MAY 17, 2026 · PUZZLE #276
REEF to POOP.💩
One shortest route in 6 moves.
00
REEF
START01
BEEF
LETTER 102
BEEP
LETTER 403
PEEP
LETTER 104
PREP
LETTER 205
PROP
LETTER 306
POOP
GOAL 💩Why this route takes 6 moves
REEF and POOP differ in 4 letter positions. The shortest accepted-word route needs 2 additional moves; the first and second letters change more than once.
Start by changing the first letter: REEF → BEEF. Near the goal, PROP is one letter from POOP; the last move changes its second letter.
Every letter change
- REEF → BEEF: change letter 1 from R to B.
- BEEF → BEEP: change letter 4 from F to P.
- BEEP → PEEP: change letter 1 from B to P.
- PEEP → PREP: change letter 2 from E to R.
- PREP → PROP: change letter 3 from E to O.
- PROP → POOP: change letter 2 from R to O.
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