Puzzle #341 · Jul 21, 2026

Poople #341 Answer: NEST to POOP

Poople #341 was the puzzle for Tuesday, July 21, 2026. The starting word was NEST, 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 #341 hints

Hint 1: Which letter changes first

The first move changes the 1st letter of NEST, the N.

Hint 2: The next word starts with …

The word after NEST starts with L. Halfway down, the ladder passes through a word that starts with L.

Hint 3: Show me the full ladder

NEST → LEST → LOST → LOOT → LOOP → POOP

Shortest ladder Hard

5 steps

Step count computed with our word list (ENABLE + SCOWL); the official game uses its own list.

Letter changes, step by step
StepFromToChange
1NESTLEST1st letter N to L
2LESTLOST2nd letter E to O
3LOSTLOOT3rd letter S to O
4LOOTLOOP4th letter T to P
5LOOPPOOP1st letter L to P
Play this puzzle

All shortest paths from NEST

Our word list allows 3 shortest ladders from NEST to POOP, each 5 steps. They are folded so they don't give the answer away.

Show all 3 paths
  1. NEST → LEST → LOST → LOOT → LOOP → POOP
  2. NEST → HEST → HOST → HOOT → HOOP → POOP
  3. NEST → PEST → POST → POSH → POOH → POOP

Words one letter away from NEST

These 16 words differ from NEST 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.

  • BEST common
  • GEST rare
  • HEST rare
  • JEST common
  • LEST common
  • NEAT common
  • NESS rare
  • NETT rare
  • NEWT common
  • NEXT common
  • PEST common
  • REST common
  • TEST common
  • VEST common
  • WEST common
  • ZEST common

How hard was Poople #341?

By our count it rates Hard: fewest 5 steps. That makes #341 harder than 13% of the 420 puzzles so far.

More Poople puzzles

How many steps is Poople #341?

Poople #341 takes 5 steps. We count the fewest steps from NEST 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 #341?

The starting word for Poople #341 was NEST, on Tuesday, July 21, 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 #341?

Yes. Press Play this puzzle on this page and the board loads with NEST 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.