Historical route lab

Poople #337 GRAN Answer

Poople #337 started at GRAN on July 17, 2026. Its selective opening changes letters in the sequence N>M, G>P, A>O, M>P, R>O, with 2 par-preserving first moves.

Archive value: this is not a copied daily page. Its tables are calculated for GRAN, including 6 legal openings and route signature 4-1-3-4-2.
Calculated from the current word graph

GRAN route profile

Par5 moves6 words including start and target
Shortest routes2Exact routes in the current accepted graph
Legal first moves62 keep par
Route shapeselective openingLetter positions 4-1-3-4-2
Spoiler controls

Choose how much to reveal

The hint describes the move without naming the word. The full route stays closed until you ask for it.

Reveal a direction, not a word

The current row reads G-R-A-N. Change position 4 and keep positions 1, 2, 3 fixed. Look for a consonant-to-consonant change. 2 different first moves preserve the shortest length.

Reveal the complete 5-move answer

GRAN -> GRAM -> PRAM -> PROM -> PROP -> POOP

Step 0GRANStart
Step 1GRAMBridge
Step 2PRAMBridge
Step 3PROMBridge
Step 4PROPBridge
Step 5POOPTarget
Route anatomy

What changes at every step

  1. Step 1GRAN -> GRAM

    Tile 4 changes N to M; the move is sideways by letter shape. GRAM has 10 legal neighbors, 1 shortest continuation, and 4 moves remaining. Other legal exits from GRAN include GRAD, GRAY, GRAB, GRIN.

  2. Step 2GRAM -> PRAM

    Tile 1 changes G to P; the move is closer by letter shape. PRAM has 8 legal neighbors, 1 shortest continuation, and 3 moves remaining. Other legal exits from GRAM include GRAD, GRIM, DRAM, TRAM.

  3. Step 3PRAM -> PROM

    Tile 3 changes A to O; the move is closer by letter shape. PROM has 9 legal neighbors, 1 shortest continuation, and 2 moves remaining. Other legal exits from PRAM include PRIM, PRAY, DRAM, TRAM.

  4. Step 4PROM -> PROP

    Tile 4 changes M to P; the move is closer by letter shape. PROP has 11 legal neighbors, 1 shortest continuation, and 1 move remaining. Other legal exits from PROM include PROS, PROF, PROD, PROG.

  5. Step 5PROP -> POOP

    Tile 2 changes R to O; the move is closer by letter shape. POOP has 11 legal neighbors, target reached, and 0 moves remaining. Other legal exits from PROP include PLOP, DROP, CROP, PREP.

Opening decision

Which first moves preserve par?

GRAN has 6 legal one-letter neighbors. GRAD, GRAM keep the route at 5 moves, while sampled detours begin GRAY (+1), GRAB (+1), GRIN (+1), BRAN (+1).

Compare 6 calculated first moves
MoveChanged tileTotalVerdictShortest continuations
GRAD4: N -> D5Keeps par1
GRAM4: N -> M5Keeps par1
GRAY4: N -> Y6Adds 1 move9
GRAB4: N -> B6Adds 1 move4
GRIN3: A -> I6Adds 1 move2
BRAN1: G -> B6Adds 1 move4

GRAN opening fingerprint

GRAN groups its legal first moves as tile 1: BRAN; tile 3: GRIN; tile 4: GRAD, GRAM, GRAY, GRAB. Two moves from the start, 29 off-route words are reachable; the nearest sampled frontier is GOAD, BRAS, BRAT, CRAB, CRAM, CRAY, DRAM, GLAD, GLAM, GRAD, GREY, GRIM, GRIP, PRAY, TRAD, TRAM, BEAN, BRAG, BRAY, DRAB, FRAY, GAIN, GRAB, GRAY.

Your route

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Graph reading

PRAM is the narrowest displayed bridge

After GRAM becomes PRAM, only 1 move preserves the shortest remaining distance. At the prior row, alternatives such as GRAD, GRIM, DRAM, TRAM show what the route declined.

Direct-shape gains
4
Sideways steps
1
Temporary shape detours
0
Steps touching a vowel
2

How these figures were calculated

Poople recomputes adjacency and distance from the accepted 2,398-word graph. "Shortest routes" counts every path that lowers the remaining distance by one at each move; it is not a guess based on page text or player scores.

The displayed answer is one shortest route selected from that graph. Community scores and notes are kept separate because they describe player activity, not the mathematical route.

Data mode: live Graph synced: 2026-08-14 06:55 UTC Puzzle date: July 17, 2026