Poople Hints

Poople #388 · Sun, Sep 6

Poople #388 Answer: ITCH to POOP

ITCH POOP

Hints for Poople #388

Sniff test (How many steps?)RevealHide
The shortest path takes 10 steps.
Which letter stinks? (Which letter changes first?)RevealHide
Change the 1st letter first.
First plop (The first word)RevealHide
Your first move is ETCH.
Answer (Full shortest path)RevealHide

ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MUCH → MUCK → LUCK → LOCK → LOOK → LOOP → POOP

Showing 50 of 64 shortest paths
  1. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MACE → LACE → LACK → LOCK → LOOK → LOOP → POOP
  2. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MACE → MALE → MALL → PALL → POLL → POOL → POOP
  3. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MACE → MALE → MOLE → POLE → POLL → POOL → POOP
  4. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MACE → MALE → MOLE → POLE → POME → POMP → POOP
  5. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MACE → MALE → PALE → PALL → POLL → POOL → POOP
  6. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MACE → MALE → PALE → POLE → POLL → POOL → POOP
  7. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MACE → MALE → PALE → POLE → POME → POMP → POOP
  8. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MACE → MARE → MORE → PORE → POME → POMP → POOP
  9. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MACE → MARE → PARE → PORE → POME → POMP → POOP
  10. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MACE → PACE → PALE → PALL → POLL → POOL → POOP
  11. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MACE → PACE → PALE → POLE → POLL → POOL → POOP
  12. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MACE → PACE → PALE → POLE → POME → POMP → POOP
  13. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MACE → PACE → PARE → PORE → POME → POMP → POOP
  14. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MASH → BASH → BASS → BOSS → BOOS → BOOP → POOP
  15. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MASH → CASH → CAST → COST → COOT → COOP → POOP
  16. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MASH → CASH → COSH → COST → COOT → COOP → POOP
  17. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MASH → LASH → LAST → LOST → LOOT → LOOP → POOP
  18. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MASH → MASS → BASS → BOSS → BOOS → BOOP → POOP
  19. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MASH → MASS → MOSS → BOSS → BOOS → BOOP → POOP
  20. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MASH → MASS → MOSS → MOOS → BOOS → BOOP → POOP
  21. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MASH → MASS → MOSS → MOOS → COOS → COOP → POOP
  22. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MASH → MASS → MOSS → MOOS → MOOR → POOR → POOP
  23. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MASH → MAST → CAST → COST → COOT → COOP → POOP
  24. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MASH → MAST → LAST → LOST → LOOT → LOOP → POOP
  25. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MASH → MAST → MOST → COST → COOT → COOP → POOP
  26. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MASH → MAST → MOST → HOST → HOOT → HOOP → POOP
  27. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MASH → MAST → MOST → LOST → LOOT → LOOP → POOP
  28. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MASH → MAST → MOST → MOOT → BOOT → BOOP → POOP
  29. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MASH → MAST → MOST → MOOT → COOT → COOP → POOP
  30. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MASH → MAST → MOST → MOOT → HOOT → HOOP → POOP
  31. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MASH → MAST → MOST → MOOT → LOOT → LOOP → POOP
  32. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MASH → MAST → MOST → MOOT → MOOR → POOR → POOP
  33. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MASH → MOSH → COSH → COST → COOT → COOP → POOP
  34. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MASH → MOSH → MOSS → BOSS → BOOS → BOOP → POOP
  35. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MASH → MOSH → MOSS → MOOS → BOOS → BOOP → POOP
  36. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MASH → MOSH → MOSS → MOOS → COOS → COOP → POOP
  37. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MASH → MOSH → MOSS → MOOS → MOOR → POOR → POOP
  38. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MASH → MOSH → MOST → COST → COOT → COOP → POOP
  39. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MASH → MOSH → MOST → HOST → HOOT → HOOP → POOP
  40. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MASH → MOSH → MOST → LOST → LOOT → LOOP → POOP
  41. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MASH → MOSH → MOST → MOOT → BOOT → BOOP → POOP
  42. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MASH → MOSH → MOST → MOOT → COOT → COOP → POOP
  43. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MASH → MOSH → MOST → MOOT → HOOT → HOOP → POOP
  44. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MASH → MOSH → MOST → MOOT → LOOT → LOOP → POOP
  45. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MASH → MOSH → MOST → MOOT → MOOR → POOR → POOP
  46. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MASH → MOSH → POSH → POSE → POME → POMP → POOP
  47. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MASH → RASH → RASP → RAMP → ROMP → POMP → POOP
  48. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MATH → BATH → BATS → BOTS → BOOS → BOOP → POOP
  49. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MATH → BATH → BOTH → BOTS → BOOS → BOOP → POOP
  50. ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MATH → MATS → BATS → BOTS → BOOS → BOOP → POOP

Play Poople #388

Try the ladder yourself before you open the answer. Old puzzles do not count toward your streak.

Unrolling…

Sniffing out the word list…

Shortest path: 10 steps Brutal

Finish in 10 steps for a Royal Flush

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How the Poople #388 answer works

Poople #388 asks you to turn ITCH into POOP by changing one letter at a time, and every word on the way has to be in the Poople word list. The shortest path takes 10 steps. There are 64 different shortest paths; the one explained below is the path the official game shows.

Step-by-step explanation (spoiler)
  1. Change the 1st letter from I to E: ITCH → ETCH. 9 steps to go.
  2. Change the 2nd letter from T to A: ETCH → EACH. 8 steps to go.
  3. Change the 1st letter from E to M: EACH → MACH. 7 steps to go.
  4. Change the 2nd letter from A to U: MACH → MUCH. 6 steps to go.
  5. Change the 4th letter from H to K: MUCH → MUCK. 5 steps to go.
  6. Change the 1st letter from M to L: MUCK → LUCK. 4 steps to go.
  7. Change the 2nd letter from U to O: LUCK → LOCK. 3 steps to go.
  8. Change the 3rd letter from C to O: LOCK → LOOK. 2 steps to go.
  9. Change the 4th letter from K to P: LOOK → LOOP. 1 step to go.
  10. Change the 1st letter from L to P: LOOP → POOP. That spells POOP, so you are done.

First-move traps for ITCH

ITCH has 2 words one letter away in the Poople word list. Only 1 of them moves you closer to POOP.

Of the others, 1 takes you further away.

Which first moves to avoid (may reveal the first move)

Further away, so skip them: INCH.

How hard is Poople #388?

At 10 steps, Poople #388 is rated Brutal. Across the 105 Poople puzzles on this site, the shortest path averages 5.7 steps. Of the other puzzles, 104 were shorter. No puzzle on this site was longer.

Try other words in the Poople solver, or play endless practice ladders in Poople Unlimited.

FAQ

What is the Poople #388 answer?+−
Poople #388 (Sep 6, 2026) starts from ITCH. The shortest path is ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MUCH → MUCK → LUCK → LOCK → LOOK → LOOP → POOP.
How many steps does Poople #388 take?+−
The shortest path from ITCH to POOP takes 10 steps. There are 64 shortest paths.
What is the first move in Poople #388?+−
The official best path starts ITCH → ETCH.
Can Poople #388 be solved in fewer than 10 steps?+−
No. 10 steps is the minimum: every word one letter away from ITCH is at least 9 steps from POOP.
What was the Poople answer the day before #388?+−
Poople #387 started from TINS. The shortest path was TINS → TONS → CONS → COOS → COOP → POOP. Its hints are on the Poople #387 page in the archive.