Puzzle #426 · Oct 14, 2026
Poople #426 Answer: MICS to POOP
Poople #426 is today's puzzle for Wednesday, October 14, 2026. The starting word is MICS, and the shortest ladder to POOP takes 5 steps. We found 8 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 #426 hints
Hint 1: Which letter changes first
The first move changes the 2nd letter of MICS, the I.
Hint 2: The next word starts with …
The word after MICS starts with M. Halfway down, the ladder passes through a word that starts with C.
Hint 3: Show me the full ladder
MICS → MOCS → MOOS → COOS → COOP → POOP
5 steps
Step count computed with our word list (ENABLE + SCOWL); the official game uses its own list.
MOCS is in our word list but marked rare, so the official game may not accept it.
| Step | From | To | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MICS | MOCS | 2nd letter I to O |
| 2 | MOCS | MOOS | 3rd letter C to O |
| 3 | MOOS | COOS | 1st letter M to C |
| 4 | COOS | COOP | 4th letter S to P |
| 5 | COOP | POOP | 1st letter C to P |
Play this puzzle
All shortest paths from MICS
Our word list allows 8 shortest ladders from MICS to POOP, each 5 steps. They are folded so they don't give the answer away.
Show all 8 paths
- MICS → MOCS → MOOS → COOS → COOP → POOP
- MICS → MOCS → MOOS → MOOR → POOR → POOP
- MICS → MOCS → MOMS → POMS → POMP → POOP
- MICS → MOCS → MOOS → MOOD → POOD → POOP
- MICS → MOCS → MOOS → MOON → POON → POOP
- MICS → MOCS → MOOS → LOOS → LOOP → POOP
- MICS → MOCS → MOOS → MOOL → POOL → POOP
- MICS → MOCS → MOOS → GOOS → GOOP → POOP
Words one letter away from MICS
These 14 words differ from MICS 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.
- MACS rare
- MIBS rare
- MICA rare
- MICE common
- MICK rare
- MIDS rare
- MIGS rare
- MILS rare
- MIRS rare
- MISS common
- MOCS rare
- PICS rare
- SICS common
- TICS rare
How hard was Poople #426?
By our count it rates Hard: fewest 5 steps. That makes #426 harder than 12% of the 426 puzzles so far.
More Poople puzzles
- Previous: #425 TINY (Oct 13, 2026)
- Same difficulty: #422 GEMS, #423 TIPS, #425 TINY
- Every puzzle: Poople archive · Today: today's answer · Random practice: Poople Unlimited
How many steps is Poople #426?
Poople #426 takes 5 steps. We count the fewest steps from MICS 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 #426?
The starting word for Poople #426 was MICS, on Wednesday, October 14, 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 #426?
Yes. Press Play this puzzle on this page and the board loads with MICS 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.