2026-01-18
Puzzle guide
Full breakdown using the Strategy coach format — middle clues, ladder order, combo ends, and strategy notes.
Overview
Crossclimb Level 18 is part of our exclusive Crossclimb level track. Crossclimb is LinkedIn's word-ladder game: solve 5 middle crossword clues, order the rungs so adjacent words differ by one letter, then unlock the top and bottom combo words. This page includes the live board, a solved-board view, and a step-by-step Solution walkthrough. Difficulty: Medium. Estimated solve time: 4–6 min. Read the explainer sections below for strategy, or jump straight into play.
Answer
The complete word ladder from MILD to BOOT:
MILD → MIND → BIND → BOND → BOLD → BOLT → BOOT
Top and bottom share the combo clue: “Gentle kick with your shoe”
Analysis
Teaching ladder Crossclimb Level 18: students solve 5 clues before touching order. Answers: MIND, BIND, BOND, BOLD, BOLT. Only then drag rungs until each neighbor differs by exactly one letter.
Middle phase answers: "Brain or intellect" = MIND; "Tie together" = BIND; "Adhesive or link" = BOND; "Brave and daring" = BOLD; "Metal fastener" = BOLT.
Ordering phase: the valid middle chain is MIND → BIND → BOND → BOLD → BOLT. This permutation is the only valid one-letter chain for these answers.
Rule demo: MILD and MIND differ in exactly one slot — L→N at the third letter (MILD → MIND).
Rule demo: MIND and BIND differ in exactly one slot — M→B at the first letter (MIND → BIND).
Rule demo: BIND and BOND differ in exactly one slot — I→O at the second letter (BIND → BOND).
Rule demo: BOND and BOLD differ in exactly one slot — N→L at the third letter (BOND → BOLD).
Rule demo: BOLD and BOLT differ in exactly one slot — D→T at the fourth letter (BOLD → BOLT).
Rule demo: BOLT and BOOT differ in exactly one slot — L→O at the third letter (BOLT → BOOT).
Lesson complete: MILD → MIND → BIND → BOND → BOLD → BOLT → BOOT. Remember — middles first, order second, combo last.
Middle clues
Brain or intellect
Clue insight
"Brain or intellect" resolves to "MIND" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.
Solving note
Warm-up clue: Solve "Brain or intellect" without peeking at ladder order.
Tie together
Clue insight
The clue "Tie together" describes an action or use case that maps cleanly to the verb "BIND".
Solving note
Cross-check: Solve "Tie together" without peeking at ladder order.
Adhesive or link
Clue insight
"Adhesive or link" resolves to "BOND" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.
Solving note
Pivot answer: Solve "Adhesive or link" without peeking at ladder order.
Brave and daring
Clue insight
"Brave and daring" resolves to "BOLD" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.
Solving note
Verifier: Solve "Brave and daring" without peeking at ladder order.
Metal fastener
Clue insight
"Metal fastener" resolves to "BOLT" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.
Solving note
Final middle: Solve "Metal fastener" without peeking at ladder order.
Ladder steps
L→N at the third letter (MILD → MIND)
Teaching link MILD→MIND: L→N at the third letter (MILD → MIND).
Rule check 1: Students should reject pairs with 2+ letter differences.
M→B at the first letter (MIND → BIND)
Teaching link MIND→BIND: M→B at the first letter (MIND → BIND).
Rule check 2: Students should reject pairs with 2+ letter differences.
I→O at the second letter (BIND → BOND)
Teaching link BIND→BOND: I→O at the second letter (BIND → BOND).
Rule check 3: Students should reject pairs with 2+ letter differences.
N→L at the third letter (BOND → BOLD)
Teaching link BOND→BOLD: N→L at the third letter (BOND → BOLD).
Rule check 4: Students should reject pairs with 2+ letter differences.
D→T at the fourth letter (BOLD → BOLT)
Teaching link BOLD→BOLT: D→T at the fourth letter (BOLD → BOLT).
Rule check 5: Students should reject pairs with 2+ letter differences.
L→O at the third letter (BOLT → BOOT)
Teaching link BOLT→BOOT: L→O at the third letter (BOLT → BOOT).
Rule check 6: Students should reject pairs with 2+ letter differences.
Ordering
Teach students to test pairs: MIND → BIND → BOND → BOLD → BOLT works because MILD→MIND, MIND→BIND, BIND→BOND, BOND→BOLD, BOLD→BOLT, BOLT→BOOT each differ by one letter only.
Combo
Endgame: combo clue "Gentle kick with your shoe" describes both MILD and BOOT. Unlock only after ladder ordering passes every one-letter check.
The combo clue "Gentle kick with your shoe" describes both end words together — "MILD" and "BOOT" each differ by one letter from their adjacent middle rungs and satisfy the shared top+bottom prompt.
Solve path
Phase 1: Solve the 5 middle crossword clues to unlock MIND, BIND, BOND, BOLD, BOLT. Middle 1: "Brain or intellect" → MIND. "Brain or intellect" resolves to "MIND" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 2: "Tie together" → BIND. The clue "Tie together" describes an action or use case that maps cleanly to the verb "BIND". Middle 3: "Adhesive or link" → BOND. "Adhesive or link" resolves to "BOND" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 4: "Brave and daring" → BOLD. "Brave and daring" resolves to "BOLD" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 5: "Metal fastener" → BOLT. "Metal fastener" resolves to "BOLT" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Phase 2: Order the middle rungs so adjacent words differ by one letter — valid chain: MIND → BIND → BOND → BOLD → BOLT. Ladder step: L→N at the third letter (MILD → MIND) (connects to a combo end). Ladder step: M→B at the first letter (MIND → BIND). Ladder step: I→O at the second letter (BIND → BOND). Ladder step: N→L at the third letter (BOND → BOLD). Ladder step: D→T at the fourth letter (BOLD → BOLT). Ladder step: L→O at the third letter (BOLT → BOOT) (connects to a combo end). Phase 3: Unlock combo ends — top "MILD" and bottom "BOOT" share the clue: Gentle kick with your shoe.
Pattern
Only one middle permutation forms a valid ladder from top to bottom — if ordering feels stuck, recheck a middle answer.
Learn more in Crossclimb Puzzle Strategies →Takeaways
Clues → order → combo. Never reorder until all middles are filled.
Walk MILD → MIND → BIND → BOND → BOLD → BOLT → BOOT and confirm each arrow changes one letter: L→N at the third letter (MILD → MIND); M→B at the first letter (MIND → BIND); I→O at the second letter (BIND → BOND)…
"Gentle kick with your shoe" describes MILD and BOOT together — not either middle rung.
Solution
This Crossclimb is a 4-letter word ladder from MILD to BOOT. The top and bottom rows share one combo clue: Gentle kick with your shoe. The solution path is MILD → MIND → BIND → BOND → BOLD → BOLT → BOOT, changing exactly one letter between each rung. Middle clues include Brain or intellect, Tie together, and Adhesive or link, and others — solve these before reordering. Correct middle order: MIND → BIND → BOND → BOLD → BOLT. The combo clue "Gentle kick with your shoe" describes both end words together — "MILD" and "BOOT" each differ by one letter from their adjacent middle rungs and satisfy the shared top+bottom prompt. Only one middle permutation forms a valid ladder from top to bottom — if ordering feels stuck, recheck a middle answer. Use the Solution tab above for a three-phase walkthrough (middles → order → combo ends), or the Solved board tab for the complete ladder at a glance.