LinkedIn Crossclimb #793

LinkedIn Crossclimb #793 is the LinkedIn Crossclimb daily for July 2, 2026. 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.

The complete word ladder from DEAD to ZONE:

DEAD → LEAD → LEND → LAND → LANE → LONE → ZONE

Top and bottom share the combo clue: “A two-word phrase for an area of very poor or no mobile phone signal.”

1. Middle 1Warm-up clue

   LEAD

   Heavy metal that alchemists tried to turn into gold

   Clue insight

   "Heavy metal that alchemists tried to turn into gold" resolves to "LEAD" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Warm-up clue: Solve "Heavy metal that alchemists tried to turn into gold" without peeking at ladder order.

2. Middle 2Cross-check

   LEND

   Give temporarily, as a tool or book, but expect to get back

   Clue insight

   "Give temporarily, as a tool or book, but expect to get back" resolves to "LEND" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Cross-check: Solve "Give temporarily, as a tool or book, but expect to get back" without peeking at ladder order.

3. Middle 3Pivot answer

   LAND

   Secure, as a job interview

   Clue insight

   "Secure, as a job interview" resolves to "LAND" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Pivot answer: Solve "Secure, as a job interview" without peeking at ladder order.

4. Middle 4Verifier

   LANE

   Part of a bowling alley or swimming pool

   Clue insight

   "Part of a bowling alley or swimming pool" resolves to "LANE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Verifier: Solve "Part of a bowling alley or swimming pool" without peeking at ladder order.

5. Middle 5Final middle

   LONE

   ___ wolf (an independent, self-reliant individual)

   Clue insight

   Fill-in style clue — "LONE" completes the pattern described in "___ wolf (an independent, self-reliant individual)".

   Solving note

   Final middle: Solve "___ wolf (an independent, self-reliant individual)" without peeking at ladder order.

1. DEAD → LEADStep 1

   D→L at the first letter (DEAD → LEAD)

   Teaching link DEAD→LEAD: D→L at the first letter (DEAD → LEAD).

   Rule check 1: Students should reject pairs with 2+ letter differences.

2. LEAD → LENDStep 2

   A→N at the third letter (LEAD → LEND)

   Teaching link LEAD→LEND: A→N at the third letter (LEAD → LEND).

   Rule check 2: Students should reject pairs with 2+ letter differences.

3. LEND → LANDStep 3

   E→A at the second letter (LEND → LAND)

   Teaching link LEND→LAND: E→A at the second letter (LEND → LAND).

   Rule check 3: Students should reject pairs with 2+ letter differences.

4. LAND → LANEStep 4

   D→E at the fourth letter (LAND → LANE)

   Teaching link LAND→LANE: D→E at the fourth letter (LAND → LANE).

   Rule check 4: Students should reject pairs with 2+ letter differences.

5. LANE → LONEStep 5

   A→O at the second letter (LANE → LONE)

   Teaching link LANE→LONE: A→O at the second letter (LANE → LONE).

   Rule check 5: Students should reject pairs with 2+ letter differences.

6. LONE → ZONEStep 6

   L→Z at the first letter (LONE → ZONE)

   Teaching link LONE→ZONE: L→Z at the first letter (LONE → ZONE).

   Rule check 6: Students should reject pairs with 2+ letter differences.

Teach students to test pairs: LEAD → LEND → LAND → LANE → LONE works because DEAD→LEAD, LEAD→LEND, LEND→LAND, LAND→LANE, LANE→LONE, LONE→ZONE each differ by one letter only.

Endgame: combo clue "A two-word phrase for an area of very poor or no mobile phone signal." describes both DEAD and ZONE. Unlock only after ladder ordering passes every one-letter check.

The combo clue "A two-word phrase for an area of very poor or no mobile phone signal." describes both end words together — "DEAD" and "ZONE" 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 LEAD, LEND, LAND, LANE, LONE. Middle 1: "Heavy metal that alchemists tried to turn into gold" → LEAD. "Heavy metal that alchemists tried to turn into gold" resolves to "LEAD" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 2: "Give temporarily, as a tool or book, but expect to get back" → LEND. "Give temporarily, as a tool or book, but expect to get back" resolves to "LEND" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 3: "Secure, as a job interview" → LAND. "Secure, as a job interview" resolves to "LAND" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 4: "Part of a bowling alley or swimming pool" → LANE. "Part of a bowling alley or swimming pool" resolves to "LANE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 5: "___ wolf (an independent, self-reliant individual)" → LONE. Fill-in style clue — "LONE" completes the pattern described in "___ wolf (an independent, self-reliant individual)". Phase 2: Order the middle rungs so adjacent words differ by one letter — valid chain: LEAD → LEND → LAND → LANE → LONE. Ladder step: D→L at the first letter (DEAD → LEAD) (connects to a combo end). Ladder step: A→N at the third letter (LEAD → LEND). Ladder step: E→A at the second letter (LEND → LAND). Ladder step: D→E at the fourth letter (LAND → LANE). Ladder step: A→O at the second letter (LANE → LONE). Ladder step: L→Z at the first letter (LONE → ZONE) (connects to a combo end). Phase 3: Unlock combo ends — top "DEAD" and bottom "ZONE" share the clue: A two-word phrase for an area of very poor or no mobile phone signal..

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 DEAD to ZONE. The top and bottom rows share one combo clue: A two-word phrase for an area of very poor or no mobile phone signal. The solution path is DEAD → LEAD → LEND → LAND → LANE → LONE → ZONE, changing exactly one letter between each rung. Middle clues include Heavy metal that alchemists tried to turn into gold, Give temporarily, as a tool or book, but expect to get back, and Secure, as a job interview, and others — solve these before reordering. Correct middle order: LEAD → LEND → LAND → LANE → LONE. The combo clue "A two-word phrase for an area of very poor or no mobile phone signal." describes both end words together — "DEAD" and "ZONE" 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.