → POMP → POOP
  42. LAKE → TAKE → TOKE → POKE → POME → POMP → POOP
  43. LAKE → TAKE → TOKE → TOME → POME → POMP → POOP
  44. LAKE → HAKE → HALE → HOLE → HOLP → HOOP → POOP
  45. LAKE → JAKE → JOKE → POKE → POME → POMP → POOP
  46. LAKE → LASE → LASS → LOSS → LOOS → LOOP → POOP
  47. LAKE → LASE → LOSE → LOSS → LOOS → LOOP → POOP
  48. LAKE → LASE → LOSE → POSE → POME → POMP → POOP
  49. LAKE → LAME → LAMS → PAMS → POMS → POMP → POOP
  50. LAKE → MAKE → MOKE → MOME → POME → POMP → POOP
  51. LAKE → HAKE → HAME → HOME → POME → POMP → POOP
  52. LAKE → HAKE → HOKE → HOLE → HOLP → HOOP → POOP
  53. LAKE → HAKE → HOKE → HOME → POME → POMP → POOP
  54. LAKE → HAKE → HOKE → POKE → POME → POMP → POOP
  55. LAKE → LASE → LOSE → POSE → POSH → POOH → POOP
  56. LAKE → LASE → PASE → POSE → POME → POMP → POOP
  57. LAKE → LAKH → LASH → PASH → POSH → POOH → POOP
  58. LAKE → LASE → LASH → PASH → POSH → POOH → POOP
  59. LAKE → LASE → PASE → POSE → POSH → POOH → POOP
  60. LAKE → LASE → PASE → PASH → POSH → POOH → POOP

Words one letter away from LAKE

These 22 words differ from LAKE 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.

  • BAKE common
  • CAKE common
  • FAKE common
  • HAKE rare
  • JAKE rare
  • LACE common
  • LADE rare
  • LAKH rare
  • LAKY rare
  • LAME common
  • LANE common
  • LASE rare
  • LATE common
  • LAVE rare
  • LAZE rare
  • LEKE rare
  • LIKE common
  • MAKE common
  • RAKE common
  • SAKE common
  • TAKE common
  • WAKE common

How hard was Poople #204?

By our count it rates Expert: fewest 6 steps. That makes #204 harder than 74% of the 420 puzzles so far.

More Poople puzzles

How many steps is Poople #204?

Poople #204 takes 6 steps. We count the fewest steps from LAKE 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 #204?

The starting word for Poople #204 was LAKE, on Friday, March 6, 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 #204?

Yes. Press Play this puzzle on this page and the board loads with LAKE 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.