Puzzle #242 · Apr 13, 2026
Poople #242 Answer: BUSH to POOP
Poople #242 was the puzzle for Monday, April 13, 2026. The starting word was BUSH, and the shortest ladder to POOP takes 4 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 #242 hints
Hint 1: Which letter changes first
The first move changes the 1st letter of BUSH, the B.
Hint 2: The next word starts with …
The word after BUSH starts with P. Halfway down, the ladder passes through a word that starts with P.
Hint 3: Show me the full ladder
BUSH → PUSH → POSH → POOH → POOP
4 steps
Step count computed with our word list (ENABLE + SCOWL); the official game uses its own list.
POSH and POOH are in our word list but marked rare, so the official game may not accept them.
| Step | From | To | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BUSH | PUSH | 1st letter B to P |
| 2 | PUSH | POSH | 2nd letter U to O |
| 3 | POSH | POOH | 3rd letter S to O |
| 4 | POOH | POOP | 4th letter H to P |
Play this puzzle
All shortest paths from BUSH
Our word list allows 2 shortest ladders from BUSH to POOP, each 4 steps. They are folded so they don't give the answer away.
Show all 2 paths
- BUSH → PUSH → POSH → POOH → POOP
- BUSH → BOSH → POSH → POOH → POOP
Words one letter away from BUSH
These 13 words differ from BUSH 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.
- BASH common
- BOSH rare
- BUSK rare
- BUSS rare
- BUST common
- BUSY common
- GUSH common
- HUSH common
- LUSH common
- MUSH common
- PUSH common
- RUSH common
- TUSH rare
How hard was Poople #242?
By our count it rates Medium: fewest 4 steps. That makes #242 harder than 1% of the 420 puzzles so far.
More Poople puzzles
- Previous: #241 GILT (Apr 12, 2026)
- Next: #243 SWAY (Apr 14, 2026)
- Same difficulty: #225 HAWK, #228 MUSH, #229 READ
- Every puzzle: Poople archive · Today: today's answer · Random practice: Poople Unlimited
How many steps is Poople #242?
Poople #242 takes 4 steps. We count the fewest steps from BUSH 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 #242?
The starting word for Poople #242 was BUSH, on Monday, April 13, 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 Medium. Hints for it are at the top of this page.
Can I replay Poople #242?
Yes. Press Play this puzzle on this page and the board loads with BUSH 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.