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PUZZLE #453 · 10 Nov 2026

Poople Hints Today

A little help for ICES, without revealing more than you choose. Work through the panels in order, or stop as soon as a clue is enough.

Choose your level of help

Spoiler control: the first panel reveals only the minimum move count. The next panels reveal a letter position and the first word. The fourth contains the complete solution; every panel starts closed.

01A gentle nudgeJust the shortest length. No words revealed.
You can get from ICES to POOP in 9 moves. That means 10 words, including the start.
02A little more directionFind out which letter to change first.
One shortest route starts by changing letter 1. You do not have to match a letter in POOP on every move.
03Your first stepping stoneReveal the first word of a shortest route.
Try ACES. From there, you have 8 moves left.ACES
04The full answerReady? Reveal every step to POOP.

ICES · ACES · ACED · APED · SPED · SLED · PLED · PLOD · PLOP · POOP

  1. StartICESYour starting word
  2. Move 1ACESI — A · letter 1
  3. Move 2ACEDS — D · letter 4
  4. Move 3APEDC — P · letter 2
  5. Move 4SPEDA — S · letter 1
  6. Move 5SLEDP — L · letter 2
  7. Move 6PLEDS — P · letter 1
  8. Move 7PLODE — O · letter 3
  9. Move 8PLOPD — P · letter 4
  10. Move 9POOPL — O · letter 2

4 shortest paths in the checked word list. View the full explanation

Keep solving after a hint

Change exactly one letter each move and use a word accepted by the checked list. A useful move does not always make your word look more like POOP. Try the first hint before opening a word reveal, and use the solver if you are already partway through a different route.

Ready to compare every shortest solution? Open the full explanation for #453 ICES. For the latest verification status, visit today’s Poople answer; older puzzles are in the archive.