Puzzle #279 · May 20, 2026
Poople #279 Answer: VIBE to POOP
Poople #279 was the puzzle for Wednesday, May 20, 2026. The starting word was VIBE, and the shortest ladder to POOP takes 6 steps. We found 10 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 #279 hints
Hint 1: Which letter changes first
The first move changes the 3rd letter of VIBE, the B.
Hint 2: The next word starts with …
The word after VIBE starts with V. Halfway down, the ladder passes through a word that starts with P.
Hint 3: Show me the full ladder
VIBE → VILE → PILE → PILL → POLL → POOL → POOP
6 steps
Step count computed with our word list (ENABLE + SCOWL); the official game uses its own list.
| Step | From | To | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | VIBE | VILE | 3rd letter B to L |
| 2 | VILE | PILE | 1st letter V to P |
| 3 | PILE | PILL | 4th letter E to L |
| 4 | PILL | POLL | 2nd letter I to O |
| 5 | POLL | POOL | 3rd letter L to O |
| 6 | POOL | POOP | 4th letter L to P |
Play this puzzle
All shortest paths from VIBE
Our word list allows 10 shortest ladders from VIBE to POOP, each 6 steps. They are folded so they don't give the answer away.
Show all 10 paths
- VIBE → VILE → PILE → PILL → POLL → POOL → POOP
- VIBE → VILE → PILE → POLE → POLL → POOL → POOP
- VIBE → VILE → PILE → POLE → POME → POMP → POOP
- VIBE → VILE → VILL → PILL → POLL → POOL → POOP
- VIBE → VILE → VOLE → POLE → POLL → POOL → POOP
- VIBE → VILE → VOLE → HOLE → HOLP → HOOP → POOP
- VIBE → VILE → VOLE → POLE → POME → POMP → POOP
- VIBE → VINE → PINE → PONE → POND → POOD → POOP
- VIBE → VINE → PINE → PONE → POME → POMP → POOP
- VIBE → GIBE → GIBS → GOBS → GOOS → GOOP → POOP
Words one letter away from VIBE
These 9 words differ from VIBE 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.
- GIBE common
- JIBE common
- KIBE rare
- VICE common
- VIDE rare
- VILE common
- VINE common
- VISE common
- VIVE rare
How hard was Poople #279?
By our count it rates Expert: fewest 6 steps. That makes #279 harder than 74% of the 420 puzzles so far.
More Poople puzzles
- Previous: #278 PACK (May 19, 2026)
- Next: #280 PISS (May 21, 2026)
- Same difficulty: #262 EACH, #274 WANT, #276 REEF
- Every puzzle: Poople archive · Today: today's answer · Random practice: Poople Unlimited
How many steps is Poople #279?
Poople #279 takes 6 steps. We count the fewest steps from VIBE 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 #279?
The starting word for Poople #279 was VIBE, on Wednesday, May 20, 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 #279?
Yes. Press Play this puzzle on this page and the board loads with VIBE 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.