Crossclimb Level 5

Crossclimb Level 5 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: Easy. Estimated solve time: 3–5 min. Read the explainer sections below for strategy, or jump straight into play.

The complete word ladder from FAST to LAST:

FAST → FIST → FISH → WISH → WASH → LASH → LAST

Top and bottom share the combo clue: “Opposite of first”

1. Middle 1Clue 1

   FIST

   Closed hand

   Clue insight

   "Closed hand" resolves to "FIST" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Clue 1: A plausible wrong answer often differs in length or cannot one-letter-link to other middles — verify before reordering.

2. Middle 2Clue 2

   FISH

   School of swimmers

   Clue insight

   "School of swimmers" resolves to "FISH" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Clue 2: A plausible wrong answer often differs in length or cannot one-letter-link to other middles — verify before reordering.

3. Middle 3Clue 3

   WISH

   Hopeful feeling

   Clue insight

   "Hopeful feeling" resolves to "WISH" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Clue 3: A plausible wrong answer often differs in length or cannot one-letter-link to other middles — verify before reordering.

4. Middle 4Clue 4

   WASH

   Clean with water

   Clue insight

   "Clean with water" resolves to "WASH" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Clue 4: A plausible wrong answer often differs in length or cannot one-letter-link to other middles — verify before reordering.

5. Middle 5Clue 5

   LASH

   Strike with a whip

   Clue insight

   "Strike with a whip" resolves to "LASH" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Clue 5: A plausible wrong answer often differs in length or cannot one-letter-link to other middles — verify before reordering.

1. FAST → FISTStep 1

   A→I at the second letter (FAST → FIST)

   FAST and FIST are adjacent in the solved ladder — A→I at the second letter (FAST → FIST).

   Step 1: Valid only if exactly one letter differs; this step touches a combo end.

2. FIST → FISHStep 2

   T→H at the fourth letter (FIST → FISH)

   FIST and FISH are adjacent in the solved ladder — T→H at the fourth letter (FIST → FISH).

   Step 2: Valid only if exactly one letter differs; middle-to-middle link.

3. FISH → WISHStep 3

   F→W at the first letter (FISH → WISH)

   FISH and WISH are adjacent in the solved ladder — F→W at the first letter (FISH → WISH).

   Step 3: Valid only if exactly one letter differs; middle-to-middle link.

4. WISH → WASHStep 4

   I→A at the second letter (WISH → WASH)

   WISH and WASH are adjacent in the solved ladder — I→A at the second letter (WISH → WASH).

   Step 4: Valid only if exactly one letter differs; middle-to-middle link.

5. WASH → LASHStep 5

   W→L at the first letter (WASH → LASH)

   WASH and LASH are adjacent in the solved ladder — W→L at the first letter (WASH → LASH).

   Step 5: Valid only if exactly one letter differs; middle-to-middle link.

6. LASH → LASTStep 6

   H→T at the fourth letter (LASH → LAST)

   LASH and LAST are adjacent in the solved ladder — H→T at the fourth letter (LASH → LAST).

   Step 6: Valid only if exactly one letter differs; this step touches a combo end.

After solving middles (FIST, FISH, WISH, WASH, LASH), only the order FIST → FISH → WISH → WASH → LASH satisfies the one-letter rule between every adjacent pair. Each step changes exactly one letter: A→I at the second letter (FAST → FIST); T→H at the fourth letter (FIST → FISH); F→W at the first letter (FISH → WISH); I→A at the second letter (WISH → WASH); W→L at the first letter (WASH → LASH); H→T at the fourth letter (LASH → LAST). Wrong permutations fail when two middles differ by two or more letters.

The combo clue "Opposite of first" describes both end words together — "FAST" and "LAST" each differ by one letter from their adjacent middle rungs and satisfy the shared top+bottom prompt. Top "FAST" connects to FIST via A→I at the second letter (FAST → FIST). Bottom "LAST" connects from LASH via H→T at the fourth letter (LASH → LAST).

The combo clue "Opposite of first" describes both end words together — "FAST" and "LAST" each differ by one letter from their adjacent middle rungs and satisfy the shared top+bottom prompt.

Phase 1: Solve the 5 middle crossword clues to unlock FIST, FISH, WISH, WASH, LASH. Middle 1: "Closed hand" → FIST. "Closed hand" resolves to "FIST" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 2: "School of swimmers" → FISH. "School of swimmers" resolves to "FISH" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 3: "Hopeful feeling" → WISH. "Hopeful feeling" resolves to "WISH" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 4: "Clean with water" → WASH. "Clean with water" resolves to "WASH" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 5: "Strike with a whip" → LASH. "Strike with a whip" resolves to "LASH" 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: FIST → FISH → WISH → WASH → LASH. Ladder step: A→I at the second letter (FAST → FIST) (connects to a combo end). Ladder step: T→H at the fourth letter (FIST → FISH). Ladder step: F→W at the first letter (FISH → WISH). Ladder step: I→A at the second letter (WISH → WASH). Ladder step: W→L at the first letter (WASH → LASH). Ladder step: H→T at the fourth letter (LASH → LAST) (connects to a combo end). Phase 3: Unlock combo ends — top "FAST" and bottom "LAST" share the clue: Opposite of first.

Only one middle permutation forms a valid ladder from top to bottom — if ordering feels stuck, recheck a middle answer.

This Crossclimb is a 4-letter word ladder from FAST to LAST. The top and bottom rows share one combo clue: Opposite of first. The solution path is FAST → FIST → FISH → WISH → WASH → LASH → LAST, changing exactly one letter between each rung. Middle clues include Closed hand, School of swimmers, and Hopeful feeling, and others — solve these before reordering. Correct middle order: FIST → FISH → WISH → WASH → LASH. The combo clue "Opposite of first" describes both end words together — "FAST" and "LAST" 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.