LinkedIn Crossclimb #857

LinkedIn Crossclimb #857 is the LinkedIn Crossclimb daily for September 4, 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: Hard. Estimated solve time: 6–10 min. Read the explainer sections below for strategy, or jump straight into play.

The complete word ladder from DROP to SHOT:

DROP → CROP → COOP → LOOP → LOOT → SOOT → SHOT

Top and bottom share the combo clue: “A two-word phrase for a tennis stroke that lands the ball near the net.”

1. Middle 1Exhibit A

   CROP

   Plant grown for human consumption

   Clue insight

   Exhibit A — "Plant grown for human consumption" → CROP. "Plant grown for human consumption" resolves to "CROP" 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

   COOP

   Where chickens live

   Clue insight

   Exhibit B — "Where chickens live" → COOP. "Where chickens live" resolves to "COOP" 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

   LOOP

   Section of a roller coaster that may be particularly exciting or scary to ride around

   Clue insight

   Exhibit C — "Section of a roller coaster that may be particularly exciting or scary to ride around" → LOOP. "Section of a roller coaster that may be particularly exciting or scary to ride around" resolves to "LOOP" 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

   LOOT

   Treasure found in a dungeon

   Clue insight

   Exhibit D — "Treasure found in a dungeon" → LOOT. "Treasure found in a dungeon" resolves to "LOOT" 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

   SOOT

   Black powder in a chimney

   Clue insight

   Exhibit E — "Black powder in a chimney" → SOOT. "Black powder in a chimney" resolves to "SOOT" 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. DROP → CROPStep 1

   D→C at the first letter (DROP → CROP)

   Link A: D→C at the first letter (DROP → CROP).

   Combo-adjacent link — confirms end word placement.

2. CROP → COOPStep 2

   R→O at the second letter (CROP → COOP)

   Link B: R→O at the second letter (CROP → COOP).

   Middle chain link — ordering constraint.

3. COOP → LOOPStep 3

   C→L at the first letter (COOP → LOOP)

   Link C: C→L at the first letter (COOP → LOOP).

   Middle chain link — ordering constraint.

4. LOOP → LOOTStep 4

   P→T at the fourth letter (LOOP → LOOT)

   Link D: P→T at the fourth letter (LOOP → LOOT).

   Middle chain link — ordering constraint.

5. LOOT → SOOTStep 5

   L→S at the first letter (LOOT → SOOT)

   Link E: L→S at the first letter (LOOT → SOOT).

   Middle chain link — ordering constraint.

6. SOOT → SHOTStep 6

   O→H at the second letter (SOOT → SHOT)

   Link F: O→H at the second letter (SOOT → SHOT).

   Combo-adjacent link — confirms end word placement.

The evidence supports middle order CROP → COOP → LOOP → LOOT → SOOT. Alternative permutations break the one-letter adjacency rule unless an answer is wrong.

Final exhibits: DROP (top combo) and SHOT (bottom combo). Shared prompt: "A two-word phrase for a tennis stroke that lands the ball near the net.".

The combo clue "A two-word phrase for a tennis stroke that lands the ball near the net." describes both end words together — "DROP" and "SHOT" 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 CROP, COOP, LOOP, LOOT, SOOT. Middle 1: "Plant grown for human consumption" → CROP. "Plant grown for human consumption" resolves to "CROP" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 2: "Where chickens live" → COOP. "Where chickens live" resolves to "COOP" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 3: "Section of a roller coaster that may be particularly exciting or scary to ride around" → LOOP. "Section of a roller coaster that may be particularly exciting or scary to ride around" resolves to "LOOP" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 4: "Treasure found in a dungeon" → LOOT. "Treasure found in a dungeon" resolves to "LOOT" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 5: "Black powder in a chimney" → SOOT. "Black powder in a chimney" resolves to "SOOT" 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: CROP → COOP → LOOP → LOOT → SOOT. Ladder step: D→C at the first letter (DROP → CROP) (connects to a combo end). Ladder step: R→O at the second letter (CROP → COOP). Ladder step: C→L at the first letter (COOP → LOOP). Ladder step: P→T at the fourth letter (LOOP → LOOT). Ladder step: L→S at the first letter (LOOT → SOOT). Ladder step: O→H at the second letter (SOOT → SHOT) (connects to a combo end). Phase 3: Unlock combo ends — top "DROP" and bottom "SHOT" share the clue: A two-word phrase for a tennis stroke that lands the ball near the net..

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 DROP to SHOT. The top and bottom rows share one combo clue: A two-word phrase for a tennis stroke that lands the ball near the net. The solution path is DROP → CROP → COOP → LOOP → LOOT → SOOT → SHOT, changing exactly one letter between each rung. Middle clues include Plant grown for human consumption, Where chickens live, and Section of a roller coaster that may be particularly exciting or scary to ride around, and others — solve these before reordering. Correct middle order: CROP → COOP → LOOP → LOOT → SOOT. The combo clue "A two-word phrase for a tennis stroke that lands the ball near the net." describes both end words together — "DROP" and "SHOT" 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.