LinkedIn Crossclimb #835

LinkedIn Crossclimb #835 is the LinkedIn Crossclimb daily for August 13, 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 LIFE to TIME:

LIFE → LIKE → LAKE → SAKE → SAME → TAME → TIME

Top and bottom share the combo clue: “A compound word describing a type of membership that never needs to be renewed.”

1. Middle 1Clue 1

   LIKE

   Thumbs-up response on social media

   Clue insight

   "Thumbs-up response on social media" resolves to "LIKE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Clue 1: A plausible wrong answer often differs in length or cannot one-letter-link to other middles — verify before reordering.

2. Middle 2Clue 2

   LAKE

   A large body of water surrounded by land

   Clue insight

   "A large body of water surrounded by land" resolves to "LAKE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Clue 2: A plausible wrong answer often differs in length or cannot one-letter-link to other middles — verify before reordering.

3. Middle 3Clue 3

   SAKE

   Japanese rice wine

   Clue insight

   "Japanese rice wine" resolves to "SAKE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Clue 3: A plausible wrong answer often differs in length or cannot one-letter-link to other middles — verify before reordering.

4. Middle 4Clue 4

   SAME

   “In the ___ boat” (sharing a difficult situation)

   Clue insight

   Fill-in style clue — "SAME" completes the pattern described in "“In the ___ boat” (sharing a difficult situation)".

   Solving note

   Clue 4: A plausible wrong answer often differs in length or cannot one-letter-link to other middles — verify before reordering.

5. Middle 5Clue 5

   TAME

   Domesticated, like a household pet

   Clue insight

   "Domesticated, like a household pet" resolves to "TAME" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Clue 5: A plausible wrong answer often differs in length or cannot one-letter-link to other middles — verify before reordering.

1. LIFE → LIKEStep 1

   F→K at the third letter (LIFE → LIKE)

   LIFE and LIKE are adjacent in the solved ladder — F→K at the third letter (LIFE → LIKE).

   Step 1: Valid only if exactly one letter differs; this step touches a combo end.

2. LIKE → LAKEStep 2

   I→A at the second letter (LIKE → LAKE)

   LIKE and LAKE are adjacent in the solved ladder — I→A at the second letter (LIKE → LAKE).

   Step 2: Valid only if exactly one letter differs; middle-to-middle link.

3. LAKE → SAKEStep 3

   L→S at the first letter (LAKE → SAKE)

   LAKE and SAKE are adjacent in the solved ladder — L→S at the first letter (LAKE → SAKE).

   Step 3: Valid only if exactly one letter differs; middle-to-middle link.

4. SAKE → SAMEStep 4

   K→M at the third letter (SAKE → SAME)

   SAKE and SAME are adjacent in the solved ladder — K→M at the third letter (SAKE → SAME).

   Step 4: Valid only if exactly one letter differs; middle-to-middle link.

5. SAME → TAMEStep 5

   S→T at the first letter (SAME → TAME)

   SAME and TAME are adjacent in the solved ladder — S→T at the first letter (SAME → TAME).

   Step 5: Valid only if exactly one letter differs; middle-to-middle link.

6. TAME → TIMEStep 6

   A→I at the second letter (TAME → TIME)

   TAME and TIME are adjacent in the solved ladder — A→I at the second letter (TAME → TIME).

   Step 6: Valid only if exactly one letter differs; this step touches a combo end.

After solving middles (LIKE, LAKE, SAKE, SAME, TAME), only the order LIKE → LAKE → SAKE → SAME → TAME satisfies the one-letter rule between every adjacent pair. Each step changes exactly one letter: F→K at the third letter (LIFE → LIKE); I→A at the second letter (LIKE → LAKE); L→S at the first letter (LAKE → SAKE); K→M at the third letter (SAKE → SAME); S→T at the first letter (SAME → TAME); A→I at the second letter (TAME → TIME). Wrong permutations fail when two middles differ by two or more letters.

The combo clue "A compound word describing a type of membership that never needs to be renewed." describes both end words together — "LIFE" and "TIME" each differ by one letter from their adjacent middle rungs and satisfy the shared top+bottom prompt. Top "LIFE" connects to LIKE via F→K at the third letter (LIFE → LIKE). Bottom "TIME" connects from TAME via A→I at the second letter (TAME → TIME).

The combo clue "A compound word describing a type of membership that never needs to be renewed." describes both end words together — "LIFE" and "TIME" 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 LIKE, LAKE, SAKE, SAME, TAME. Middle 1: "Thumbs-up response on social media" → LIKE. "Thumbs-up response on social media" resolves to "LIKE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 2: "A large body of water surrounded by land" → LAKE. "A large body of water surrounded by land" resolves to "LAKE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 3: "Japanese rice wine" → SAKE. "Japanese rice wine" resolves to "SAKE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 4: "“In the ___ boat” (sharing a difficult situation)" → SAME. Fill-in style clue — "SAME" completes the pattern described in "“In the ___ boat” (sharing a difficult situation)". Middle 5: "Domesticated, like a household pet" → TAME. "Domesticated, like a household pet" resolves to "TAME" 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: LIKE → LAKE → SAKE → SAME → TAME. Ladder step: F→K at the third letter (LIFE → LIKE) (connects to a combo end). Ladder step: I→A at the second letter (LIKE → LAKE). Ladder step: L→S at the first letter (LAKE → SAKE). Ladder step: K→M at the third letter (SAKE → SAME). Ladder step: S→T at the first letter (SAME → TAME). Ladder step: A→I at the second letter (TAME → TIME) (connects to a combo end). Phase 3: Unlock combo ends — top "LIFE" and bottom "TIME" share the clue: A compound word describing a type of membership that never needs to be renewed..

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 LIFE to TIME. The top and bottom rows share one combo clue: A compound word describing a type of membership that never needs to be renewed. The solution path is LIFE → LIKE → LAKE → SAKE → SAME → TAME → TIME, changing exactly one letter between each rung. Middle clues include Thumbs-up response on social media, A large body of water surrounded by land, and Japanese rice wine, and others — solve these before reordering. Correct middle order: LIKE → LAKE → SAKE → SAME → TAME. The combo clue "A compound word describing a type of membership that never needs to be renewed." describes both end words together — "LIFE" and "TIME" 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.