LinkedIn Crossclimb #842

LinkedIn Crossclimb #842 is the LinkedIn Crossclimb daily for August 20, 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 CASE to WORK:

CASE → CASK → MASK → MARK → PARK → PORK → WORK

Top and bottom share the combo clue: “A compound word for what a detective or government employee takes on.”

1. Middle 1Exhibit A

   CASK

   Large barrel-shaped container for wine or other liquids

   Clue insight

   Exhibit A — "Large barrel-shaped container for wine or other liquids" → CASK. "Large barrel-shaped container for wine or other liquids" resolves to "CASK" 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

   MASK

   What a superhero wears to protect their other identity

   Clue insight

   Exhibit B — "What a superhero wears to protect their other identity" → MASK. "What a superhero wears to protect their other identity" resolves to "MASK" 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

   MARK

   “You're way off the ___” (far from accurate)

   Clue insight

   Exhibit C — "“You're way off the ___” (far from accurate)" → MARK. Fill-in style clue — "MARK" completes the pattern described in "“You're way off the ___” (far from accurate)".

   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

   PARK

   Grassy area for public enjoyment

   Clue insight

   Exhibit D — "Grassy area for public enjoyment" → PARK. "Grassy area for public enjoyment" resolves to "PARK" 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

   PORK

   Type of meat served at a pig roast

   Clue insight

   Exhibit E — "Type of meat served at a pig roast" → PORK. "Type of meat served at a pig roast" resolves to "PORK" 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. CASE → CASKStep 1

   E→K at the fourth letter (CASE → CASK)

   Link A: E→K at the fourth letter (CASE → CASK).

   Combo-adjacent link — confirms end word placement.

2. CASK → MASKStep 2

   C→M at the first letter (CASK → MASK)

   Link B: C→M at the first letter (CASK → MASK).

   Middle chain link — ordering constraint.

3. MASK → MARKStep 3

   S→R at the third letter (MASK → MARK)

   Link C: S→R at the third letter (MASK → MARK).

   Middle chain link — ordering constraint.

4. MARK → PARKStep 4

   M→P at the first letter (MARK → PARK)

   Link D: M→P at the first letter (MARK → PARK).

   Middle chain link — ordering constraint.

5. PARK → PORKStep 5

   A→O at the second letter (PARK → PORK)

   Link E: A→O at the second letter (PARK → PORK).

   Middle chain link — ordering constraint.

6. PORK → WORKStep 6

   P→W at the first letter (PORK → WORK)

   Link F: P→W at the first letter (PORK → WORK).

   Combo-adjacent link — confirms end word placement.

The evidence supports middle order CASK → MASK → MARK → PARK → PORK. Alternative permutations break the one-letter adjacency rule unless an answer is wrong.

Final exhibits: CASE (top combo) and WORK (bottom combo). Shared prompt: "A compound word for what a detective or government employee takes on.".

The combo clue "A compound word for what a detective or government employee takes on." describes both end words together — "CASE" and "WORK" 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 CASK, MASK, MARK, PARK, PORK. Middle 1: "Large barrel-shaped container for wine or other liquids" → CASK. "Large barrel-shaped container for wine or other liquids" resolves to "CASK" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 2: "What a superhero wears to protect their other identity" → MASK. "What a superhero wears to protect their other identity" resolves to "MASK" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 3: "“You're way off the ___” (far from accurate)" → MARK. Fill-in style clue — "MARK" completes the pattern described in "“You're way off the ___” (far from accurate)". Middle 4: "Grassy area for public enjoyment" → PARK. "Grassy area for public enjoyment" resolves to "PARK" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 5: "Type of meat served at a pig roast" → PORK. "Type of meat served at a pig roast" resolves to "PORK" 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: CASK → MASK → MARK → PARK → PORK. Ladder step: E→K at the fourth letter (CASE → CASK) (connects to a combo end). Ladder step: C→M at the first letter (CASK → MASK). Ladder step: S→R at the third letter (MASK → MARK). Ladder step: M→P at the first letter (MARK → PARK). Ladder step: A→O at the second letter (PARK → PORK). Ladder step: P→W at the first letter (PORK → WORK) (connects to a combo end). Phase 3: Unlock combo ends — top "CASE" and bottom "WORK" share the clue: A compound word for what a detective or government employee takes on..

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 CASE to WORK. The top and bottom rows share one combo clue: A compound word for what a detective or government employee takes on. The solution path is CASE → CASK → MASK → MARK → PARK → PORK → WORK, changing exactly one letter between each rung. Middle clues include Large barrel-shaped container for wine or other liquids, What a superhero wears to protect their other identity, and “You're way off the ___” (far from accurate), and others — solve these before reordering. Correct middle order: CASK → MASK → MARK → PARK → PORK. The combo clue "A compound word for what a detective or government employee takes on." describes both end words together — "CASE" and "WORK" 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.