LinkedIn Crossclimb #875

LinkedIn Crossclimb #875 is the LinkedIn Crossclimb daily for September 22, 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 TALL to WIDE:

TALL → TALE → PALE → PAGE → WAGE → WADE → WIDE

Top and bottom share the combo clue: “A word meaning "long from top to bottom," and a word meaning "long from side to side."”

1. Middle 1Clue 1

   TALE

   Fairy ___ (bedtime story)

   Clue insight

   Fill-in style clue — "TALE" completes the pattern described in "Fairy ___ (bedtime story)".

   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

   PALE

   Drained of color

   Clue insight

   "Drained of color" resolves to "PALE" 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

   PAGE

   Either side of a sheet in a book

   Clue insight

   "Either side of a sheet in a book" resolves to "PAGE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   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

   WAGE

   Living ___ (fair salary)

   Clue insight

   Fill-in style clue — "WAGE" completes the pattern described in "Living ___ (fair salary)".

   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

   WADE

   Walk in knee-deep water

   Clue insight

   "Walk in knee-deep water" resolves to "WADE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

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

1. TALL → TALEStep 1

   L→E at the fourth letter (TALL → TALE)

   TALL and TALE are adjacent in the solved ladder — L→E at the fourth letter (TALL → TALE).

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

2. TALE → PALEStep 2

   T→P at the first letter (TALE → PALE)

   TALE and PALE are adjacent in the solved ladder — T→P at the first letter (TALE → PALE).

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

3. PALE → PAGEStep 3

   L→G at the third letter (PALE → PAGE)

   PALE and PAGE are adjacent in the solved ladder — L→G at the third letter (PALE → PAGE).

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

4. PAGE → WAGEStep 4

   P→W at the first letter (PAGE → WAGE)

   PAGE and WAGE are adjacent in the solved ladder — P→W at the first letter (PAGE → WAGE).

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

5. WAGE → WADEStep 5

   G→D at the third letter (WAGE → WADE)

   WAGE and WADE are adjacent in the solved ladder — G→D at the third letter (WAGE → WADE).

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

6. WADE → WIDEStep 6

   A→I at the second letter (WADE → WIDE)

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

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

After solving middles (TALE, PALE, PAGE, WAGE, WADE), only the order TALE → PALE → PAGE → WAGE → WADE satisfies the one-letter rule between every adjacent pair. Each step changes exactly one letter: L→E at the fourth letter (TALL → TALE); T→P at the first letter (TALE → PALE); L→G at the third letter (PALE → PAGE); P→W at the first letter (PAGE → WAGE); G→D at the third letter (WAGE → WADE); A→I at the second letter (WADE → WIDE). Wrong permutations fail when two middles differ by two or more letters.

The combo clue "A word meaning "long from top to bottom," and a word meaning "long from side to side."" describes both end words together — "TALL" and "WIDE" each differ by one letter from their adjacent middle rungs and satisfy the shared top+bottom prompt. Top "TALL" connects to TALE via L→E at the fourth letter (TALL → TALE). Bottom "WIDE" connects from WADE via A→I at the second letter (WADE → WIDE).

The combo clue "A word meaning "long from top to bottom," and a word meaning "long from side to side."" describes both end words together — "TALL" and "WIDE" 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 TALE, PALE, PAGE, WAGE, WADE. Middle 1: "Fairy ___ (bedtime story)" → TALE. Fill-in style clue — "TALE" completes the pattern described in "Fairy ___ (bedtime story)". Middle 2: "Drained of color" → PALE. "Drained of color" resolves to "PALE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 3: "Either side of a sheet in a book" → PAGE. "Either side of a sheet in a book" resolves to "PAGE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 4: "Living ___ (fair salary)" → WAGE. Fill-in style clue — "WAGE" completes the pattern described in "Living ___ (fair salary)". Middle 5: "Walk in knee-deep water" → WADE. "Walk in knee-deep water" resolves to "WADE" 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: TALE → PALE → PAGE → WAGE → WADE. Ladder step: L→E at the fourth letter (TALL → TALE) (connects to a combo end). Ladder step: T→P at the first letter (TALE → PALE). Ladder step: L→G at the third letter (PALE → PAGE). Ladder step: P→W at the first letter (PAGE → WAGE). Ladder step: G→D at the third letter (WAGE → WADE). Ladder step: A→I at the second letter (WADE → WIDE) (connects to a combo end). Phase 3: Unlock combo ends — top "TALL" and bottom "WIDE" share the clue: A word meaning "long from top to bottom," and a word meaning "long from side to side.".

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 TALL to WIDE. The top and bottom rows share one combo clue: A word meaning "long from top to bottom," and a word meaning "long from side to side.". The solution path is TALL → TALE → PALE → PAGE → WAGE → WADE → WIDE, changing exactly one letter between each rung. Middle clues include Fairy ___ (bedtime story), Drained of color, and Either side of a sheet in a book, and others — solve these before reordering. Correct middle order: TALE → PALE → PAGE → WAGE → WADE. The combo clue "A word meaning "long from top to bottom," and a word meaning "long from side to side."" describes both end words together — "TALL" and "WIDE" 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.