Puzzle #417 · Oct 5, 2026
Poople #417 Answer: PAIR to POOP
Poople #417 was the puzzle for Monday, October 5, 2026. The starting word was PAIR, 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 #417 hints
Hint 1: Which letter changes first
The first move changes the 4th letter of PAIR, the R.
Hint 2: The next word starts with …
The word after PAIR starts with P. Halfway down, the ladder passes through a word that starts with P.
Hint 3: Show me the full ladder
PAIR → PAIL → PALL → POLL → POOL → POOP
5 steps
Step count computed with our word list (ENABLE + SCOWL); the official game uses its own list.
| Step | From | To | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PAIR | PAIL | 4th letter R to L |
| 2 | PAIL | PALL | 3rd letter I to L |
| 3 | PALL | POLL | 2nd letter A to O |
| 4 | POLL | POOL | 3rd letter L to O |
| 5 | POOL | POOP | 4th letter L to P |
Play this puzzle
All shortest paths from PAIR
Our word list allows 2 shortest ladders from PAIR to POOP, each 5 steps. They are folded so they don't give the answer away.
Show all 2 paths
- PAIR → PAIL → PALL → POLL → POOL → POOP
- PAIR → PAIN → PEIN → PEON → POON → POOP
Words one letter away from PAIR
These 11 words differ from PAIR 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.
- FAIR common
- HAIR common
- LAIR common
- MAIR rare
- PAID common
- PAIK rare
- PAIL common
- PAIN common
- PARR rare
- VAIR rare
- WAIR rare
How hard was Poople #417?
By our count it rates Hard: fewest 5 steps. That makes #417 harder than 13% of the 420 puzzles so far.
More Poople puzzles
- Previous: #416 RAFT (Oct 4, 2026)
- Next: #418 RENT (Oct 6, 2026)
- Same difficulty: #408 YARD, #409 RISE, #413 TEES
- Every puzzle: Poople archive · Today: today's answer · Random practice: Poople Unlimited
How many steps is Poople #417?
Poople #417 takes 5 steps. We count the fewest steps from PAIR 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 #417?
The starting word for Poople #417 was PAIR, on Monday, October 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 #417?
Yes. Press Play this puzzle on this page and the board loads with PAIR 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.