LinkedIn Crossclimb #821

LinkedIn Crossclimb #821 is the LinkedIn Crossclimb daily for July 30, 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 HARD to WARE:

HARD → HERD → HERE → HIRE → DIRE → DARE → WARE

Top and bottom share the combo clue: “A compound word for the physical components of a computer.”

1. Middle 1First middle

   HERD

   Large group of animals like cows or sheep

   Clue insight

   I read "Large group of animals like cows or sheep" and write HERD. "Large group of animals like cows or sheep" resolves to "HERD" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   First middle: Lock this before reordering middles.

2. Middle 2Second middle

   HERE

   In this location

   Clue insight

   I read "In this location" and write HERE. "In this location" resolves to "HERE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Second middle: Lock this before reordering middles.

3. Middle 3Third middle

   HIRE

   Employ for a job

   Clue insight

   I read "Employ for a job" and write HIRE. "Employ for a job" resolves to "HIRE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Third middle: Lock this before reordering middles.

4. Middle 4Fourth middle

   DIRE

   Extremely serious, like some consequences

   Clue insight

   I read "Extremely serious, like some consequences" and write DIRE. "Extremely serious, like some consequences" resolves to "DIRE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Fourth middle: Lock this before reordering middles.

5. Middle 5Fifth middle

   DARE

   Challenge someone to complete a task

   Clue insight

   I read "Challenge someone to complete a task" and write DARE. "Challenge someone to complete a task" resolves to "DARE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Fifth middle: Lock this before reordering middles.

1. HARD → HERDStep 1

   A→E at the second letter (HARD → HERD)

   I check HARD → HERD: A→E at the second letter (HARD → HERD).

   First link: Vowel swap — keep the chain tight.

2. HERD → HEREStep 2

   D→E at the fourth letter (HERD → HERE)

   I check HERD → HERE: D→E at the fourth letter (HERD → HERE).

   Second link: Consonant swap — keep the chain tight.

3. HERE → HIREStep 3

   E→I at the second letter (HERE → HIRE)

   I check HERE → HIRE: E→I at the second letter (HERE → HIRE).

   Third link: Vowel swap — keep the chain tight.

4. HIRE → DIREStep 4

   H→D at the first letter (HIRE → DIRE)

   I check HIRE → DIRE: H→D at the first letter (HIRE → DIRE).

   Fourth link: Consonant swap — keep the chain tight.

5. DIRE → DAREStep 5

   I→A at the second letter (DIRE → DARE)

   I check DIRE → DARE: I→A at the second letter (DIRE → DARE).

   Fifth link: Vowel swap — keep the chain tight.

6. DARE → WAREStep 6

   D→W at the first letter (DARE → WARE)

   I check DARE → WARE: D→W at the first letter (DARE → WARE).

   Sixth link: Consonant swap — keep the chain tight.

I arrange middles as HERD → HERE → HIRE → DIRE → DARE because that's the chain where every hop changes one letter. 6 links checked — A→E at the second letter (HARD → HERD) through D→W at the first letter (DARE → WARE).

Combo clue "A compound word for the physical components of a computer." — I only fill HARD and WARE after middles order cleanly. The pair should read naturally against the clue.

The combo clue "A compound word for the physical components of a computer." describes both end words together — "HARD" and "WARE" 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 HERD, HERE, HIRE, DIRE, DARE. Middle 1: "Large group of animals like cows or sheep" → HERD. "Large group of animals like cows or sheep" resolves to "HERD" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 2: "In this location" → HERE. "In this location" resolves to "HERE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 3: "Employ for a job" → HIRE. "Employ for a job" resolves to "HIRE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 4: "Extremely serious, like some consequences" → DIRE. "Extremely serious, like some consequences" resolves to "DIRE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 5: "Challenge someone to complete a task" → DARE. "Challenge someone to complete a task" resolves to "DARE" 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: HERD → HERE → HIRE → DIRE → DARE. Ladder step: A→E at the second letter (HARD → HERD) (connects to a combo end). Ladder step: D→E at the fourth letter (HERD → HERE). Ladder step: E→I at the second letter (HERE → HIRE). Ladder step: H→D at the first letter (HIRE → DIRE). Ladder step: I→A at the second letter (DIRE → DARE). Ladder step: D→W at the first letter (DARE → WARE) (connects to a combo end). Phase 3: Unlock combo ends — top "HARD" and bottom "WARE" share the clue: A compound word for the physical components of a computer..

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 HARD to WARE. The top and bottom rows share one combo clue: A compound word for the physical components of a computer. The solution path is HARD → HERD → HERE → HIRE → DIRE → DARE → WARE, changing exactly one letter between each rung. Middle clues include Large group of animals like cows or sheep, In this location, and Employ for a job, and others — solve these before reordering. Correct middle order: HERD → HERE → HIRE → DIRE → DARE. The combo clue "A compound word for the physical components of a computer." describes both end words together — "HARD" and "WARE" 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.