LinkedIn Crossclimb #816

LinkedIn Crossclimb #816 is the LinkedIn Crossclimb daily for July 25, 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 SMART to SHARP:

SMART → START → STARS → SPARS → SPARK → SHARK → SHARP

Top and bottom share the combo clue: “Two words to describe someone intelligent.”

1. Middle 1First middle

   START

   Begin

   Clue insight

   I read "Begin" and write START. "Begin" resolves to "START" once you read the clue as a 5-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   First middle: Lock this before reordering middles.

2. Middle 2Second middle

   STARS

   Parts of a constellation

   Clue insight

   I read "Parts of a constellation" and write STARS. "Parts of a constellation" resolves to "STARS" once you read the clue as a 5-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Second middle: Lock this before reordering middles.

3. Middle 3Third middle

   SPARS

   Practices for a boxing match

   Clue insight

   I read "Practices for a boxing match" and write SPARS. "Practices for a boxing match" resolves to "SPARS" once you read the clue as a 5-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Third middle: Lock this before reordering middles.

4. Middle 4Fourth middle

   SPARK

   It may light a fire

   Clue insight

   I read "It may light a fire" and write SPARK. "It may light a fire" resolves to "SPARK" once you read the clue as a 5-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Fourth middle: Lock this before reordering middles.

5. Middle 5Fifth middle

   SHARK

   Hammerhead or great white, for example

   Clue insight

   I read "Hammerhead or great white, for example" and write SHARK. "Hammerhead or great white, for example" resolves to "SHARK" once you read the clue as a 5-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Fifth middle: Lock this before reordering middles.

1. SMART → STARTStep 1

   M→T at the second letter (SMART → START)

   I check SMART → START: M→T at the second letter (SMART → START).

   First link: Consonant swap — keep the chain tight.

2. START → STARSStep 2

   T→S at the fifth letter (START → STARS)

   I check START → STARS: T→S at the fifth letter (START → STARS).

   Second link: Consonant swap — keep the chain tight.

3. STARS → SPARSStep 3

   T→P at the second letter (STARS → SPARS)

   I check STARS → SPARS: T→P at the second letter (STARS → SPARS).

   Third link: Consonant swap — keep the chain tight.

4. SPARS → SPARKStep 4

   S→K at the fifth letter (SPARS → SPARK)

   I check SPARS → SPARK: S→K at the fifth letter (SPARS → SPARK).

   Fourth link: Consonant swap — keep the chain tight.

5. SPARK → SHARKStep 5

   P→H at the second letter (SPARK → SHARK)

   I check SPARK → SHARK: P→H at the second letter (SPARK → SHARK).

   Fifth link: Consonant swap — keep the chain tight.

6. SHARK → SHARPStep 6

   K→P at the fifth letter (SHARK → SHARP)

   I check SHARK → SHARP: K→P at the fifth letter (SHARK → SHARP).

   Sixth link: Consonant swap — keep the chain tight.

I arrange middles as START → STARS → SPARS → SPARK → SHARK because that's the chain where every hop changes one letter. 6 links checked — M→T at the second letter (SMART → START) through K→P at the fifth letter (SHARK → SHARP).

Combo clue "Two words to describe someone intelligent." — I only fill SMART and SHARP after middles order cleanly. The pair should read naturally against the clue.

The combo clue "Two words to describe someone intelligent." describes both end words together — "SMART" and "SHARP" 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 START, STARS, SPARS, SPARK, SHARK. Middle 1: "Begin" → START. "Begin" resolves to "START" once you read the clue as a 5-letter crossword answer. Middle 2: "Parts of a constellation" → STARS. "Parts of a constellation" resolves to "STARS" once you read the clue as a 5-letter crossword answer. Middle 3: "Practices for a boxing match" → SPARS. "Practices for a boxing match" resolves to "SPARS" once you read the clue as a 5-letter crossword answer. Middle 4: "It may light a fire" → SPARK. "It may light a fire" resolves to "SPARK" once you read the clue as a 5-letter crossword answer. Middle 5: "Hammerhead or great white, for example" → SHARK. "Hammerhead or great white, for example" resolves to "SHARK" 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: START → STARS → SPARS → SPARK → SHARK. Ladder step: M→T at the second letter (SMART → START) (connects to a combo end). Ladder step: T→S at the fifth letter (START → STARS). Ladder step: T→P at the second letter (STARS → SPARS). Ladder step: S→K at the fifth letter (SPARS → SPARK). Ladder step: P→H at the second letter (SPARK → SHARK). Ladder step: K→P at the fifth letter (SHARK → SHARP) (connects to a combo end). Phase 3: Unlock combo ends — top "SMART" and bottom "SHARP" share the clue: Two words to describe someone intelligent..

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 SMART to SHARP. The top and bottom rows share one combo clue: Two words to describe someone intelligent. The solution path is SMART → START → STARS → SPARS → SPARK → SHARK → SHARP, changing exactly one letter between each rung. Middle clues include Begin, Parts of a constellation, and Practices for a boxing match, and others — solve these before reordering. Correct middle order: START → STARS → SPARS → SPARK → SHARK. The combo clue "Two words to describe someone intelligent." describes both end words together — "SMART" and "SHARP" 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.