2026-01-07
Puzzle guide
Full breakdown using the Case file format — middle clues, ladder order, combo ends, and strategy notes.
Overview
Crossclimb Level 7 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.
Answer
The complete word ladder from WEST to FEED:
WEST → BEST → BELT → BEAT → BEET → FEET → FEED
Top and bottom share the combo clue: “Sunset dinner”
Analysis
Case file Crossclimb Level 7: 4-letter ladder, 5 middle exhibits, combo prompt "Sunset dinner". Endpoints: WEST (top) and FEED (bottom).
Middle phase answers: "Opinion when something is great" = BEST; "Hold up your pants" = BELT; "Defeat in a race" = BEAT; "Red root vegetable" = BEET; "They end at your ankles" = FEET.
Ordering phase: the valid middle chain is BEST → BELT → BEAT → BEET → FEET. Note: reverse order also steps one letter at a time, but only this orientation matches the stored top and bottom slots.
Evidence link: WEST → BEST. W→B at the first letter (WEST → BEST).
Evidence link: BEST → BELT. S→L at the third letter (BEST → BELT).
Evidence link: BELT → BEAT. L→A at the third letter (BELT → BEAT).
Evidence link: BEAT → BEET. A→E at the third letter (BEAT → BEET).
Evidence link: BEET → FEET. B→F at the first letter (BEET → FEET).
Evidence link: FEET → FEED. T→D at the fourth letter (FEET → FEED).
Verdict: WEST → BEST → BELT → BEAT → BEET → FEET → FEED satisfies every one-letter constraint. The combo clue "Sunset dinner" describes both end words together — "WEST" and "FEED" each differ by one letter from their adjacent middle rungs and satisfy the shared top+bottom prompt.
Middle clues
Opinion when something is great
Clue insight
Exhibit A — "Opinion when something is great" → BEST. "Opinion when something is great" resolves to "BEST" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.
Solving note
A plausible wrong answer often differs in length or cannot one-letter-link to other middles — verify before reordering.
Hold up your pants
Clue insight
Exhibit B — "Hold up your pants" → BELT. "Hold up your pants" resolves to "BELT" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.
Solving note
A plausible wrong answer often differs in length or cannot one-letter-link to other middles — verify before reordering.
Defeat in a race
Clue insight
Exhibit C — "Defeat in a race" → BEAT. "Defeat in a race" resolves to "BEAT" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.
Solving note
A plausible wrong answer often differs in length or cannot one-letter-link to other middles — verify before reordering.
Red root vegetable
Clue insight
Exhibit D — "Red root vegetable" → BEET. "Red root vegetable" resolves to "BEET" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.
Solving note
A plausible wrong answer often differs in length or cannot one-letter-link to other middles — verify before reordering.
They end at your ankles
Clue insight
Exhibit E — "They end at your ankles" → FEET. "They end at your ankles" resolves to "FEET" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.
Solving note
A plausible wrong answer often differs in length or cannot one-letter-link to other middles — verify before reordering.
Ladder steps
W→B at the first letter (WEST → BEST)
Link A: W→B at the first letter (WEST → BEST).
Combo-adjacent link — confirms end word placement.
S→L at the third letter (BEST → BELT)
Link B: S→L at the third letter (BEST → BELT).
Middle chain link — ordering constraint.
L→A at the third letter (BELT → BEAT)
Link C: L→A at the third letter (BELT → BEAT).
Middle chain link — ordering constraint.
A→E at the third letter (BEAT → BEET)
Link D: A→E at the third letter (BEAT → BEET).
Middle chain link — ordering constraint.
B→F at the first letter (BEET → FEET)
Link E: B→F at the first letter (BEET → FEET).
Middle chain link — ordering constraint.
T→D at the fourth letter (FEET → FEED)
Link F: T→D at the fourth letter (FEET → FEED).
Combo-adjacent link — confirms end word placement.
Ordering
The evidence supports middle order BEST → BELT → BEAT → BEET → FEET. Alternative permutations break the one-letter adjacency rule unless an answer is wrong.
Combo
Final exhibits: WEST (top combo) and FEED (bottom combo). Shared prompt: "Sunset dinner".
The combo clue "Sunset dinner" describes both end words together — "WEST" and "FEED" 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 BEST, BELT, BEAT, BEET, FEET. Middle 1: "Opinion when something is great" → BEST. "Opinion when something is great" resolves to "BEST" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 2: "Hold up your pants" → BELT. "Hold up your pants" resolves to "BELT" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 3: "Defeat in a race" → BEAT. "Defeat in a race" resolves to "BEAT" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 4: "Red root vegetable" → BEET. "Red root vegetable" resolves to "BEET" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 5: "They end at your ankles" → FEET. "They end at your ankles" resolves to "FEET" 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: BEST → BELT → BEAT → BEET → FEET. Ladder step: W→B at the first letter (WEST → BEST) (connects to a combo end). Ladder step: S→L at the third letter (BEST → BELT). Ladder step: L→A at the third letter (BELT → BEAT). Ladder step: A→E at the third letter (BEAT → BEET). Ladder step: B→F at the first letter (BEET → FEET). Ladder step: T→D at the fourth letter (FEET → FEED) (connects to a combo end). Phase 3: Unlock combo ends — top "WEST" and bottom "FEED" share the clue: Sunset dinner.
Pattern
The middle chain works in forward or reverse order — both orientations step one letter at a time, but only one matches the stored top and bottom slots.
Learn more in Crossclimb Puzzle Strategies →Takeaways
Chain BEST → BELT → BEAT → BEET → FEET is the only order matching one-letter steps and the stored WEST/FEED slots.
Reverse middle order may ladder-valid but swaps which end word belongs top vs bottom.
Reversible middle order — 4-letter rungs, 5 middles, combo "Sunset dinner".
Solution
This Crossclimb is a 4-letter word ladder from WEST to FEED. The top and bottom rows share one combo clue: Sunset dinner. The solution path is WEST → BEST → BELT → BEAT → BEET → FEET → FEED, changing exactly one letter between each rung. Middle clues include Opinion when something is great, Hold up your pants, and Defeat in a race, and others — solve these before reordering. Correct middle order: BEST → BELT → BEAT → BEET → FEET. The combo clue "Sunset dinner" describes both end words together — "WEST" and "FEED" each differ by one letter from their adjacent middle rungs and satisfy the shared top+bottom prompt. The middle chain works in forward or reverse order — both orientations step one letter at a time, but only one matches the stored top and bottom slots. 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.