Puzzle #214 · Mar 16, 2026
Poople #214 Answer: TICK to POOP
Poople #214 was the puzzle for Monday, March 16, 2026. The starting word was TICK, 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 #214 hints
Hint 1: Which letter changes first
The first move changes the 1st letter of TICK, the T.
Hint 2: The next word starts with …
The word after TICK starts with H. Halfway down, the ladder passes through a word that starts with H.
Hint 3: Show me the full ladder
TICK → HICK → HOCK → HOOK → HOOP → POOP
5 steps
Step count computed with our word list (ENABLE + SCOWL); the official game uses its own list.
| Step | From | To | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TICK | HICK | 1st letter T to H |
| 2 | HICK | HOCK | 2nd letter I to O |
| 3 | HOCK | HOOK | 3rd letter C to O |
| 4 | HOOK | HOOP | 4th letter K to P |
| 5 | HOOP | POOP | 1st letter H to P |
Play this puzzle
All shortest paths from TICK
Our word list allows 2 shortest ladders from TICK to POOP, each 5 steps. They are folded so they don't give the answer away.
Show all 2 paths
- TICK → HICK → HOCK → HOOK → HOOP → POOP
- TICK → LICK → LOCK → LOOK → LOOP → POOP
Words one letter away from TICK
These 13 words differ from TICK 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.
- DICK rare
- HICK common
- KICK common
- LICK common
- MICK rare
- NICK common
- PICK common
- RICK rare
- SICK common
- TACK common
- TICS rare
- TUCK common
- WICK common
How hard was Poople #214?
By our count it rates Hard: fewest 5 steps. That makes #214 harder than 13% of the 420 puzzles so far.
More Poople puzzles
- Previous: #213 FUEL (Mar 15, 2026)
- Next: #215 SWAB (Mar 17, 2026)
- Same difficulty: #210 REAL, #211 SHED, #213 FUEL
- Every puzzle: Poople archive · Today: today's answer · Random practice: Poople Unlimited
How many steps is Poople #214?
Poople #214 takes 5 steps. We count the fewest steps from TICK 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 #214?
The starting word for Poople #214 was TICK, on Monday, March 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 #214?
Yes. Press Play this puzzle on this page and the board loads with TICK 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.