LinkedIn Crossclimb #865

LinkedIn Crossclimb #865 is the LinkedIn Crossclimb daily for September 12, 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 GIFT to WARE:

GIFT → RIFT → RAFT → RANT → WANT → WANE → WARE

Top and bottom share the combo clue: “A compound word for decorative items given as presents, such as fancy silver for a wedding couple.”

1. Middle 1Clue 1

   RIFT

   Fissure, as in nature or a tense relationship

   Clue insight

   "Fissure, as in nature or a tense relationship" resolves to "RIFT" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Clue 1: A plausible wrong answer often differs in length or cannot one-letter-link to other middles — verify before reordering.

2. Middle 2Clue 2

   RAFT

   Boat that's simply logs lashed together

   Clue insight

   "Boat that's simply logs lashed together" resolves to "RAFT" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Clue 2: A plausible wrong answer often differs in length or cannot one-letter-link to other middles — verify before reordering.

3. Middle 3Clue 3

   RANT

   ___ and rave

   Clue insight

   Fill-in style clue — "RANT" completes the pattern described in "___ and rave".

   Solving note

   Clue 3: A plausible wrong answer often differs in length or cannot one-letter-link to other middles — verify before reordering.

4. Middle 4Clue 4

   WANT

   Desire

   Clue insight

   "Desire" resolves to "WANT" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Clue 4: A plausible wrong answer often differs in length or cannot one-letter-link to other middles — verify before reordering.

5. Middle 5Clue 5

   WANE

   Wax and ___

   Clue insight

   Fill-in style clue — "WANE" completes the pattern described in "Wax and ___".

   Solving note

   Clue 5: A plausible wrong answer often differs in length or cannot one-letter-link to other middles — verify before reordering.

1. GIFT → RIFTStep 1

   G→R at the first letter (GIFT → RIFT)

   GIFT and RIFT are adjacent in the solved ladder — G→R at the first letter (GIFT → RIFT).

   Step 1: Valid only if exactly one letter differs; this step touches a combo end.

2. RIFT → RAFTStep 2

   I→A at the second letter (RIFT → RAFT)

   RIFT and RAFT are adjacent in the solved ladder — I→A at the second letter (RIFT → RAFT).

   Step 2: Valid only if exactly one letter differs; middle-to-middle link.

3. RAFT → RANTStep 3

   F→N at the third letter (RAFT → RANT)

   RAFT and RANT are adjacent in the solved ladder — F→N at the third letter (RAFT → RANT).

   Step 3: Valid only if exactly one letter differs; middle-to-middle link.

4. RANT → WANTStep 4

   R→W at the first letter (RANT → WANT)

   RANT and WANT are adjacent in the solved ladder — R→W at the first letter (RANT → WANT).

   Step 4: Valid only if exactly one letter differs; middle-to-middle link.

5. WANT → WANEStep 5

   T→E at the fourth letter (WANT → WANE)

   WANT and WANE are adjacent in the solved ladder — T→E at the fourth letter (WANT → WANE).

   Step 5: Valid only if exactly one letter differs; middle-to-middle link.

6. WANE → WAREStep 6

   N→R at the third letter (WANE → WARE)

   WANE and WARE are adjacent in the solved ladder — N→R at the third letter (WANE → WARE).

   Step 6: Valid only if exactly one letter differs; this step touches a combo end.

After solving middles (RIFT, RAFT, RANT, WANT, WANE), only the order RIFT → RAFT → RANT → WANT → WANE satisfies the one-letter rule between every adjacent pair. Each step changes exactly one letter: G→R at the first letter (GIFT → RIFT); I→A at the second letter (RIFT → RAFT); F→N at the third letter (RAFT → RANT); R→W at the first letter (RANT → WANT); T→E at the fourth letter (WANT → WANE); N→R at the third letter (WANE → WARE). Wrong permutations fail when two middles differ by two or more letters.

The combo clue "A compound word for decorative items given as presents, such as fancy silver for a wedding couple." describes both end words together — "GIFT" and "WARE" each differ by one letter from their adjacent middle rungs and satisfy the shared top+bottom prompt. Top "GIFT" connects to RIFT via G→R at the first letter (GIFT → RIFT). Bottom "WARE" connects from WANE via N→R at the third letter (WANE → WARE).

The combo clue "A compound word for decorative items given as presents, such as fancy silver for a wedding couple." describes both end words together — "GIFT" and "WARE" 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 RIFT, RAFT, RANT, WANT, WANE. Middle 1: "Fissure, as in nature or a tense relationship" → RIFT. "Fissure, as in nature or a tense relationship" resolves to "RIFT" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 2: "Boat that's simply logs lashed together" → RAFT. "Boat that's simply logs lashed together" resolves to "RAFT" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 3: "___ and rave" → RANT. Fill-in style clue — "RANT" completes the pattern described in "___ and rave". Middle 4: "Desire" → WANT. "Desire" resolves to "WANT" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 5: "Wax and ___" → WANE. Fill-in style clue — "WANE" completes the pattern described in "Wax and ___". Phase 2: Order the middle rungs so adjacent words differ by one letter — valid chain: RIFT → RAFT → RANT → WANT → WANE. Ladder step: G→R at the first letter (GIFT → RIFT) (connects to a combo end). Ladder step: I→A at the second letter (RIFT → RAFT). Ladder step: F→N at the third letter (RAFT → RANT). Ladder step: R→W at the first letter (RANT → WANT). Ladder step: T→E at the fourth letter (WANT → WANE). Ladder step: N→R at the third letter (WANE → WARE) (connects to a combo end). Phase 3: Unlock combo ends — top "GIFT" and bottom "WARE" share the clue: A compound word for decorative items given as presents, such as fancy silver for a wedding couple..

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 GIFT to WARE. The top and bottom rows share one combo clue: A compound word for decorative items given as presents, such as fancy silver for a wedding couple. The solution path is GIFT → RIFT → RAFT → RANT → WANT → WANE → WARE, changing exactly one letter between each rung. Middle clues include Fissure, as in nature or a tense relationship, Boat that's simply logs lashed together, and ___ and rave, and others — solve these before reordering. Correct middle order: RIFT → RAFT → RANT → WANT → WANE. The combo clue "A compound word for decorative items given as presents, such as fancy silver for a wedding couple." describes both end words together — "GIFT" and "WARE" 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.