LinkedIn Crossclimb #796

LinkedIn Crossclimb #796 is the LinkedIn Crossclimb daily for July 5, 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 PAPER to TONER:

PAPER → CAPER → CAVER → COVER → COWER → TOWER → TONER

Top and bottom share the combo clue: “Two supplies necessary to use a laser printer.”

1. Middle 1First middle

   CAPER

   Mischievous adventure, or a small flower bud used in tartare sauce

   Clue insight

   I read "Mischievous adventure, or a small flower bud used in tartare sauce" and write CAPER. "Mischievous adventure, or a small flower bud used in tartare sauce" resolves to "CAPER" once you read the clue as a 5-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   First middle: Lock this before reordering middles.

2. Middle 2Second middle

   CAVER

   Someone who explores natural underground chambers

   Clue insight

   I read "Someone who explores natural underground chambers" and write CAVER. "Someone who explores natural underground chambers" resolves to "CAVER" once you read the clue as a 5-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Second middle: Lock this before reordering middles.

3. Middle 3Third middle

   COVER

   Report on, as a news event

   Clue insight

   I read "Report on, as a news event" and write COVER. "Report on, as a news event" resolves to "COVER" once you read the clue as a 5-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Third middle: Lock this before reordering middles.

4. Middle 4Fourth middle

   COWER

   Shrink in fear

   Clue insight

   I read "Shrink in fear" and write COWER. "Shrink in fear" resolves to "COWER" once you read the clue as a 5-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Fourth middle: Lock this before reordering middles.

5. Middle 5Fifth middle

   TOWER

   A tall, narrow structure that might be used to transmit cellular signals

   Clue insight

   I read "A tall, narrow structure that might be used to transmit cellular signals" and write TOWER. "A tall, narrow structure that might be used to transmit cellular signals" resolves to "TOWER" once you read the clue as a 5-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Fifth middle: Lock this before reordering middles.

1. PAPER → CAPERStep 1

   P→C at the first letter (PAPER → CAPER)

   I check PAPER → CAPER: P→C at the first letter (PAPER → CAPER).

   First link: Consonant swap — keep the chain tight.

2. CAPER → CAVERStep 2

   P→V at the third letter (CAPER → CAVER)

   I check CAPER → CAVER: P→V at the third letter (CAPER → CAVER).

   Second link: Consonant swap — keep the chain tight.

3. CAVER → COVERStep 3

   A→O at the second letter (CAVER → COVER)

   I check CAVER → COVER: A→O at the second letter (CAVER → COVER).

   Third link: Vowel swap — keep the chain tight.

4. COVER → COWERStep 4

   V→W at the third letter (COVER → COWER)

   I check COVER → COWER: V→W at the third letter (COVER → COWER).

   Fourth link: Consonant swap — keep the chain tight.

5. COWER → TOWERStep 5

   C→T at the first letter (COWER → TOWER)

   I check COWER → TOWER: C→T at the first letter (COWER → TOWER).

   Fifth link: Consonant swap — keep the chain tight.

6. TOWER → TONERStep 6

   W→N at the third letter (TOWER → TONER)

   I check TOWER → TONER: W→N at the third letter (TOWER → TONER).

   Sixth link: Consonant swap — keep the chain tight.

I arrange middles as CAPER → CAVER → COVER → COWER → TOWER because that's the chain where every hop changes one letter. 6 links checked — P→C at the first letter (PAPER → CAPER) through W→N at the third letter (TOWER → TONER).

Combo clue "Two supplies necessary to use a laser printer." — I only fill PAPER and TONER after middles order cleanly. The pair should read naturally against the clue.

The combo clue "Two supplies necessary to use a laser printer." describes both end words together — "PAPER" and "TONER" 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 CAPER, CAVER, COVER, COWER, TOWER. Middle 1: "Mischievous adventure, or a small flower bud used in tartare sauce" → CAPER. "Mischievous adventure, or a small flower bud used in tartare sauce" resolves to "CAPER" once you read the clue as a 5-letter crossword answer. Middle 2: "Someone who explores natural underground chambers" → CAVER. "Someone who explores natural underground chambers" resolves to "CAVER" once you read the clue as a 5-letter crossword answer. Middle 3: "Report on, as a news event" → COVER. "Report on, as a news event" resolves to "COVER" once you read the clue as a 5-letter crossword answer. Middle 4: "Shrink in fear" → COWER. "Shrink in fear" resolves to "COWER" once you read the clue as a 5-letter crossword answer. Middle 5: "A tall, narrow structure that might be used to transmit cellular signals" → TOWER. "A tall, narrow structure that might be used to transmit cellular signals" resolves to "TOWER" once you read the clue as a 5-letter crossword answer. Phase 2: Order the middle rungs so adjacent words differ by one letter — valid chain: CAPER → CAVER → COVER → COWER → TOWER. Ladder step: P→C at the first letter (PAPER → CAPER) (connects to a combo end). Ladder step: P→V at the third letter (CAPER → CAVER). Ladder step: A→O at the second letter (CAVER → COVER). Ladder step: V→W at the third letter (COVER → COWER). Ladder step: C→T at the first letter (COWER → TOWER). Ladder step: W→N at the third letter (TOWER → TONER) (connects to a combo end). Phase 3: Unlock combo ends — top "PAPER" and bottom "TONER" share the clue: Two supplies necessary to use a laser printer..

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

This Crossclimb is a 5-letter word ladder from PAPER to TONER. The top and bottom rows share one combo clue: Two supplies necessary to use a laser printer. The solution path is PAPER → CAPER → CAVER → COVER → COWER → TOWER → TONER, changing exactly one letter between each rung. Middle clues include Mischievous adventure, or a small flower bud used in tartare sauce, Someone who explores natural underground chambers, and Report on, as a news event, and others — solve these before reordering. Correct middle order: CAPER → CAVER → COVER → COWER → TOWER. The combo clue "Two supplies necessary to use a laser printer." describes both end words together — "PAPER" and "TONER" 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.