LinkedIn Crossclimb #862

LinkedIn Crossclimb #862 is the LinkedIn Crossclimb daily for September 9, 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 MEAT to PIES:

MEAT → NEAT → NEAR → PEAR → PEER → PIER → PIES

Top and bottom share the combo clue: “A two-word phrase for tasty pastries for carnivores.”

1. Middle 1Exhibit A

   NEAT

   Clean and organized

   Clue insight

   Exhibit A — "Clean and organized" → NEAT. "Clean and organized" resolves to "NEAT" 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

   NEAR

   Close by

   Clue insight

   Exhibit B — "Close by" → NEAR. "Close by" resolves to "NEAR" 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

   PEAR

   Fruit shaped like a teardrop

   Clue insight

   Exhibit C — "Fruit shaped like a teardrop" → PEAR. "Fruit shaped like a teardrop" resolves to "PEAR" 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

   PEER

   Colleague who is an equal to you in age, job, and/or social status

   Clue insight

   Exhibit D — "Colleague who is an equal to you in age, job, and/or social status" → PEER. "Colleague who is an equal to you in age, job, and/or social status" resolves to "PEER" 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

   PIER

   Raised walkway that extends from the shore over water

   Clue insight

   Exhibit E — "Raised walkway that extends from the shore over water" → PIER. "Raised walkway that extends from the shore over water" resolves to "PIER" 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. MEAT → NEATStep 1

   M→N at the first letter (MEAT → NEAT)

   Link A: M→N at the first letter (MEAT → NEAT).

   Combo-adjacent link — confirms end word placement.

2. NEAT → NEARStep 2

   T→R at the fourth letter (NEAT → NEAR)

   Link B: T→R at the fourth letter (NEAT → NEAR).

   Middle chain link — ordering constraint.

3. NEAR → PEARStep 3

   N→P at the first letter (NEAR → PEAR)

   Link C: N→P at the first letter (NEAR → PEAR).

   Middle chain link — ordering constraint.

4. PEAR → PEERStep 4

   A→E at the third letter (PEAR → PEER)

   Link D: A→E at the third letter (PEAR → PEER).

   Middle chain link — ordering constraint.

5. PEER → PIERStep 5

   E→I at the second letter (PEER → PIER)

   Link E: E→I at the second letter (PEER → PIER).

   Middle chain link — ordering constraint.

6. PIER → PIESStep 6

   R→S at the fourth letter (PIER → PIES)

   Link F: R→S at the fourth letter (PIER → PIES).

   Combo-adjacent link — confirms end word placement.

The evidence supports middle order NEAT → NEAR → PEAR → PEER → PIER. Alternative permutations break the one-letter adjacency rule unless an answer is wrong.

Final exhibits: MEAT (top combo) and PIES (bottom combo). Shared prompt: "A two-word phrase for tasty pastries for carnivores.".

The combo clue "A two-word phrase for tasty pastries for carnivores." describes both end words together — "MEAT" and "PIES" 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 NEAT, NEAR, PEAR, PEER, PIER. Middle 1: "Clean and organized" → NEAT. "Clean and organized" resolves to "NEAT" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 2: "Close by" → NEAR. "Close by" resolves to "NEAR" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 3: "Fruit shaped like a teardrop" → PEAR. "Fruit shaped like a teardrop" resolves to "PEAR" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 4: "Colleague who is an equal to you in age, job, and/or social status" → PEER. "Colleague who is an equal to you in age, job, and/or social status" resolves to "PEER" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 5: "Raised walkway that extends from the shore over water" → PIER. "Raised walkway that extends from the shore over water" resolves to "PIER" 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: NEAT → NEAR → PEAR → PEER → PIER. Ladder step: M→N at the first letter (MEAT → NEAT) (connects to a combo end). Ladder step: T→R at the fourth letter (NEAT → NEAR). Ladder step: N→P at the first letter (NEAR → PEAR). Ladder step: A→E at the third letter (PEAR → PEER). Ladder step: E→I at the second letter (PEER → PIER). Ladder step: R→S at the fourth letter (PIER → PIES) (connects to a combo end). Phase 3: Unlock combo ends — top "MEAT" and bottom "PIES" share the clue: A two-word phrase for tasty pastries for carnivores..

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 MEAT to PIES. The top and bottom rows share one combo clue: A two-word phrase for tasty pastries for carnivores. The solution path is MEAT → NEAT → NEAR → PEAR → PEER → PIER → PIES, changing exactly one letter between each rung. Middle clues include Clean and organized, Close by, and Fruit shaped like a teardrop, and others — solve these before reordering. Correct middle order: NEAT → NEAR → PEAR → PEER → PIER. The combo clue "A two-word phrase for tasty pastries for carnivores." describes both end words together — "MEAT" and "PIES" 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.