LinkedIn Crossclimb #861

LinkedIn Crossclimb #861 is the LinkedIn Crossclimb daily for September 8, 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 RULE to BOOK:

RULE → ROLE → HOLE → HOLD → HOOD → HOOK → BOOK

Top and bottom share the combo clue: “A two-word phrase for something that comes with a complex boardgame to explain how to play.”

1. Middle 1First middle

   ROLE

   Part to play in a project or organization

   Clue insight

   I read "Part to play in a project or organization" and write ROLE. "Part to play in a project or organization" resolves to "ROLE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   First middle: Lock this before reordering middles.

2. Middle 2Second middle

   HOLE

   One of eighteen on a typical golf course

   Clue insight

   I read "One of eighteen on a typical golf course" and write HOLE. "One of eighteen on a typical golf course" resolves to "HOLE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Second middle: Lock this before reordering middles.

3. Middle 3Third middle

   HOLD

   “Please ___” (don’t hang up the phone)

   Clue insight

   I read "“Please ___” (don’t hang up the phone)" and write HOLD. Fill-in style clue — "HOLD" completes the pattern described in "“Please ___” (don’t hang up the phone)".

   Solving note

   Third middle: Lock this before reordering middles.

4. Middle 4Fourth middle

   HOOD

   Feature of a raincoat that covers the head

   Clue insight

   I read "Feature of a raincoat that covers the head" and write HOOD. "Feature of a raincoat that covers the head" resolves to "HOOD" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Fourth middle: Lock this before reordering middles.

5. Middle 5Fifth middle

   HOOK

   Captain ___ (Peter Pan character, whose name is also something attached to his arm)

   Clue insight

   I read "Captain ___ (Peter Pan character, whose name is also something attached to his arm)" and write HOOK. Fill-in style clue — "HOOK" completes the pattern described in "Captain ___ (Peter Pan character, whose name is also something attached to his arm)".

   Solving note

   Fifth middle: Lock this before reordering middles.

1. RULE → ROLEStep 1

   U→O at the second letter (RULE → ROLE)

   I check RULE → ROLE: U→O at the second letter (RULE → ROLE).

   First link: Vowel swap — keep the chain tight.

2. ROLE → HOLEStep 2

   R→H at the first letter (ROLE → HOLE)

   I check ROLE → HOLE: R→H at the first letter (ROLE → HOLE).

   Second link: Consonant swap — keep the chain tight.

3. HOLE → HOLDStep 3

   E→D at the fourth letter (HOLE → HOLD)

   I check HOLE → HOLD: E→D at the fourth letter (HOLE → HOLD).

   Third link: Consonant swap — keep the chain tight.

4. HOLD → HOODStep 4

   L→O at the third letter (HOLD → HOOD)

   I check HOLD → HOOD: L→O at the third letter (HOLD → HOOD).

   Fourth link: Consonant swap — keep the chain tight.

5. HOOD → HOOKStep 5

   D→K at the fourth letter (HOOD → HOOK)

   I check HOOD → HOOK: D→K at the fourth letter (HOOD → HOOK).

   Fifth link: Consonant swap — keep the chain tight.

6. HOOK → BOOKStep 6

   H→B at the first letter (HOOK → BOOK)

   I check HOOK → BOOK: H→B at the first letter (HOOK → BOOK).

   Sixth link: Consonant swap — keep the chain tight.

I arrange middles as ROLE → HOLE → HOLD → HOOD → HOOK because that's the chain where every hop changes one letter. 6 links checked — U→O at the second letter (RULE → ROLE) through H→B at the first letter (HOOK → BOOK).

Combo clue "A two-word phrase for something that comes with a complex boardgame to explain how to play." — I only fill RULE and BOOK after middles order cleanly. The pair should read naturally against the clue.

The combo clue "A two-word phrase for something that comes with a complex boardgame to explain how to play." describes both end words together — "RULE" and "BOOK" 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 ROLE, HOLE, HOLD, HOOD, HOOK. Middle 1: "Part to play in a project or organization" → ROLE. "Part to play in a project or organization" resolves to "ROLE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 2: "One of eighteen on a typical golf course" → HOLE. "One of eighteen on a typical golf course" resolves to "HOLE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 3: "“Please ___” (don’t hang up the phone)" → HOLD. Fill-in style clue — "HOLD" completes the pattern described in "“Please ___” (don’t hang up the phone)". Middle 4: "Feature of a raincoat that covers the head" → HOOD. "Feature of a raincoat that covers the head" resolves to "HOOD" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 5: "Captain ___ (Peter Pan character, whose name is also something attached to his arm)" → HOOK. Fill-in style clue — "HOOK" completes the pattern described in "Captain ___ (Peter Pan character, whose name is also something attached to his arm)". Phase 2: Order the middle rungs so adjacent words differ by one letter — valid chain: ROLE → HOLE → HOLD → HOOD → HOOK. Ladder step: U→O at the second letter (RULE → ROLE) (connects to a combo end). Ladder step: R→H at the first letter (ROLE → HOLE). Ladder step: E→D at the fourth letter (HOLE → HOLD). Ladder step: L→O at the third letter (HOLD → HOOD). Ladder step: D→K at the fourth letter (HOOD → HOOK). Ladder step: H→B at the first letter (HOOK → BOOK) (connects to a combo end). Phase 3: Unlock combo ends — top "RULE" and bottom "BOOK" share the clue: A two-word phrase for something that comes with a complex boardgame to explain how to play..

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 RULE to BOOK. The top and bottom rows share one combo clue: A two-word phrase for something that comes with a complex boardgame to explain how to play. The solution path is RULE → ROLE → HOLE → HOLD → HOOD → HOOK → BOOK, changing exactly one letter between each rung. Middle clues include Part to play in a project or organization, One of eighteen on a typical golf course, and “Please ___” (don’t hang up the phone), and others — solve these before reordering. Correct middle order: ROLE → HOLE → HOLD → HOOD → HOOK. The combo clue "A two-word phrase for something that comes with a complex boardgame to explain how to play." describes both end words together — "RULE" and "BOOK" 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.