Puzzle #356 · Aug 5, 2026
Poople #356 Answer: HUGS to POOP
Poople #356 was the puzzle for Wednesday, August 5, 2026. The starting word was HUGS, 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 #356 hints
Hint 1: Which letter changes first
The first move changes the 2nd letter of HUGS, the U.
Hint 2: The next word starts with …
The word after HUGS starts with H. Halfway down, the ladder passes through a word that starts with C.
Hint 3: Show me the full ladder
HUGS → HOGS → COGS → COOS → COOP → POOP
5 steps
Step count computed with our word list (ENABLE + SCOWL); the official game uses its own list.
| Step | From | To | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HUGS | HOGS | 2nd letter U to O |
| 2 | HOGS | COGS | 1st letter H to C |
| 3 | COGS | COOS | 3rd letter G to O |
| 4 | COOS | COOP | 4th letter S to P |
| 5 | COOP | POOP | 1st letter C to P |
Play this puzzle
All shortest paths from HUGS
Our word list allows 5 shortest ladders from HUGS to POOP, each 5 steps. They are folded so they don't give the answer away.
Show all 5 paths
- HUGS → HOGS → COGS → COOS → COOP → POOP
- HUGS → HUMS → HUMP → PUMP → POMP → POOP
- HUGS → HOGS → LOGS → LOOS → LOOP → POOP
- HUGS → LUGS → LOGS → LOOS → LOOP → POOP
- HUGS → HOGS → HOLS → HOLP → HOOP → POOP
Words one letter away from HUGS
These 18 words differ from HUGS 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.
- BUGS common
- DUGS rare
- FUGS rare
- HAGS common
- HOGS common
- HUBS common
- HUES common
- HUGE common
- HUMS common
- HUNS rare
- HUTS common
- JUGS common
- LUGS common
- MUGS common
- PUGS rare
- RUGS common
- TUGS common
- VUGS rare
How hard was Poople #356?
By our count it rates Hard: fewest 5 steps. That makes #356 harder than 13% of the 420 puzzles so far.
More Poople puzzles
- Previous: #355 REIN (Aug 4, 2026)
- Next: #357 RITE (Aug 6, 2026)
- Same difficulty: #352 CANE, #353 HUFF, #354 TILT
- Every puzzle: Poople archive · Today: today's answer · Random practice: Poople Unlimited
How many steps is Poople #356?
Poople #356 takes 5 steps. We count the fewest steps from HUGS 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 #356?
The starting word for Poople #356 was HUGS, on Wednesday, August 5, 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 #356?
Yes. Press Play this puzzle on this page and the board loads with HUGS 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.