Puzzle #409 · Sep 27, 2026
Poople #409 Answer: RISE to POOP
Poople #409 was the puzzle for Sunday, September 27, 2026. The starting word was RISE, and the shortest ladder to POOP takes 5 steps. We found 2 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 #409 hints
Hint 1: Which letter changes first
The first move changes the 2nd letter of RISE, the I.
Hint 2: The next word starts with …
The word after RISE starts with R. Halfway down, the ladder passes through a word that starts with P.
Hint 3: Show me the full ladder
RISE → ROSE → POSE → 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 | RISE | ROSE | 2nd letter I to O |
| 2 | ROSE | POSE | 1st letter R to P |
| 3 | POSE | POME | 3rd letter S to M |
| 4 | POME | POMP | 4th letter E to P |
| 5 | POMP | POOP | 3rd letter M to O |
Play this puzzle
All shortest paths from RISE
Our word list allows 2 shortest ladders from RISE to POOP, each 5 steps. They are folded so they don't give the answer away.
Show all 2 paths
- RISE → ROSE → POSE → POME → POMP → POOP
- RISE → ROSE → POSE → POSH → POOH → POOP
Words one letter away from RISE
These 16 words differ from RISE 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.
- BISE rare
- MISE rare
- RASE rare
- RICE common
- RIDE common
- RIFE common
- RILE common
- RIME rare
- RIPE common
- RISK common
- RITE common
- RIVE rare
- ROSE common
- RUSE common
- VISE common
- WISE common
How hard was Poople #409?
By our count it rates Hard: fewest 5 steps. That makes #409 harder than 13% of the 420 puzzles so far.
More Poople puzzles
- Previous: #408 YARD (Sep 26, 2026)
- Next: #410 FOES (Sep 28, 2026)
- Same difficulty: #405 YANK, #407 FUNK, #408 YARD
- Every puzzle: Poople archive · Today: today's answer · Random practice: Poople Unlimited
How many steps is Poople #409?
Poople #409 takes 5 steps. We count the fewest steps from RISE 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 #409?
The starting word for Poople #409 was RISE, on Sunday, September 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 #409?
Yes. Press Play this puzzle on this page and the board loads with RISE 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.