Puzzle #288 · May 29, 2026
Poople #288 Answer: DUNE to POOP
Poople #288 was the puzzle for Friday, May 29, 2026. The starting word was DUNE, and the shortest ladder to POOP takes 5 steps. We found 3 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 #288 hints
Hint 1: Which letter changes first
The first move changes the 2nd letter of DUNE, the U.
Hint 2: The next word starts with …
The word after DUNE starts with D. Halfway down, the ladder passes through a word that starts with P.
Hint 3: Show me the full ladder
DUNE → DONE → DOME → POME → POMP → POOP
5 steps
Step count computed with our word list (ENABLE + SCOWL); the official game uses its own list.
POME is in our word list but marked rare, so the official game may not accept it.
| Step | From | To | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DUNE | DONE | 2nd letter U to O |
| 2 | DONE | DOME | 3rd letter N to M |
| 3 | DOME | POME | 1st letter D to P |
| 4 | POME | POMP | 4th letter E to P |
| 5 | POMP | POOP | 3rd letter M to O |
Play this puzzle
All shortest paths from DUNE
Our word list allows 3 shortest ladders from DUNE to POOP, each 5 steps. They are folded so they don't give the answer away.
Show all 3 paths
- DUNE → DONE → DOME → POME → POMP → POOP
- DUNE → DONE → PONE → POND → POOD → POOP
- DUNE → DONE → PONE → POME → POMP → POOP
Words one letter away from DUNE
These 16 words differ from DUNE 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.
- DENE rare
- DINE common
- DONE common
- DUCE rare
- DUDE common
- DUKE common
- DUNG common
- DUNK common
- DUNS rare
- DUNT rare
- DUPE common
- DURE rare
- DYNE rare
- LUNE rare
- RUNE rare
- TUNE common
How hard was Poople #288?
By our count it rates Hard: fewest 5 steps. That makes #288 harder than 13% of the 420 puzzles so far.
More Poople puzzles
- Previous: #287 ACTS (May 28, 2026)
- Next: #289 GRAY (May 30, 2026)
- Same difficulty: #284 VIAL, #285 MUTE, #286 CAKE
- Every puzzle: Poople archive · Today: today's answer · Random practice: Poople Unlimited
How many steps is Poople #288?
Poople #288 takes 5 steps. We count the fewest steps from DUNE 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 #288?
The starting word for Poople #288 was DUNE, on Friday, May 29, 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 #288?
Yes. Press Play this puzzle on this page and the board loads with DUNE 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.