How to Play LinkedIn Crossclimb
Crossclimb starts like a tiny crossword. You answer five short clues, then drag the answers into a word ladder. Read down the ladder and exactly one letter changes at each step. Once those five rungs click into place, two final clues open at the ends. If you’re stuck on a clue, a neighboring rung can often give you most of the answer.
Crossclimb rules
- Solve the five middle clues and keep each answer in its own rung.
- Arrange those words so neighboring rungs differ in exactly one letter position. All other letters stay where they are.
- Solve the two unlocked end clues. Each new word must also be one letter away from the rung next to it.
Build the middle before solving the ends
Step 1. Solve the five clues first. For instance, “a piece of string” gives CORD and “hospital unit” gives WARD. 
Step 2. Put CORD next to CARD, then add WARD, WARM and FARM. The ordered middle opens the end clues. 
Step 3. For “low in temperature,” change the R in CORD to L. For the paper you fill in, change the A in FARM to O.
How to play on LinkedIn
- Select a middle rung to see its clue and enter an answer. Start with the clues you recognize and come back to the tricky ones.
- Drag the rungs into order. Compare letters in the same positions and look for pairs with just one difference.
- Once the top and bottom open, read their clues and enter the last two words. Use each adjacent word to narrow the options.
- Hint reveals a letter and Reveal row gives the selected answer. Settings also offers Auto-check for entries and Auto-reorder for the five middle words.
Crossclimb solving tips
Find a word with only one neighbor
If one of the five middle answers can sit beside only one other word, it belongs at one end of the middle chain. Find both ends and work inward.
Use the ladder to check a close synonym
Two words might fit the clue. If one has no one-letter links to any of the other answers, try the other and compare again.
Keep the neighboring word in sight
When an end clue is vague, write out its neighbor. Try changing the first letter, then the second, and so on. Stop when the new word fits the clue and the ladder.
Common questions
Why are the top and bottom clues locked?
Fill all five middle words and put them in the order where neighboring rungs differ by one letter. That unlocks the last two clues.
Does swapping letters count as one change?
Crossclimb compares the letters in each position. FORM and FROM differ in positions two and three, so the swap counts as two changes.
Can I solve the middle clues out of order?
Yes. Select any open rung and answer the clue you know. Arrange the completed middle words once you have them.
What does Auto-reorder do in Crossclimb?
It arranges the middle rungs once you have the correct five answers. You still solve the unlocked clues at the top and bottom.
When does Crossclimb reset?
LinkedIn releases a new puzzle every day at midnight Pacific Time. Find previous solutions in the Crossclimb answer archive.