LinkedIn Crossclimb #813

LinkedIn Crossclimb #813 is the LinkedIn Crossclimb daily for July 22, 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 SHOW to DOWN:

SHOW → SHOT → SOOT → SOON → MOON → MOWN → DOWN

Top and bottom share the combo clue: “A compound word for either a decisive contest between two parties or the final part of a poker hand when cards are revealed.”

1. Middle 1Warm-up clue

   SHOT

   Basketball attempt or espresso unit

   Clue insight

   "Basketball attempt or espresso unit" resolves to "SHOT" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Warm-up clue: Solve "Basketball attempt or espresso unit" without peeking at ladder order.

2. Middle 2Cross-check

   SOOT

   Black residue from a fire

   Clue insight

   "Black residue from a fire" resolves to "SOOT" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Cross-check: Solve "Black residue from a fire" without peeking at ladder order.

3. Middle 3Pivot answer

   SOON

   Happening in the near future

   Clue insight

   "Happening in the near future" resolves to "SOON" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Pivot answer: Solve "Happening in the near future" without peeking at ladder order.

4. Middle 4Verifier

   MOON

   Apollo 11’s destination

   Clue insight

   "Apollo 11’s destination" resolves to "MOON" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Verifier: Solve "Apollo 11’s destination" without peeking at ladder order.

5. Middle 5Final middle

   MOWN

   Cut, like a well-manicured lawn

   Clue insight

   "Cut, like a well-manicured lawn" resolves to "MOWN" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Final middle: Solve "Cut, like a well-manicured lawn" without peeking at ladder order.

1. SHOW → SHOTStep 1

   W→T at the fourth letter (SHOW → SHOT)

   Teaching link SHOW→SHOT: W→T at the fourth letter (SHOW → SHOT).

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

2. SHOT → SOOTStep 2

   H→O at the second letter (SHOT → SOOT)

   Teaching link SHOT→SOOT: H→O at the second letter (SHOT → SOOT).

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

3. SOOT → SOONStep 3

   T→N at the fourth letter (SOOT → SOON)

   Teaching link SOOT→SOON: T→N at the fourth letter (SOOT → SOON).

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

4. SOON → MOONStep 4

   S→M at the first letter (SOON → MOON)

   Teaching link SOON→MOON: S→M at the first letter (SOON → MOON).

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

5. MOON → MOWNStep 5

   O→W at the third letter (MOON → MOWN)

   Teaching link MOON→MOWN: O→W at the third letter (MOON → MOWN).

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

6. MOWN → DOWNStep 6

   M→D at the first letter (MOWN → DOWN)

   Teaching link MOWN→DOWN: M→D at the first letter (MOWN → DOWN).

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

Teach students to test pairs: SHOT → SOOT → SOON → MOON → MOWN works because SHOW→SHOT, SHOT→SOOT, SOOT→SOON, SOON→MOON, MOON→MOWN, MOWN→DOWN each differ by one letter only.

Endgame: combo clue "A compound word for either a decisive contest between two parties or the final part of a poker hand when cards are revealed." describes both SHOW and DOWN. Unlock only after ladder ordering passes every one-letter check.

The combo clue "A compound word for either a decisive contest between two parties or the final part of a poker hand when cards are revealed." describes both end words together — "SHOW" and "DOWN" 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 SHOT, SOOT, SOON, MOON, MOWN. Middle 1: "Basketball attempt or espresso unit" → SHOT. "Basketball attempt or espresso unit" resolves to "SHOT" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 2: "Black residue from a fire" → SOOT. "Black residue from a fire" resolves to "SOOT" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 3: "Happening in the near future" → SOON. "Happening in the near future" resolves to "SOON" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 4: "Apollo 11’s destination" → MOON. "Apollo 11’s destination" resolves to "MOON" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 5: "Cut, like a well-manicured lawn" → MOWN. "Cut, like a well-manicured lawn" resolves to "MOWN" 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: SHOT → SOOT → SOON → MOON → MOWN. Ladder step: W→T at the fourth letter (SHOW → SHOT) (connects to a combo end). Ladder step: H→O at the second letter (SHOT → SOOT). Ladder step: T→N at the fourth letter (SOOT → SOON). Ladder step: S→M at the first letter (SOON → MOON). Ladder step: O→W at the third letter (MOON → MOWN). Ladder step: M→D at the first letter (MOWN → DOWN) (connects to a combo end). Phase 3: Unlock combo ends — top "SHOW" and bottom "DOWN" share the clue: A compound word for either a decisive contest between two parties or the final part of a poker hand when cards are revealed..

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 SHOW to DOWN. The top and bottom rows share one combo clue: A compound word for either a decisive contest between two parties or the final part of a poker hand when cards are revealed. The solution path is SHOW → SHOT → SOOT → SOON → MOON → MOWN → DOWN, changing exactly one letter between each rung. Middle clues include Basketball attempt or espresso unit, Black residue from a fire, and Happening in the near future, and others — solve these before reordering. Correct middle order: SHOT → SOOT → SOON → MOON → MOWN. The combo clue "A compound word for either a decisive contest between two parties or the final part of a poker hand when cards are revealed." describes both end words together — "SHOW" and "DOWN" 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.