LinkedIn Crossclimb #889

LinkedIn Crossclimb #889 is the LinkedIn Crossclimb daily for October 6, 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 WINE to CORK:

WINE → WANE → WAVE → CAVE → CARE → CORE → CORK

Top and bottom share the combo clue: “A two-word term for the stopper in a bottle of Chardonnay or Chianti.”

1. Middle 1Sample 1

   WANE

   Become less visible, like the moon

   Clue insight

   Sample 1: Become less visible, like the moon = WANE

   Solving note

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

2. Middle 2Sample 2

   WAVE

   Arm gesture meaning "hello" or "goodbye"

   Clue insight

   Sample 2: Arm gesture meaning "hello" or "goodbye" = WAVE

   Solving note

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

3. Middle 3Sample 3

   CAVE

   Where to find stalactites

   Clue insight

   Sample 3: Where to find stalactites = CAVE

   Solving note

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

4. Middle 4Sample 4

   CARE

   Feel sympathy

   Clue insight

   Sample 4: Feel sympathy = CARE

   Solving note

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

5. Middle 5Sample 5

   CORE

   Uneaten part of an apple

   Clue insight

   Sample 5: Uneaten part of an apple = CORE

   Solving note

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

1. WINE → WANEStep 1

   I→A at the second letter (WINE → WANE)

   Transition 1 I→A at the second letter (WINE → WANE)

   Combo boundary transition.

2. WANE → WAVEStep 2

   N→V at the third letter (WANE → WAVE)

   Transition 2 N→V at the third letter (WANE → WAVE)

   Interior ladder transition.

3. WAVE → CAVEStep 3

   W→C at the first letter (WAVE → CAVE)

   Transition 3 W→C at the first letter (WAVE → CAVE)

   Interior ladder transition.

4. CAVE → CAREStep 4

   V→R at the third letter (CAVE → CARE)

   Transition 4 V→R at the third letter (CAVE → CARE)

   Interior ladder transition.

5. CARE → COREStep 5

   A→O at the second letter (CARE → CORE)

   Transition 5 A→O at the second letter (CARE → CORE)

   Interior ladder transition.

6. CORE → CORKStep 6

   E→K at the fourth letter (CORE → CORK)

   Transition 6 E→K at the fourth letter (CORE → CORK)

   Combo boundary transition.

Optimal order: WANE → WAVE → CAVE → CARE → CORE. 1 valid permutation(s) from 5 middles. Unique ordering.

Combo classification: "A two-word term for the stopper in a bottle of Chardonnay or Chianti." → endpoints WINE, CORK.

The combo clue "A two-word term for the stopper in a bottle of Chardonnay or Chianti." describes both end words together — "WINE" and "CORK" 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 WANE, WAVE, CAVE, CARE, CORE. Middle 1: "Become less visible, like the moon" → WANE. "Become less visible, like the moon" resolves to "WANE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 2: "Arm gesture meaning "hello" or "goodbye"" → WAVE. "Arm gesture meaning "hello" or "goodbye"" resolves to "WAVE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 3: "Where to find stalactites" → CAVE. "Where to find stalactites" resolves to "CAVE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 4: "Feel sympathy" → CARE. "Feel sympathy" resolves to "CARE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 5: "Uneaten part of an apple" → CORE. "Uneaten part of an apple" resolves to "CORE" 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: WANE → WAVE → CAVE → CARE → CORE. Ladder step: I→A at the second letter (WINE → WANE) (connects to a combo end). Ladder step: N→V at the third letter (WANE → WAVE). Ladder step: W→C at the first letter (WAVE → CAVE). Ladder step: V→R at the third letter (CAVE → CARE). Ladder step: A→O at the second letter (CARE → CORE). Ladder step: E→K at the fourth letter (CORE → CORK) (connects to a combo end). Phase 3: Unlock combo ends — top "WINE" and bottom "CORK" share the clue: A two-word term for the stopper in a bottle of Chardonnay or Chianti..

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 WINE to CORK. The top and bottom rows share one combo clue: A two-word term for the stopper in a bottle of Chardonnay or Chianti. The solution path is WINE → WANE → WAVE → CAVE → CARE → CORE → CORK, changing exactly one letter between each rung. Middle clues include Become less visible, like the moon, Arm gesture meaning "hello" or "goodbye", and Where to find stalactites, and others — solve these before reordering. Correct middle order: WANE → WAVE → CAVE → CARE → CORE. The combo clue "A two-word term for the stopper in a bottle of Chardonnay or Chianti." describes both end words together — "WINE" and "CORK" 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.