LinkedIn Crossclimb #885

LinkedIn Crossclimb #885 is the LinkedIn Crossclimb daily for October 2, 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 COAL to WIND:

COAL → COOL → FOOL → FOOD → FOND → FIND → WIND

Top and bottom share the combo clue: “Two sources of energy, one that's burned and one that blows.”

1. Middle 1Clue 1

   COOL

   Trendy or acceptable

   Clue insight

   "Trendy or acceptable" resolves to "COOL" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   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

   FOOL

   Play the ___ (act like a court jester)

   Clue insight

   Fill-in style clue — "FOOL" completes the pattern described in "Play the ___ (act like a court jester)".

   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

   FOOD

   Necessary source of nutrients

   Clue insight

   "Necessary source of nutrients" resolves to "FOOD" 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

   FOND

   Having a warm, positive opinion (of)

   Clue insight

   "Having a warm, positive opinion (of)" resolves to "FOND" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   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

   FIND

   Locate, as something lost

   Clue insight

   "Locate, as something lost" resolves to "FIND" 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. COAL → COOLStep 1

   A→O at the third letter (COAL → COOL)

   COAL and COOL are adjacent in the solved ladder — A→O at the third letter (COAL → COOL).

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

2. COOL → FOOLStep 2

   C→F at the first letter (COOL → FOOL)

   COOL and FOOL are adjacent in the solved ladder — C→F at the first letter (COOL → FOOL).

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

3. FOOL → FOODStep 3

   L→D at the fourth letter (FOOL → FOOD)

   FOOL and FOOD are adjacent in the solved ladder — L→D at the fourth letter (FOOL → FOOD).

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

4. FOOD → FONDStep 4

   O→N at the third letter (FOOD → FOND)

   FOOD and FOND are adjacent in the solved ladder — O→N at the third letter (FOOD → FOND).

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

5. FOND → FINDStep 5

   O→I at the second letter (FOND → FIND)

   FOND and FIND are adjacent in the solved ladder — O→I at the second letter (FOND → FIND).

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

6. FIND → WINDStep 6

   F→W at the first letter (FIND → WIND)

   FIND and WIND are adjacent in the solved ladder — F→W at the first letter (FIND → WIND).

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

After solving middles (COOL, FOOL, FOOD, FOND, FIND), only the order COOL → FOOL → FOOD → FOND → FIND satisfies the one-letter rule between every adjacent pair. Each step changes exactly one letter: A→O at the third letter (COAL → COOL); C→F at the first letter (COOL → FOOL); L→D at the fourth letter (FOOL → FOOD); O→N at the third letter (FOOD → FOND); O→I at the second letter (FOND → FIND); F→W at the first letter (FIND → WIND). Wrong permutations fail when two middles differ by two or more letters.

The combo clue "Two sources of energy, one that's burned and one that blows." describes both end words together — "COAL" and "WIND" each differ by one letter from their adjacent middle rungs and satisfy the shared top+bottom prompt. Top "COAL" connects to COOL via A→O at the third letter (COAL → COOL). Bottom "WIND" connects from FIND via F→W at the first letter (FIND → WIND).

The combo clue "Two sources of energy, one that's burned and one that blows." describes both end words together — "COAL" 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 COOL, FOOL, FOOD, FOND, FIND. Middle 1: "Trendy or acceptable" → COOL. "Trendy or acceptable" resolves to "COOL" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 2: "Play the ___ (act like a court jester)" → FOOL. Fill-in style clue — "FOOL" completes the pattern described in "Play the ___ (act like a court jester)". Middle 3: "Necessary source of nutrients" → FOOD. "Necessary source of nutrients" resolves to "FOOD" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 4: "Having a warm, positive opinion (of)" → FOND. "Having a warm, positive opinion (of)" resolves to "FOND" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 5: "Locate, as something lost" → FIND. "Locate, as something lost" resolves to "FIND" 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: COOL → FOOL → FOOD → FOND → FIND. Ladder step: A→O at the third letter (COAL → COOL) (connects to a combo end). Ladder step: C→F at the first letter (COOL → FOOL). Ladder step: L→D at the fourth letter (FOOL → FOOD). Ladder step: O→N at the third letter (FOOD → FOND). Ladder step: O→I at the second letter (FOND → FIND). Ladder step: F→W at the first letter (FIND → WIND) (connects to a combo end). Phase 3: Unlock combo ends — top "COAL" and bottom "WIND" share the clue: Two sources of energy, one that's burned and one that blows..

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 COAL to WIND. The top and bottom rows share one combo clue: Two sources of energy, one that's burned and one that blows. The solution path is COAL → COOL → FOOL → FOOD → FOND → FIND → WIND, changing exactly one letter between each rung. Middle clues include Trendy or acceptable, Play the ___ (act like a court jester), and Necessary source of nutrients, and others — solve these before reordering. Correct middle order: COOL → FOOL → FOOD → FOND → FIND. The combo clue "Two sources of energy, one that's burned and one that blows." describes both end words together — "COAL" 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.