Poople Answer — #429, October 17, 2026

October 17, 2026 · #429: CASK to POOP

CASK starts with no position matching POOP, so reaching the target requires at least four letter changes. The checked minimum is five. The extra change happens at the ending: K first becomes T, and T later becomes P. The route keeps the starting C until the very last step and uses the middle of the word to approach the target. The important opening decision is therefore the temporary ending, rather than replacing C immediately with the P that you ultimately need.

CASK to CAST replaces only the last letter K with T. The CAS beginning remains unchanged, which makes this a relatively easy first pair to verify. CAST then becomes COST by changing the second letter A to O. The first C, third S, and final T all remain in place. That O is the first letter settled into a final target position. It will not need to move again. Reading the pair side by side is useful because the spelling is similar even though the vowel changes.

COST to COOT changes the third letter from S to O. The middle now matches the OO in POOP, while the C and final T still differ. It can be tempting to replace both remaining outside letters at once, but each needs its own move. Even the smaller jump from COST to COOP is invalid as a single step, because it changes the third S and the final T together. COOT supplies the accepted word between those two changes in the checked ladder.

COOT to COOP replaces the final T with P. This completes the ending’s detour from K through T to its target value. The last move, COOP to POOP, changes the first letter C to P and preserves the other three positions. Six displayed words correspond to five moves. If you counted six, you probably included the given CASK as a move; begin counting with the arrow into CAST instead. The final arrow into POOP still counts, even though the target word is already printed on the game.

To practise this puzzle without seeing the entire path, cover the route after the starting word and remember that the ending needs a temporary T. From there, see whether you can build the OO middle before changing the front. This gives you a specific plan while leaving the individual words to find. Five is the minimum established by the checked accepted words. A longer answer can still be a valid completion, so compare it one neighboring pair at a time before deciding which detour made it longer.

After CAST, each remaining move adds one letter in its final target position. The second O arrives first, followed by the third O, the final P, and the opening P. The only preparatory change is therefore the first one. If your attempt reaches CAST in one move but then takes longer, examine the four changes after it for an avoidable detour.