LinkedIn Crossclimb #840

LinkedIn Crossclimb #840 is the LinkedIn Crossclimb daily for August 18, 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: Easy. Estimated solve time: 3–5 min. Read the explainer sections below for strategy, or jump straight into play.

The complete word ladder from FUEL to CELL:

FUEL → FULL → BULL → BILL → WILL → WELL → CELL

Top and bottom share the combo clue: “A two-word phrase for what may power an electric car by converting hydrogen into electricity.”

1. Middle 1Clue 1

   FULL

   Stuffed

   Clue insight

   "Stuffed" resolves to "FULL" 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

   BULL

   Animal that symbolizes a rising stock market

   Clue insight

   "Animal that symbolizes a rising stock market" resolves to "BULL" 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

   BILL

   It may become a law

   Clue insight

   "It may become a law" resolves to "BILL" 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

   WILL

   Opposite of "won't"

   Clue insight

   "Opposite of "won't"" resolves to "WILL" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   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

   WELL

   Source of drinking water

   Clue insight

   "Source of drinking water" resolves to "WELL" 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. FUEL → FULLStep 1

   E→L at the third letter (FUEL → FULL)

   FUEL and FULL are adjacent in the solved ladder — E→L at the third letter (FUEL → FULL).

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

2. FULL → BULLStep 2

   F→B at the first letter (FULL → BULL)

   FULL and BULL are adjacent in the solved ladder — F→B at the first letter (FULL → BULL).

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

3. BULL → BILLStep 3

   U→I at the second letter (BULL → BILL)

   BULL and BILL are adjacent in the solved ladder — U→I at the second letter (BULL → BILL).

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

4. BILL → WILLStep 4

   B→W at the first letter (BILL → WILL)

   BILL and WILL are adjacent in the solved ladder — B→W at the first letter (BILL → WILL).

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

5. WILL → WELLStep 5

   I→E at the second letter (WILL → WELL)

   WILL and WELL are adjacent in the solved ladder — I→E at the second letter (WILL → WELL).

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

6. WELL → CELLStep 6

   W→C at the first letter (WELL → CELL)

   WELL and CELL are adjacent in the solved ladder — W→C at the first letter (WELL → CELL).

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

After solving middles (FULL, BULL, BILL, WILL, WELL), only the order FULL → BULL → BILL → WILL → WELL satisfies the one-letter rule between every adjacent pair. Each step changes exactly one letter: E→L at the third letter (FUEL → FULL); F→B at the first letter (FULL → BULL); U→I at the second letter (BULL → BILL); B→W at the first letter (BILL → WILL); I→E at the second letter (WILL → WELL); W→C at the first letter (WELL → CELL). Wrong permutations fail when two middles differ by two or more letters.

The combo clue "A two-word phrase for what may power an electric car by converting hydrogen into electricity." describes both end words together — "FUEL" and "CELL" each differ by one letter from their adjacent middle rungs and satisfy the shared top+bottom prompt. Top "FUEL" connects to FULL via E→L at the third letter (FUEL → FULL). Bottom "CELL" connects from WELL via W→C at the first letter (WELL → CELL).

The combo clue "A two-word phrase for what may power an electric car by converting hydrogen into electricity." describes both end words together — "FUEL" and "CELL" 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 FULL, BULL, BILL, WILL, WELL. Middle 1: "Stuffed" → FULL. "Stuffed" resolves to "FULL" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 2: "Animal that symbolizes a rising stock market" → BULL. "Animal that symbolizes a rising stock market" resolves to "BULL" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 3: "It may become a law" → BILL. "It may become a law" resolves to "BILL" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 4: "Opposite of "won't"" → WILL. "Opposite of "won't"" resolves to "WILL" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 5: "Source of drinking water" → WELL. "Source of drinking water" resolves to "WELL" 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: FULL → BULL → BILL → WILL → WELL. Ladder step: E→L at the third letter (FUEL → FULL) (connects to a combo end). Ladder step: F→B at the first letter (FULL → BULL). Ladder step: U→I at the second letter (BULL → BILL). Ladder step: B→W at the first letter (BILL → WILL). Ladder step: I→E at the second letter (WILL → WELL). Ladder step: W→C at the first letter (WELL → CELL) (connects to a combo end). Phase 3: Unlock combo ends — top "FUEL" and bottom "CELL" share the clue: A two-word phrase for what may power an electric car by converting hydrogen into electricity..

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 FUEL to CELL. The top and bottom rows share one combo clue: A two-word phrase for what may power an electric car by converting hydrogen into electricity. The solution path is FUEL → FULL → BULL → BILL → WILL → WELL → CELL, changing exactly one letter between each rung. Middle clues include Stuffed, Animal that symbolizes a rising stock market, and It may become a law, and others — solve these before reordering. Correct middle order: FULL → BULL → BILL → WILL → WELL. The combo clue "A two-word phrase for what may power an electric car by converting hydrogen into electricity." describes both end words together — "FUEL" and "CELL" 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.