Puzzle #238 · Apr 9, 2026
Poople #238 Answer: LAME to POOP
Poople #238 was the puzzle for Thursday, April 9, 2026. The starting word was LAME, and the shortest ladder to POOP takes 5 steps. We found 17 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 #238 hints
Hint 1: Which letter changes first
The first move changes the 4th letter of LAME, the E.
Hint 2: The next word starts with …
The word after LAME starts with L. Halfway down, the ladder passes through a word that starts with P.
Hint 3: Show me the full ladder
LAME → LAMP → LUMP → PUMP → POMP → POOP
5 steps
Step count computed with our word list (ENABLE + SCOWL); the official game uses its own list.
| Step | From | To | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LAME | LAMP | 4th letter E to P |
| 2 | LAMP | LUMP | 2nd letter A to U |
| 3 | LUMP | PUMP | 1st letter L to P |
| 4 | PUMP | POMP | 2nd letter U to O |
| 5 | POMP | POOP | 3rd letter M to O |
Play this puzzle
All shortest paths from LAME
Our word list allows 17 shortest ladders from LAME to POOP, each 5 steps. They are folded so they don't give the answer away.
Show all 17 paths
- LAME → LAMP → LUMP → PUMP → POMP → POOP
- LAME → LAMP → RAMP → ROMP → POMP → POOP
- LAME → CAME → CAMP → COMP → COOP → POOP
- LAME → CAME → CAMP → COMP → POMP → POOP
- LAME → CAME → COME → COMP → COOP → POOP
- LAME → CAME → COME → COMP → POMP → POOP
- LAME → CAME → COME → POME → POMP → POOP
- LAME → DAME → DOME → POME → POMP → POOP
- LAME → LAMP → CAMP → COMP → COOP → POOP
- LAME → LAMP → CAMP → COMP → POMP → POOP
- LAME → LAMP → LIMP → PIMP → POMP → POOP
- LAME → LIME → LIMP → PIMP → POMP → POOP
- LAME → SAME → SOME → POME → POMP → POOP
- LAME → TAME → TOME → POME → POMP → POOP
- LAME → NAME → NOME → POME → POMP → POOP
- LAME → HAME → HOME → POME → POMP → POOP
- LAME → LAMS → PAMS → POMS → POMP → POOP
Words one letter away from LAME
These 23 words differ from LAME 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.
- CAME common
- DAME common
- FAME common
- GAME common
- HAME rare
- KAME rare
- LACE common
- LADE rare
- LAKE common
- LAMA rare
- LAMB common
- LAMP common
- LAMS rare
- LANE common
- LASE rare
- LATE common
- LAVE rare
- LAZE rare
- LIME common
- NAME common
- SAME common
- TAME common
- WAME rare
How hard was Poople #238?
By our count it rates Hard: fewest 5 steps. That makes #238 harder than 13% of the 420 puzzles so far.
More Poople puzzles
- Previous: #237 SWAM (Apr 8, 2026)
- Next: #239 REAM (Apr 10, 2026)
- Same difficulty: #235 BUST, #236 BUSY, #237 SWAM
- Every puzzle: Poople archive · Today: today's answer · Random practice: Poople Unlimited
How many steps is Poople #238?
Poople #238 takes 5 steps. We count the fewest steps from LAME 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 #238?
The starting word for Poople #238 was LAME, on Thursday, April 9, 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 #238?
Yes. Press Play this puzzle on this page and the board loads with LAME 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.