LinkedIn Crossclimb #794

LinkedIn Crossclimb #794 is the LinkedIn Crossclimb daily for July 3, 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: Hard. Estimated solve time: 6–10 min. Read the explainer sections below for strategy, or jump straight into play.

The complete word ladder from PORT to HOLE:

PORT → PART → PARE → MARE → MORE → MOLE → HOLE

Top and bottom share the combo clue: “A compound word for a window on a ship.”

1. Middle 1Sample 1

   PART

   Line on the scalp where hair is brushed in opposite directions

   Clue insight

   Sample 1: Line on the scalp where hair is brushed in opposite directions = PART

   Solving note

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

2. Middle 2Sample 2

   PARE

   Cut back, as expenses

   Clue insight

   Sample 2: Cut back, as expenses = PARE

   Solving note

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

3. Middle 3Sample 3

   MARE

   Adult female horse or zebra

   Clue insight

   Sample 3: Adult female horse or zebra = MARE

   Solving note

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

4. Middle 4Sample 4

   MORE

   “The ___, the merrier”

   Clue insight

   Sample 4: “The ___, the merrier” = MORE

   Solving note

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

5. Middle 5Sample 5

   MOLE

   Dark skin spot

   Clue insight

   Sample 5: Dark skin spot = MOLE

   Solving note

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

1. PORT → PARTStep 1

   O→A at the second letter (PORT → PART)

   Transition 1 O→A at the second letter (PORT → PART)

   Combo boundary transition.

2. PART → PAREStep 2

   T→E at the fourth letter (PART → PARE)

   Transition 2 T→E at the fourth letter (PART → PARE)

   Interior ladder transition.

3. PARE → MAREStep 3

   P→M at the first letter (PARE → MARE)

   Transition 3 P→M at the first letter (PARE → MARE)

   Interior ladder transition.

4. MARE → MOREStep 4

   A→O at the second letter (MARE → MORE)

   Transition 4 A→O at the second letter (MARE → MORE)

   Interior ladder transition.

5. MORE → MOLEStep 5

   R→L at the third letter (MORE → MOLE)

   Transition 5 R→L at the third letter (MORE → MOLE)

   Interior ladder transition.

6. MOLE → HOLEStep 6

   M→H at the first letter (MOLE → HOLE)

   Transition 6 M→H at the first letter (MOLE → HOLE)

   Combo boundary transition.

Optimal order: PART → PARE → MARE → MORE → MOLE. 1 valid permutation(s) from 5 middles. Unique ordering.

Combo classification: "A compound word for a window on a ship." → endpoints PORT, HOLE.

The combo clue "A compound word for a window on a ship." describes both end words together — "PORT" and "HOLE" 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 PART, PARE, MARE, MORE, MOLE. Middle 1: "Line on the scalp where hair is brushed in opposite directions" → PART. "Line on the scalp where hair is brushed in opposite directions" resolves to "PART" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 2: "Cut back, as expenses" → PARE. "Cut back, as expenses" resolves to "PARE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 3: "Adult female horse or zebra" → MARE. "Adult female horse or zebra" resolves to "MARE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 4: "“The ___, the merrier”" → MORE. Fill-in style clue — "MORE" completes the pattern described in "“The ___, the merrier”". Middle 5: "Dark skin spot" → MOLE. "Dark skin spot" resolves to "MOLE" 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: PART → PARE → MARE → MORE → MOLE. Ladder step: O→A at the second letter (PORT → PART) (connects to a combo end). Ladder step: T→E at the fourth letter (PART → PARE). Ladder step: P→M at the first letter (PARE → MARE). Ladder step: A→O at the second letter (MARE → MORE). Ladder step: R→L at the third letter (MORE → MOLE). Ladder step: M→H at the first letter (MOLE → HOLE) (connects to a combo end). Phase 3: Unlock combo ends — top "PORT" and bottom "HOLE" share the clue: A compound word for a window on a ship..

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 PORT to HOLE. The top and bottom rows share one combo clue: A compound word for a window on a ship. The solution path is PORT → PART → PARE → MARE → MORE → MOLE → HOLE, changing exactly one letter between each rung. Middle clues include Line on the scalp where hair is brushed in opposite directions, Cut back, as expenses, and Adult female horse or zebra, and others — solve these before reordering. Correct middle order: PART → PARE → MARE → MORE → MOLE. The combo clue "A compound word for a window on a ship." describes both end words together — "PORT" and "HOLE" 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.