LinkedIn Crossclimb #877

LinkedIn Crossclimb #877 is the LinkedIn Crossclimb daily for September 24, 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 BONA to FIDE:

BONA → BONE → BANE → MANE → MADE → FADE → FIDE

Top and bottom share the combo clue: “A two-word Latin phrase meaning "genuine" or "authentic."”

1. Middle 1Exhibit A

   BONE

   Part of a skeleton

   Clue insight

   Exhibit A — "Part of a skeleton" → BONE. "Part of a skeleton" resolves to "BONE" 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

   BANE

   ___ of one's existence (nemesis)

   Clue insight

   Exhibit B — "___ of one's existence (nemesis)" → BANE. Fill-in style clue — "BANE" completes the pattern described in "___ of one's existence (nemesis)".

   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

   MANE

   Hair on a horse's neck

   Clue insight

   Exhibit C — "Hair on a horse's neck" → MANE. "Hair on a horse's neck" resolves to "MANE" 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

   MADE

   Created

   Clue insight

   Exhibit D — "Created" → MADE. "Created" resolves to "MADE" 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

   FADE

   Gradually become invisible

   Clue insight

   Exhibit E — "Gradually become invisible" → FADE. "Gradually become invisible" resolves to "FADE" 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. BONA → BONEStep 1

   A→E at the fourth letter (BONA → BONE)

   Link A: A→E at the fourth letter (BONA → BONE).

   Combo-adjacent link — confirms end word placement.

2. BONE → BANEStep 2

   O→A at the second letter (BONE → BANE)

   Link B: O→A at the second letter (BONE → BANE).

   Middle chain link — ordering constraint.

3. BANE → MANEStep 3

   B→M at the first letter (BANE → MANE)

   Link C: B→M at the first letter (BANE → MANE).

   Middle chain link — ordering constraint.

4. MANE → MADEStep 4

   N→D at the third letter (MANE → MADE)

   Link D: N→D at the third letter (MANE → MADE).

   Middle chain link — ordering constraint.

5. MADE → FADEStep 5

   M→F at the first letter (MADE → FADE)

   Link E: M→F at the first letter (MADE → FADE).

   Middle chain link — ordering constraint.

6. FADE → FIDEStep 6

   A→I at the second letter (FADE → FIDE)

   Link F: A→I at the second letter (FADE → FIDE).

   Combo-adjacent link — confirms end word placement.

The evidence supports middle order BONE → BANE → MANE → MADE → FADE. Alternative permutations break the one-letter adjacency rule unless an answer is wrong.

Final exhibits: BONA (top combo) and FIDE (bottom combo). Shared prompt: "A two-word Latin phrase meaning "genuine" or "authentic."".

The combo clue "A two-word Latin phrase meaning "genuine" or "authentic."" describes both end words together — "BONA" and "FIDE" 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 BONE, BANE, MANE, MADE, FADE. Middle 1: "Part of a skeleton" → BONE. "Part of a skeleton" resolves to "BONE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 2: "___ of one's existence (nemesis)" → BANE. Fill-in style clue — "BANE" completes the pattern described in "___ of one's existence (nemesis)". Middle 3: "Hair on a horse's neck" → MANE. "Hair on a horse's neck" resolves to "MANE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 4: "Created" → MADE. "Created" resolves to "MADE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 5: "Gradually become invisible" → FADE. "Gradually become invisible" resolves to "FADE" 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: BONE → BANE → MANE → MADE → FADE. Ladder step: A→E at the fourth letter (BONA → BONE) (connects to a combo end). Ladder step: O→A at the second letter (BONE → BANE). Ladder step: B→M at the first letter (BANE → MANE). Ladder step: N→D at the third letter (MANE → MADE). Ladder step: M→F at the first letter (MADE → FADE). Ladder step: A→I at the second letter (FADE → FIDE) (connects to a combo end). Phase 3: Unlock combo ends — top "BONA" and bottom "FIDE" share the clue: A two-word Latin phrase meaning "genuine" or "authentic.".

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 BONA to FIDE. The top and bottom rows share one combo clue: A two-word Latin phrase meaning "genuine" or "authentic.". The solution path is BONA → BONE → BANE → MANE → MADE → FADE → FIDE, changing exactly one letter between each rung. Middle clues include Part of a skeleton, ___ of one's existence (nemesis), and Hair on a horse's neck, and others — solve these before reordering. Correct middle order: BONE → BANE → MANE → MADE → FADE. The combo clue "A two-word Latin phrase meaning "genuine" or "authentic."" describes both end words together — "BONA" and "FIDE" 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.