Poople Hints

Poople #389 · Mon, Sep 7

Poople #389 Answer: GIST to POOP

GIST POOP

Hints for Poople #389

Sniff test (How many steps?)RevealHide
The shortest path takes 5 steps.
Which letter stinks? (Which letter changes first?)RevealHide
Change the 1st letter first.
First plop (The first word)RevealHide
Your first move is LIST.
Answer (Full shortest path)RevealHide

GIST → LIST → LOST → LOOT → LOOP → POOP

Play Poople #389

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: 5 steps Easy

Finish in 5 steps for a Royal Flush

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How the Poople #389 answer works

Poople #389 asks you to turn GIST 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 5 steps. There is only one shortest path, so only one sequence of moves finishes in 5 steps.

Step-by-step explanation (spoiler)
  1. Change the 1st letter from G to L: GIST → LIST. 4 steps to go.
  2. Change the 2nd letter from I to O: LIST → LOST. 3 steps to go.
  3. Change the 3rd letter from S to O: LOST → LOOT. 2 steps to go.
  4. Change the 4th letter from T to P: LOOT → LOOP. 1 step to go.
  5. Change the 1st letter from L to P: LOOP → POOP. That spells POOP, so you are done.

First-move traps for GIST

GIST has 7 words one letter away in the Poople word list. Only 1 of them moves you closer to POOP.

Of the others, 6 keep you at the same distance.

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

Sideways, at the same distance from POOP, which costs you a step: FIST, GIFT, GILT, GUST, MIST, WIST.

How hard is Poople #389?

At 5 steps, Poople #389 is rated Easy. Across the 105 Poople puzzles on this site, the shortest path averages 5.7 steps. Of the other puzzles, 56 had the same length and 48 were longer. No puzzle on this site was shorter.

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

FAQ

What is the Poople #389 answer?+−
Poople #389 (Sep 7, 2026) starts from GIST. The shortest path is GIST → LIST → LOST → LOOT → LOOP → POOP.
How many steps does Poople #389 take?+−
The shortest path from GIST to POOP takes 5 steps. There is 1 shortest path.
What is the first move in Poople #389?+−
The official best path starts GIST → LIST.
Can Poople #389 be solved in fewer than 5 steps?+−
No. 5 steps is the minimum: every word one letter away from GIST is at least 4 steps from POOP.
What was the Poople answer the day before #389?+−
Poople #388 started from ITCH. The shortest path was ITCH → ETCH → EACH → MACH → MUCH → MUCK → LUCK → LOCK → LOOK → LOOP → POOP. Its hints are on the Poople #388 page in the archive.