Puzzle #285 · May 26, 2026
Poople #285 Answer: MUTE to POOP
Poople #285 was the puzzle for Tuesday, May 26, 2026. The starting word was MUTE, and the shortest ladder to POOP takes 5 steps. We found 1 shortest path 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 #285 hints
Hint 1: Which letter changes first
The first move changes the 2nd letter of MUTE, the U.
Hint 2: The next word starts with …
The word after MUTE starts with M. Halfway down, the ladder passes through a word that starts with P.
Hint 3: Show me the full ladder
MUTE → MOTE → MOME → POME → POMP → POOP
5 steps
Step count computed with our word list (ENABLE + SCOWL); the official game uses its own list.
MOTE and MOME and POME are in our word list but marked rare, so the official game may not accept them.
| Step | From | To | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MUTE | MOTE | 2nd letter U to O |
| 2 | MOTE | MOME | 3rd letter T to M |
| 3 | MOME | POME | 1st letter M to P |
| 4 | POME | POMP | 4th letter E to P |
| 5 | POMP | POOP | 3rd letter M to O |
Play this puzzle
Words one letter away from MUTE
These 13 words differ from MUTE 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.
- BUTE rare
- CUTE common
- JUTE common
- LUTE common
- MATE common
- METE common
- MITE common
- MOTE rare
- MULE common
- MURE rare
- MUSE common
- MUTS rare
- MUTT common
How hard was Poople #285?
By our count it rates Hard: fewest 5 steps. That makes #285 harder than 13% of the 420 puzzles so far.
More Poople puzzles
- Previous: #284 VIAL (May 25, 2026)
- Next: #286 CAKE (May 27, 2026)
- Same difficulty: #282 GEEZ, #283 HUBS, #284 VIAL
- Every puzzle: Poople archive · Today: today's answer · Random practice: Poople Unlimited
How many steps is Poople #285?
Poople #285 takes 5 steps. We count the fewest steps from MUTE 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 #285?
The starting word for Poople #285 was MUTE, on Tuesday, May 26, 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 #285?
Yes. Press Play this puzzle on this page and the board loads with MUTE 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.