Puzzle #233 · Apr 4, 2026
Poople #233 Answer: SWAN to POOP
Poople #233 was the puzzle for Saturday, April 4, 2026. The starting word was SWAN, 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 #233 hints
Hint 1: Which letter changes first
The first move changes the 4th letter of SWAN, the N.
Hint 2: The next word starts with …
The word after SWAN starts with S. Halfway down, the ladder passes through a word that starts with S.
Hint 3: Show me the full ladder
SWAN → SWAP → SLAP → SLOP → PLOP → POOP
5 steps
Step count computed with our word list (ENABLE + SCOWL); the official game uses its own list.
| Step | From | To | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SWAN | SWAP | 4th letter N to P |
| 2 | SWAP | SLAP | 2nd letter W to L |
| 3 | SLAP | SLOP | 3rd letter A to O |
| 4 | SLOP | PLOP | 1st letter S to P |
| 5 | PLOP | POOP | 2nd letter L to O |
Play this puzzle
All shortest paths from SWAN
Our word list allows 2 shortest ladders from SWAN to POOP, each 5 steps. They are folded so they don't give the answer away.
Show all 2 paths
- SWAN → SWAP → SLAP → SLOP → PLOP → POOP
- SWAN → SWAP → SWOP → SLOP → PLOP → POOP
Words one letter away from SWAN
These 9 words differ from SWAN 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.
- HWAN rare
- SCAN common
- SPAN common
- SWAB common
- SWAG rare
- SWAM common
- SWAP common
- SWAT common
- SWAY common
How hard was Poople #233?
By our count it rates Hard: fewest 5 steps. That makes #233 harder than 13% of the 420 puzzles so far.
More Poople puzzles
- Previous: #232 LEVY (Apr 3, 2026)
- Next: #234 BURL (Apr 5, 2026)
- Same difficulty: #227 SWAG, #230 MUSE, #231 SWAT
- Every puzzle: Poople archive · Today: today's answer · Random practice: Poople Unlimited
How many steps is Poople #233?
Poople #233 takes 5 steps. We count the fewest steps from SWAN 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 #233?
The starting word for Poople #233 was SWAN, on Saturday, April 4, 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 #233?
Yes. Press Play this puzzle on this page and the board loads with SWAN 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.