Puzzle #344 · Jul 24, 2026
Poople #344 Answer: DUST to POOP
Poople #344 was the puzzle for Friday, July 24, 2026. The starting word was DUST, and the shortest ladder to POOP takes 5 steps. We found 5 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 #344 hints
Hint 1: Which letter changes first
The first move changes the 2nd letter of DUST, the U.
Hint 2: The next word starts with …
The word after DUST starts with D. Halfway down, the ladder passes through a word that starts with H.
Hint 3: Show me the full ladder
DUST → DOST → HOST → HOOT → HOOP → POOP
5 steps
Step count computed with our word list (ENABLE + SCOWL); the official game uses its own list.
| Step | From | To | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DUST | DOST | 2nd letter U to O |
| 2 | DOST | HOST | 1st letter D to H |
| 3 | HOST | HOOT | 3rd letter S to O |
| 4 | HOOT | HOOP | 4th letter T to P |
| 5 | HOOP | POOP | 1st letter H to P |
Play this puzzle
All shortest paths from DUST
Our word list allows 5 shortest ladders from DUST to POOP, each 5 steps. They are folded so they don't give the answer away.
Show all 5 paths
- DUST → DOST → HOST → HOOT → HOOP → POOP
- DUST → DOST → LOST → LOOT → LOOP → POOP
- DUST → LUST → LOST → LOOT → LOOP → POOP
- DUST → DOST → COST → COOT → COOP → POOP
- DUST → DOST → POST → POSH → POOH → POOP
Words one letter away from DUST
These 13 words differ from DUST 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.
- BUST common
- DOST common
- DUCT common
- DUET common
- DUIT rare
- DUNT rare
- DUSK common
- GUST common
- JUST common
- LUST common
- MUST common
- OUST common
- RUST common
How hard was Poople #344?
By our count it rates Hard: fewest 5 steps. That makes #344 harder than 13% of the 420 puzzles so far.
More Poople puzzles
- Previous: #343 TILE (Jul 23, 2026)
- Next: #345 HUGE (Jul 25, 2026)
- Same difficulty: #341 NEST, #342 WARY, #343 TILE
- Every puzzle: Poople archive · Today: today's answer · Random practice: Poople Unlimited
How many steps is Poople #344?
Poople #344 takes 5 steps. We count the fewest steps from DUST 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 #344?
The starting word for Poople #344 was DUST, on Friday, July 24, 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 #344?
Yes. Press Play this puzzle on this page and the board loads with DUST 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.