LinkedIn Crossclimb #869

LinkedIn Crossclimb #869 is the LinkedIn Crossclimb daily for September 16, 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 ZOOM to CHAT:

ZOOM → ZOOS → COOS → COOL → COAL → COAT → CHAT

Top and bottom share the combo clue: “A two-word phrase for an instant-messaging function in an online meeting app.”

1. Middle 1Sample 1

   ZOOS

   Places where you can safely see lions

   Clue insight

   Sample 1: Places where you can safely see lions = ZOOS

   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

   COOS

   Makes a sound like a dove

   Clue insight

   Sample 2: Makes a sound like a dove = COOS

   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

   COOL

   Hip or trendy

   Clue insight

   Sample 3: Hip or trendy = COOL

   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

   COAL

   Burnable form of carbon

   Clue insight

   Sample 4: Burnable form of carbon = COAL

   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

   COAT

   Garment to protect from chilly weather

   Clue insight

   Sample 5: Garment to protect from chilly weather = COAT

   Solving note

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

1. ZOOM → ZOOSStep 1

   M→S at the fourth letter (ZOOM → ZOOS)

   Transition 1 M→S at the fourth letter (ZOOM → ZOOS)

   Combo boundary transition.

2. ZOOS → COOSStep 2

   Z→C at the first letter (ZOOS → COOS)

   Transition 2 Z→C at the first letter (ZOOS → COOS)

   Interior ladder transition.

3. COOS → COOLStep 3

   S→L at the fourth letter (COOS → COOL)

   Transition 3 S→L at the fourth letter (COOS → COOL)

   Interior ladder transition.

4. COOL → COALStep 4

   O→A at the third letter (COOL → COAL)

   Transition 4 O→A at the third letter (COOL → COAL)

   Interior ladder transition.

5. COAL → COATStep 5

   L→T at the fourth letter (COAL → COAT)

   Transition 5 L→T at the fourth letter (COAL → COAT)

   Interior ladder transition.

6. COAT → CHATStep 6

   O→H at the second letter (COAT → CHAT)

   Transition 6 O→H at the second letter (COAT → CHAT)

   Combo boundary transition.

Optimal order: ZOOS → COOS → COOL → COAL → COAT. 1 valid permutation(s) from 5 middles. Unique ordering.

Combo classification: "A two-word phrase for an instant-messaging function in an online meeting app." → endpoints ZOOM, CHAT.

The combo clue "A two-word phrase for an instant-messaging function in an online meeting app." describes both end words together — "ZOOM" and "CHAT" 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 ZOOS, COOS, COOL, COAL, COAT. Middle 1: "Places where you can safely see lions" → ZOOS. "Places where you can safely see lions" resolves to "ZOOS" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 2: "Makes a sound like a dove" → COOS. "Makes a sound like a dove" resolves to "COOS" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 3: "Hip or trendy" → COOL. "Hip or trendy" resolves to "COOL" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 4: "Burnable form of carbon" → COAL. "Burnable form of carbon" resolves to "COAL" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 5: "Garment to protect from chilly weather" → COAT. "Garment to protect from chilly weather" resolves to "COAT" 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: ZOOS → COOS → COOL → COAL → COAT. Ladder step: M→S at the fourth letter (ZOOM → ZOOS) (connects to a combo end). Ladder step: Z→C at the first letter (ZOOS → COOS). Ladder step: S→L at the fourth letter (COOS → COOL). Ladder step: O→A at the third letter (COOL → COAL). Ladder step: L→T at the fourth letter (COAL → COAT). Ladder step: O→H at the second letter (COAT → CHAT) (connects to a combo end). Phase 3: Unlock combo ends — top "ZOOM" and bottom "CHAT" share the clue: A two-word phrase for an instant-messaging function in an online meeting app..

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 ZOOM to CHAT. The top and bottom rows share one combo clue: A two-word phrase for an instant-messaging function in an online meeting app. The solution path is ZOOM → ZOOS → COOS → COOL → COAL → COAT → CHAT, changing exactly one letter between each rung. Middle clues include Places where you can safely see lions, Makes a sound like a dove, and Hip or trendy, and others — solve these before reordering. Correct middle order: ZOOS → COOS → COOL → COAL → COAT. The combo clue "A two-word phrase for an instant-messaging function in an online meeting app." describes both end words together — "ZOOM" and "CHAT" 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.