LinkedIn Crossclimb #871

LinkedIn Crossclimb #871 is the LinkedIn Crossclimb daily for September 18, 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 WEST to WIND:

WEST → BEST → BENT → RENT → REND → RIND → WIND

Top and bottom share the combo clue: “A two-word phrase for an easterly current considered mild and favorable.”

1. Middle 1First middle

   BEST

   The tops, quality-wise

   Clue insight

   I read "The tops, quality-wise" and write BEST. "The tops, quality-wise" resolves to "BEST" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   First middle: Lock this before reordering middles.

2. Middle 2Second middle

   BENT

   Out of shape or crooked

   Clue insight

   I read "Out of shape or crooked" and write BENT. "Out of shape or crooked" resolves to "BENT" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Second middle: Lock this before reordering middles.

3. Middle 3Third middle

   RENT

   Monthly apartment payment

   Clue insight

   I read "Monthly apartment payment" and write RENT. "Monthly apartment payment" resolves to "RENT" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Third middle: Lock this before reordering middles.

4. Middle 4Fourth middle

   REND

   Tear apart

   Clue insight

   I read "Tear apart" and write REND. "Tear apart" resolves to "REND" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Fourth middle: Lock this before reordering middles.

5. Middle 5Fifth middle

   RIND

   Outer part of a lemon

   Clue insight

   I read "Outer part of a lemon" and write RIND. "Outer part of a lemon" resolves to "RIND" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Fifth middle: Lock this before reordering middles.

1. WEST → BESTStep 1

   W→B at the first letter (WEST → BEST)

   I check WEST → BEST: W→B at the first letter (WEST → BEST).

   First link: Consonant swap — keep the chain tight.

2. BEST → BENTStep 2

   S→N at the third letter (BEST → BENT)

   I check BEST → BENT: S→N at the third letter (BEST → BENT).

   Second link: Consonant swap — keep the chain tight.

3. BENT → RENTStep 3

   B→R at the first letter (BENT → RENT)

   I check BENT → RENT: B→R at the first letter (BENT → RENT).

   Third link: Consonant swap — keep the chain tight.

4. RENT → RENDStep 4

   T→D at the fourth letter (RENT → REND)

   I check RENT → REND: T→D at the fourth letter (RENT → REND).

   Fourth link: Consonant swap — keep the chain tight.

5. REND → RINDStep 5

   E→I at the second letter (REND → RIND)

   I check REND → RIND: E→I at the second letter (REND → RIND).

   Fifth link: Vowel swap — keep the chain tight.

6. RIND → WINDStep 6

   R→W at the first letter (RIND → WIND)

   I check RIND → WIND: R→W at the first letter (RIND → WIND).

   Sixth link: Consonant swap — keep the chain tight.

I arrange middles as BEST → BENT → RENT → REND → RIND because that's the chain where every hop changes one letter. 6 links checked — W→B at the first letter (WEST → BEST) through R→W at the first letter (RIND → WIND).

Combo clue "A two-word phrase for an easterly current considered mild and favorable." — I only fill WEST and WIND after middles order cleanly. The pair should read naturally against the clue.

The combo clue "A two-word phrase for an easterly current considered mild and favorable." describes both end words together — "WEST" and "WIND" 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 BEST, BENT, RENT, REND, RIND. Middle 1: "The tops, quality-wise" → BEST. "The tops, quality-wise" resolves to "BEST" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 2: "Out of shape or crooked" → BENT. "Out of shape or crooked" resolves to "BENT" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 3: "Monthly apartment payment" → RENT. "Monthly apartment payment" resolves to "RENT" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 4: "Tear apart" → REND. "Tear apart" resolves to "REND" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 5: "Outer part of a lemon" → RIND. "Outer part of a lemon" resolves to "RIND" 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: BEST → BENT → RENT → REND → RIND. Ladder step: W→B at the first letter (WEST → BEST) (connects to a combo end). Ladder step: S→N at the third letter (BEST → BENT). Ladder step: B→R at the first letter (BENT → RENT). Ladder step: T→D at the fourth letter (RENT → REND). Ladder step: E→I at the second letter (REND → RIND). Ladder step: R→W at the first letter (RIND → WIND) (connects to a combo end). Phase 3: Unlock combo ends — top "WEST" and bottom "WIND" share the clue: A two-word phrase for an easterly current considered mild and favorable..

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 WEST to WIND. The top and bottom rows share one combo clue: A two-word phrase for an easterly current considered mild and favorable. The solution path is WEST → BEST → BENT → RENT → REND → RIND → WIND, changing exactly one letter between each rung. Middle clues include The tops, quality-wise, Out of shape or crooked, and Monthly apartment payment, and others — solve these before reordering. Correct middle order: BEST → BENT → RENT → REND → RIND. The combo clue "A two-word phrase for an easterly current considered mild and favorable." describes both end words together — "WEST" and "WIND" 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.