LinkedIn Crossclimb #859

LinkedIn Crossclimb #859 is the LinkedIn Crossclimb daily for September 6, 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 POKER to FACES:

POKER → POKES → POLES → PALES → PARES → FARES → FACES

Top and bottom share the combo clue: “A two-word phrase for expressions that don't give any indication of intent.”

1. Middle 1Sample 1

   POKES

   Gives a hello on Facebook (using an icon like this: 👈)

   Clue insight

   Sample 1: Gives a hello on Facebook (using an icon like this: 👈) = POKES

   Solving note

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

2. Middle 2Sample 2

   POLES

   People from Warsaw

   Clue insight

   Sample 2: People from Warsaw = POLES

   Solving note

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

3. Middle 3Sample 3

   PALES

   “That ___ in comparison”

   Clue insight

   Sample 3: “That ___ in comparison” = PALES

   Solving note

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

4. Middle 4Sample 4

   PARES

   Cuts the peel off a potato with a special knife

   Clue insight

   Sample 4: Cuts the peel off a potato with a special knife = PARES

   Solving note

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

5. Middle 5Sample 5

   FARES

   Costs paid to ride buses

   Clue insight

   Sample 5: Costs paid to ride buses = FARES

   Solving note

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

1. POKER → POKESStep 1

   R→S at the fifth letter (POKER → POKES)

   Transition 1 R→S at the fifth letter (POKER → POKES)

   Combo boundary transition.

2. POKES → POLESStep 2

   K→L at the third letter (POKES → POLES)

   Transition 2 K→L at the third letter (POKES → POLES)

   Interior ladder transition.

3. POLES → PALESStep 3

   O→A at the second letter (POLES → PALES)

   Transition 3 O→A at the second letter (POLES → PALES)

   Interior ladder transition.

4. PALES → PARESStep 4

   L→R at the third letter (PALES → PARES)

   Transition 4 L→R at the third letter (PALES → PARES)

   Interior ladder transition.

5. PARES → FARESStep 5

   P→F at the first letter (PARES → FARES)

   Transition 5 P→F at the first letter (PARES → FARES)

   Interior ladder transition.

6. FARES → FACESStep 6

   R→C at the third letter (FARES → FACES)

   Transition 6 R→C at the third letter (FARES → FACES)

   Combo boundary transition.

Optimal order: POKES → POLES → PALES → PARES → FARES. 1 valid permutation(s) from 5 middles. Unique ordering.

Combo classification: "A two-word phrase for expressions that don't give any indication of intent." → endpoints POKER, FACES.

The combo clue "A two-word phrase for expressions that don't give any indication of intent." describes both end words together — "POKER" and "FACES" 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 POKES, POLES, PALES, PARES, FARES. Middle 1: "Gives a hello on Facebook (using an icon like this: 👈)" → POKES. "Gives a hello on Facebook (using an icon like this: 👈)" resolves to "POKES" once you read the clue as a 5-letter crossword answer. Middle 2: "People from Warsaw" → POLES. "People from Warsaw" resolves to "POLES" once you read the clue as a 5-letter crossword answer. Middle 3: "“That ___ in comparison”" → PALES. Fill-in style clue — "PALES" completes the pattern described in "“That ___ in comparison”". Middle 4: "Cuts the peel off a potato with a special knife" → PARES. "Cuts the peel off a potato with a special knife" resolves to "PARES" once you read the clue as a 5-letter crossword answer. Middle 5: "Costs paid to ride buses" → FARES. "Costs paid to ride buses" resolves to "FARES" once you read the clue as a 5-letter crossword answer. Phase 2: Order the middle rungs so adjacent words differ by one letter — valid chain: POKES → POLES → PALES → PARES → FARES. Ladder step: R→S at the fifth letter (POKER → POKES) (connects to a combo end). Ladder step: K→L at the third letter (POKES → POLES). Ladder step: O→A at the second letter (POLES → PALES). Ladder step: L→R at the third letter (PALES → PARES). Ladder step: P→F at the first letter (PARES → FARES). Ladder step: R→C at the third letter (FARES → FACES) (connects to a combo end). Phase 3: Unlock combo ends — top "POKER" and bottom "FACES" share the clue: A two-word phrase for expressions that don't give any indication of intent..

Only one middle permutation forms a valid ladder from top to bottom — if ordering feels stuck, recheck a middle answer.

This Crossclimb is a 5-letter word ladder from POKER to FACES. The top and bottom rows share one combo clue: A two-word phrase for expressions that don't give any indication of intent. The solution path is POKER → POKES → POLES → PALES → PARES → FARES → FACES, changing exactly one letter between each rung. Middle clues include Gives a hello on Facebook (using an icon like this: 👈), People from Warsaw, and “That ___ in comparison”, and others — solve these before reordering. Correct middle order: POKES → POLES → PALES → PARES → FARES. The combo clue "A two-word phrase for expressions that don't give any indication of intent." describes both end words together — "POKER" and "FACES" 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.