LinkedIn Crossclimb #878

LinkedIn Crossclimb #878 is the LinkedIn Crossclimb daily for September 25, 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 SOFA to BEDS:

SOFA → SODA → CODA → CODE → BODE → BODS → BEDS

Top and bottom share the combo clue: “A two-word phrase for pieces of furniture that fold out for sleeping.”

1. Middle 1Warm-up clue

   SODA

   Carbonated water

   Clue insight

   "Carbonated water" resolves to "SODA" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Warm-up clue: Solve "Carbonated water" without peeking at ladder order.

2. Middle 2Cross-check

   CODA

   Element at the end of a song

   Clue insight

   "Element at the end of a song" resolves to "CODA" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Cross-check: Solve "Element at the end of a song" without peeking at ladder order.

3. Middle 3Pivot answer

   CODE

   Do a programmer's job

   Clue insight

   "Do a programmer's job" resolves to "CODE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Pivot answer: Solve "Do a programmer's job" without peeking at ladder order.

4. Middle 4Verifier

   BODE

   Be an omen

   Clue insight

   "Be an omen" resolves to "BODE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Verifier: Solve "Be an omen" without peeking at ladder order.

5. Middle 5Final middle

   BODS

   Physiques, colloquially

   Clue insight

   "Physiques, colloquially" resolves to "BODS" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Final middle: Solve "Physiques, colloquially" without peeking at ladder order.

1. SOFA → SODAStep 1

   F→D at the third letter (SOFA → SODA)

   Teaching link SOFA→SODA: F→D at the third letter (SOFA → SODA).

   Rule check 1: Students should reject pairs with 2+ letter differences.

2. SODA → CODAStep 2

   S→C at the first letter (SODA → CODA)

   Teaching link SODA→CODA: S→C at the first letter (SODA → CODA).

   Rule check 2: Students should reject pairs with 2+ letter differences.

3. CODA → CODEStep 3

   A→E at the fourth letter (CODA → CODE)

   Teaching link CODA→CODE: A→E at the fourth letter (CODA → CODE).

   Rule check 3: Students should reject pairs with 2+ letter differences.

4. CODE → BODEStep 4

   C→B at the first letter (CODE → BODE)

   Teaching link CODE→BODE: C→B at the first letter (CODE → BODE).

   Rule check 4: Students should reject pairs with 2+ letter differences.

5. BODE → BODSStep 5

   E→S at the fourth letter (BODE → BODS)

   Teaching link BODE→BODS: E→S at the fourth letter (BODE → BODS).

   Rule check 5: Students should reject pairs with 2+ letter differences.

6. BODS → BEDSStep 6

   O→E at the second letter (BODS → BEDS)

   Teaching link BODS→BEDS: O→E at the second letter (BODS → BEDS).

   Rule check 6: Students should reject pairs with 2+ letter differences.

Teach students to test pairs: SODA → CODA → CODE → BODE → BODS works because SOFA→SODA, SODA→CODA, CODA→CODE, CODE→BODE, BODE→BODS, BODS→BEDS each differ by one letter only.

Endgame: combo clue "A two-word phrase for pieces of furniture that fold out for sleeping." describes both SOFA and BEDS. Unlock only after ladder ordering passes every one-letter check.

The combo clue "A two-word phrase for pieces of furniture that fold out for sleeping." describes both end words together — "SOFA" and "BEDS" 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 SODA, CODA, CODE, BODE, BODS. Middle 1: "Carbonated water" → SODA. "Carbonated water" resolves to "SODA" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 2: "Element at the end of a song" → CODA. "Element at the end of a song" resolves to "CODA" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 3: "Do a programmer's job" → CODE. "Do a programmer's job" resolves to "CODE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 4: "Be an omen" → BODE. "Be an omen" resolves to "BODE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 5: "Physiques, colloquially" → BODS. "Physiques, colloquially" resolves to "BODS" 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: SODA → CODA → CODE → BODE → BODS. Ladder step: F→D at the third letter (SOFA → SODA) (connects to a combo end). Ladder step: S→C at the first letter (SODA → CODA). Ladder step: A→E at the fourth letter (CODA → CODE). Ladder step: C→B at the first letter (CODE → BODE). Ladder step: E→S at the fourth letter (BODE → BODS). Ladder step: O→E at the second letter (BODS → BEDS) (connects to a combo end). Phase 3: Unlock combo ends — top "SOFA" and bottom "BEDS" share the clue: A two-word phrase for pieces of furniture that fold out for sleeping..

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 SOFA to BEDS. The top and bottom rows share one combo clue: A two-word phrase for pieces of furniture that fold out for sleeping. The solution path is SOFA → SODA → CODA → CODE → BODE → BODS → BEDS, changing exactly one letter between each rung. Middle clues include Carbonated water, Element at the end of a song, and Do a programmer's job, and others — solve these before reordering. Correct middle order: SODA → CODA → CODE → BODE → BODS. The combo clue "A two-word phrase for pieces of furniture that fold out for sleeping." describes both end words together — "SOFA" and "BEDS" 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.