LinkedIn Crossclimb #881

LinkedIn Crossclimb #881 is the LinkedIn Crossclimb daily for September 28, 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 HEAD to TOES:

HEAD → BEAD → BEAR → BEER → BEES → TEES → TOES

Top and bottom share the combo clue: “The uppermost and lowermost body parts, as in "from my ___ to my ___."”

1. Middle 1First middle

   BEAD

   Necklace part, or drop of sweat

   Clue insight

   I read "Necklace part, or drop of sweat" and write BEAD. "Necklace part, or drop of sweat" resolves to "BEAD" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   First middle: Lock this before reordering middles.

2. Middle 2Second middle

   BEAR

   Word following "brown," "black," or "polar"

   Clue insight

   I read "Word following "brown," "black," or "polar"" and write BEAR. "Word following "brown," "black," or "polar"" resolves to "BEAR" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Second middle: Lock this before reordering middles.

3. Middle 3Third middle

   BEER

   Stout, porter, or pale ale

   Clue insight

   I read "Stout, porter, or pale ale" and write BEER. "Stout, porter, or pale ale" resolves to "BEER" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Third middle: Lock this before reordering middles.

4. Middle 4Fourth middle

   BEES

   Creatures who live in hives

   Clue insight

   I read "Creatures who live in hives" and write BEES. "Creatures who live in hives" resolves to "BEES" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Fourth middle: Lock this before reordering middles.

5. Middle 5Fifth middle

   TEES

   Casual shirts named for the 20th letter of the alphabet

   Clue insight

   I read "Casual shirts named for the 20th letter of the alphabet" and write TEES. "Casual shirts named for the 20th letter of the alphabet" resolves to "TEES" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Fifth middle: Lock this before reordering middles.

1. HEAD → BEADStep 1

   H→B at the first letter (HEAD → BEAD)

   I check HEAD → BEAD: H→B at the first letter (HEAD → BEAD).

   First link: Consonant swap — keep the chain tight.

2. BEAD → BEARStep 2

   D→R at the fourth letter (BEAD → BEAR)

   I check BEAD → BEAR: D→R at the fourth letter (BEAD → BEAR).

   Second link: Consonant swap — keep the chain tight.

3. BEAR → BEERStep 3

   A→E at the third letter (BEAR → BEER)

   I check BEAR → BEER: A→E at the third letter (BEAR → BEER).

   Third link: Vowel swap — keep the chain tight.

4. BEER → BEESStep 4

   R→S at the fourth letter (BEER → BEES)

   I check BEER → BEES: R→S at the fourth letter (BEER → BEES).

   Fourth link: Consonant swap — keep the chain tight.

5. BEES → TEESStep 5

   B→T at the first letter (BEES → TEES)

   I check BEES → TEES: B→T at the first letter (BEES → TEES).

   Fifth link: Consonant swap — keep the chain tight.

6. TEES → TOESStep 6

   E→O at the second letter (TEES → TOES)

   I check TEES → TOES: E→O at the second letter (TEES → TOES).

   Sixth link: Vowel swap — keep the chain tight.

I arrange middles as BEAD → BEAR → BEER → BEES → TEES because that's the chain where every hop changes one letter. 6 links checked — H→B at the first letter (HEAD → BEAD) through E→O at the second letter (TEES → TOES).

Combo clue "The uppermost and lowermost body parts, as in "from my ___ to my ___."" — I only fill HEAD and TOES after middles order cleanly. The pair should read naturally against the clue.

The combo clue "The uppermost and lowermost body parts, as in "from my ___ to my ___."" describes both end words together — "HEAD" and "TOES" 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 BEAD, BEAR, BEER, BEES, TEES. Middle 1: "Necklace part, or drop of sweat" → BEAD. "Necklace part, or drop of sweat" resolves to "BEAD" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 2: "Word following "brown," "black," or "polar"" → BEAR. "Word following "brown," "black," or "polar"" resolves to "BEAR" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 3: "Stout, porter, or pale ale" → BEER. "Stout, porter, or pale ale" resolves to "BEER" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 4: "Creatures who live in hives" → BEES. "Creatures who live in hives" resolves to "BEES" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 5: "Casual shirts named for the 20th letter of the alphabet" → TEES. "Casual shirts named for the 20th letter of the alphabet" resolves to "TEES" 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: BEAD → BEAR → BEER → BEES → TEES. Ladder step: H→B at the first letter (HEAD → BEAD) (connects to a combo end). Ladder step: D→R at the fourth letter (BEAD → BEAR). Ladder step: A→E at the third letter (BEAR → BEER). Ladder step: R→S at the fourth letter (BEER → BEES). Ladder step: B→T at the first letter (BEES → TEES). Ladder step: E→O at the second letter (TEES → TOES) (connects to a combo end). Phase 3: Unlock combo ends — top "HEAD" and bottom "TOES" share the clue: The uppermost and lowermost body parts, as in "from my ___ to my ___.".

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 HEAD to TOES. The top and bottom rows share one combo clue: The uppermost and lowermost body parts, as in "from my ___ to my ___.". The solution path is HEAD → BEAD → BEAR → BEER → BEES → TEES → TOES, changing exactly one letter between each rung. Middle clues include Necklace part, or drop of sweat, Word following "brown," "black," or "polar", and Stout, porter, or pale ale, and others — solve these before reordering. Correct middle order: BEAD → BEAR → BEER → BEES → TEES. The combo clue "The uppermost and lowermost body parts, as in "from my ___ to my ___."" describes both end words together — "HEAD" and "TOES" 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.