Puzzle #286 · May 27, 2026
Poople #286 Answer: CAKE to POOP
Poople #286 was the puzzle for Wednesday, May 27, 2026. The starting word was CAKE, and the shortest ladder to POOP takes 5 steps. We found 9 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 #286 hints
Hint 1: Which letter changes first
The first move changes the 3rd letter of CAKE, the K.
Hint 2: The next word starts with …
The word after CAKE starts with C. Halfway down, the ladder passes through a word that starts with C.
Hint 3: Show me the full ladder
CAKE → CAME → CAMP → COMP → COOP → POOP
5 steps
Step count computed with our word list (ENABLE + SCOWL); the official game uses its own list.
COMP is in our word list but marked rare, so the official game may not accept it.
| Step | From | To | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CAKE | CAME | 3rd letter K to M |
| 2 | CAME | CAMP | 4th letter E to P |
| 3 | CAMP | COMP | 2nd letter A to O |
| 4 | COMP | COOP | 3rd letter M to O |
| 5 | COOP | POOP | 1st letter C to P |
Play this puzzle
All shortest paths from CAKE
Our word list allows 9 shortest ladders from CAKE to POOP, each 5 steps. They are folded so they don't give the answer away.
Show all 9 paths
- CAKE → CAME → CAMP → COMP → COOP → POOP
- CAKE → CAME → CAMP → COMP → POMP → POOP
- CAKE → CAME → COME → COMP → COOP → POOP
- CAKE → CAME → COME → COMP → POMP → POOP
- CAKE → CAME → COME → POME → POMP → POOP
- CAKE → COKE → COME → COMP → COOP → POOP
- CAKE → COKE → COME → COMP → POMP → POOP
- CAKE → COKE → COME → POME → POMP → POOP
- CAKE → COKE → POKE → POME → POMP → POOP
Words one letter away from CAKE
These 23 words differ from CAKE 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.
- BAKE common
- CADE rare
- CAFE common
- CAGE common
- CAKY rare
- CAME common
- CANE common
- CAPE common
- CARE common
- CASE common
- CATE rare
- CAVE common
- COKE common
- CUKE rare
- FAKE common
- HAKE rare
- JAKE rare
- LAKE common
- MAKE common
- RAKE common
- SAKE common
- TAKE common
- WAKE common
How hard was Poople #286?
By our count it rates Hard: fewest 5 steps. That makes #286 harder than 13% of the 420 puzzles so far.
More Poople puzzles
- Previous: #285 MUTE (May 26, 2026)
- Next: #287 ACTS (May 28, 2026)
- Same difficulty: #283 HUBS, #284 VIAL, #285 MUTE
- Every puzzle: Poople archive · Today: today's answer · Random practice: Poople Unlimited
How many steps is Poople #286?
Poople #286 takes 5 steps. We count the fewest steps from CAKE 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 #286?
The starting word for Poople #286 was CAKE, on Wednesday, May 27, 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 #286?
Yes. Press Play this puzzle on this page and the board loads with CAKE 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.