Poople Answer: #281 SHIM to POOP
Replay the puzzle first, then reveal one published 5-move route from SHIM to POOP.
- Par
- 5
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Level
- #281
Poople answer #281 guide
What is the Poople answer #281?
One published Poople answer #281 is a 5-move route from SHIM to POOP. Try the playable board before comparing your solution with the published route.
Spoiler protected Show Poople answer #281 Hide Poople answer #281
One letter at a time
Poople Answer Path #281 SHIM
SHIM → SLIM → SLIP → SLOP → PLOP → POOP
Step by step
Letter-by-letter path explanation
- SHIM → SLIM Change letter 2 from H to L.
- SLIM → SLIP Change letter 4 from M to P.
- SLIP → SLOP Change letter 3 from I to O.
- SLOP → PLOP Change letter 1 from S to P.
- PLOP → POOP Change letter 2 from L to O.
| Published | |
|---|---|
| Start word | SHIM |
| Target word | POOP |
| Par | 5 moves |
| Published route | 5 moves |
| Difficulty | Medium |
| Computed minimum | 5 moves |
| Computed minimum routes | 5 |
| Final bridge | PLOP |
Route logic
Why this Poople route works
From SHIM, Poople #281 records the sequence SHIM → SLIM → SLIP → SLOP → PLOP → POOP. The opening transition changes the second position from H to L, and SLIP → SLOP shifts the third position from I to O. Together, those edits show how the ladder reshapes the word while maintaining accepted entries. It reaches POOP after 5 single-character moves and matches the published par.
A repeatable solving method is to check both ends. From the start, keep letters that open several valid next moves. From POOP, work backward to a likely final bridge, then look for a word that connects your forward and backward chains. This reduces random guesses while you test the playable board.
Solution strategy
Why the bridge word matters
The final bridge is PLOP, which differs from POOP only at the second position. Replacing L with O preserves the other three letters and finishes Poople #281 in one valid move.
To apply this strategy to another Poople game, work backward from POOP: list its valid one-letter neighbours, then test which candidate connects to the chain you are building from the starting word.
Difficulty notes
How difficult is Poople #281?
Poople #281 scores 34/100 on the PoopleToday Difficulty Index and is rated Medium. The index combines minimum route length, word familiarity and route flexibility. Within Poople Today’s validated word list, the computed minimum is 5 moves. Its easiest computed minimum route contains no intermediate words in the lowest frequency quartile. 5 computed minimum routes were found in this word list.
Source and review
How this Poople answer is checked
Poople Today stores the puzzle number, starting word, par and published route with its source. Automated checks confirm four-letter formatting, the correct start and target, one changed letter per move and agreement between the route length and par. Review the published puzzle source.
The current route status is structure validated. Structural validation confirms that the displayed chain follows the game rules. Separately, the Difficulty Index searches Poople Today’s validated word list for computed minimum routes; that calculation does not prove that no route exists using a word outside this list. Last reviewed .