LinkedIn Crossclimb #827

LinkedIn Crossclimb #827 is the LinkedIn Crossclimb daily for August 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: Medium. Estimated solve time: 4–6 min. Read the explainer sections below for strategy, or jump straight into play.

The complete word ladder from CAPE to TOWN:

CAPE → TAPE → TAPS → TANS → TONS → TOWS → TOWN

Top and bottom share the combo clue: “A two-word name for a port city that is the legislative capital of South Africa.”

1. Middle 1Exhibit A

   TAPE

   Sticky strip that can be used instead of glue

   Clue insight

   Exhibit A — "Sticky strip that can be used instead of glue" → TAPE. "Sticky strip that can be used instead of glue" resolves to "TAPE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

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

2. Middle 2Exhibit B

   TAPS

   Light hits

   Clue insight

   Exhibit B — "Light hits" → TAPS. "Light hits" resolves to "TAPS" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

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

3. Middle 3Exhibit C

   TANS

   Gets a lot of rays at the beach

   Clue insight

   Exhibit C — "Gets a lot of rays at the beach" → TANS. "Gets a lot of rays at the beach" resolves to "TANS" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

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

4. Middle 4Exhibit D

   TONS

   A great amount, or units to describe something weighing 10,000 pounds

   Clue insight

   Exhibit D — "A great amount, or units to describe something weighing 10,000 pounds" → TONS. "A great amount, or units to describe something weighing 10,000 pounds" resolves to "TONS" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

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

5. Middle 5Exhibit E

   TOWS

   Pulls an automobile to a repair shop

   Clue insight

   Exhibit E — "Pulls an automobile to a repair shop" → TOWS. "Pulls an automobile to a repair shop" resolves to "TOWS" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

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

1. CAPE → TAPEStep 1

   C→T at the first letter (CAPE → TAPE)

   Link A: C→T at the first letter (CAPE → TAPE).

   Combo-adjacent link — confirms end word placement.

2. TAPE → TAPSStep 2

   E→S at the fourth letter (TAPE → TAPS)

   Link B: E→S at the fourth letter (TAPE → TAPS).

   Middle chain link — ordering constraint.

3. TAPS → TANSStep 3

   P→N at the third letter (TAPS → TANS)

   Link C: P→N at the third letter (TAPS → TANS).

   Middle chain link — ordering constraint.

4. TANS → TONSStep 4

   A→O at the second letter (TANS → TONS)

   Link D: A→O at the second letter (TANS → TONS).

   Middle chain link — ordering constraint.

5. TONS → TOWSStep 5

   N→W at the third letter (TONS → TOWS)

   Link E: N→W at the third letter (TONS → TOWS).

   Middle chain link — ordering constraint.

6. TOWS → TOWNStep 6

   S→N at the fourth letter (TOWS → TOWN)

   Link F: S→N at the fourth letter (TOWS → TOWN).

   Combo-adjacent link — confirms end word placement.

The evidence supports middle order TAPE → TAPS → TANS → TONS → TOWS. Alternative permutations break the one-letter adjacency rule unless an answer is wrong.

Final exhibits: CAPE (top combo) and TOWN (bottom combo). Shared prompt: "A two-word name for a port city that is the legislative capital of South Africa.".

The combo clue "A two-word name for a port city that is the legislative capital of South Africa." describes both end words together — "CAPE" and "TOWN" 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 TAPE, TAPS, TANS, TONS, TOWS. Middle 1: "Sticky strip that can be used instead of glue" → TAPE. "Sticky strip that can be used instead of glue" resolves to "TAPE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 2: "Light hits" → TAPS. "Light hits" resolves to "TAPS" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 3: "Gets a lot of rays at the beach" → TANS. "Gets a lot of rays at the beach" resolves to "TANS" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 4: "A great amount, or units to describe something weighing 10,000 pounds" → TONS. "A great amount, or units to describe something weighing 10,000 pounds" resolves to "TONS" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 5: "Pulls an automobile to a repair shop" → TOWS. "Pulls an automobile to a repair shop" resolves to "TOWS" 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: TAPE → TAPS → TANS → TONS → TOWS. Ladder step: C→T at the first letter (CAPE → TAPE) (connects to a combo end). Ladder step: E→S at the fourth letter (TAPE → TAPS). Ladder step: P→N at the third letter (TAPS → TANS). Ladder step: A→O at the second letter (TANS → TONS). Ladder step: N→W at the third letter (TONS → TOWS). Ladder step: S→N at the fourth letter (TOWS → TOWN) (connects to a combo end). Phase 3: Unlock combo ends — top "CAPE" and bottom "TOWN" share the clue: A two-word name for a port city that is the legislative capital of South Africa..

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 CAPE to TOWN. The top and bottom rows share one combo clue: A two-word name for a port city that is the legislative capital of South Africa. The solution path is CAPE → TAPE → TAPS → TANS → TONS → TOWS → TOWN, changing exactly one letter between each rung. Middle clues include Sticky strip that can be used instead of glue, Light hits, and Gets a lot of rays at the beach, and others — solve these before reordering. Correct middle order: TAPE → TAPS → TANS → TONS → TOWS. The combo clue "A two-word name for a port city that is the legislative capital of South Africa." describes both end words together — "CAPE" and "TOWN" 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.