LinkedIn Crossclimb #891

LinkedIn Crossclimb #891 is the LinkedIn Crossclimb daily for October 8, 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 MAMA to PAPA:

MAMA → MAYA → MAYS → PAYS → PARS → PARA → PAPA

Top and bottom share the combo clue: “Two of the very first words a baby might speak, or the people who might hear them.”

1. Middle 1First middle

   MAYA

   Mesoamerican civilization known for its calendar and pyramids, as at Chichén Itzá

   Clue insight

   I read "Mesoamerican civilization known for its calendar and pyramids, as at Chichén Itzá" and write MAYA. "Mesoamerican civilization known for its calendar and pyramids, as at Chichén Itzá" resolves to "MAYA" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   First middle: Lock this before reordering middles.

2. Middle 2Second middle

   MAYS

   Months after Aprils

   Clue insight

   I read "Months after Aprils" and write MAYS. "Months after Aprils" resolves to "MAYS" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Second middle: Lock this before reordering middles.

3. Middle 3Third middle

   PAYS

   Puts the money up, as for a meal

   Clue insight

   I read "Puts the money up, as for a meal" and write PAYS. "Puts the money up, as for a meal" resolves to "PAYS" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Third middle: Lock this before reordering middles.

4. Middle 4Fourth middle

   PARS

   Expected scores on a golf course

   Clue insight

   I read "Expected scores on a golf course" and write PARS. "Expected scores on a golf course" resolves to "PARS" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Fourth middle: Lock this before reordering middles.

5. Middle 5Fifth middle

   PARA

   Prefix before "phrase," "medic," or "chute"

   Clue insight

   I read "Prefix before "phrase," "medic," or "chute"" and write PARA. "Prefix before "phrase," "medic," or "chute"" resolves to "PARA" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Fifth middle: Lock this before reordering middles.

1. MAMA → MAYAStep 1

   M→Y at the third letter (MAMA → MAYA)

   I check MAMA → MAYA: M→Y at the third letter (MAMA → MAYA).

   First link: Consonant swap — keep the chain tight.

2. MAYA → MAYSStep 2

   A→S at the fourth letter (MAYA → MAYS)

   I check MAYA → MAYS: A→S at the fourth letter (MAYA → MAYS).

   Second link: Consonant swap — keep the chain tight.

3. MAYS → PAYSStep 3

   M→P at the first letter (MAYS → PAYS)

   I check MAYS → PAYS: M→P at the first letter (MAYS → PAYS).

   Third link: Consonant swap — keep the chain tight.

4. PAYS → PARSStep 4

   Y→R at the third letter (PAYS → PARS)

   I check PAYS → PARS: Y→R at the third letter (PAYS → PARS).

   Fourth link: Consonant swap — keep the chain tight.

5. PARS → PARAStep 5

   S→A at the fourth letter (PARS → PARA)

   I check PARS → PARA: S→A at the fourth letter (PARS → PARA).

   Fifth link: Consonant swap — keep the chain tight.

6. PARA → PAPAStep 6

   R→P at the third letter (PARA → PAPA)

   I check PARA → PAPA: R→P at the third letter (PARA → PAPA).

   Sixth link: Consonant swap — keep the chain tight.

I arrange middles as MAYA → MAYS → PAYS → PARS → PARA because that's the chain where every hop changes one letter. 6 links checked — M→Y at the third letter (MAMA → MAYA) through R→P at the third letter (PARA → PAPA).

Combo clue "Two of the very first words a baby might speak, or the people who might hear them." — I only fill MAMA and PAPA after middles order cleanly. The pair should read naturally against the clue.

The combo clue "Two of the very first words a baby might speak, or the people who might hear them." describes both end words together — "MAMA" and "PAPA" 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 MAYA, MAYS, PAYS, PARS, PARA. Middle 1: "Mesoamerican civilization known for its calendar and pyramids, as at Chichén Itzá" → MAYA. "Mesoamerican civilization known for its calendar and pyramids, as at Chichén Itzá" resolves to "MAYA" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 2: "Months after Aprils" → MAYS. "Months after Aprils" resolves to "MAYS" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 3: "Puts the money up, as for a meal" → PAYS. "Puts the money up, as for a meal" resolves to "PAYS" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 4: "Expected scores on a golf course" → PARS. "Expected scores on a golf course" resolves to "PARS" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 5: "Prefix before "phrase," "medic," or "chute"" → PARA. "Prefix before "phrase," "medic," or "chute"" resolves to "PARA" 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: MAYA → MAYS → PAYS → PARS → PARA. Ladder step: M→Y at the third letter (MAMA → MAYA) (connects to a combo end). Ladder step: A→S at the fourth letter (MAYA → MAYS). Ladder step: M→P at the first letter (MAYS → PAYS). Ladder step: Y→R at the third letter (PAYS → PARS). Ladder step: S→A at the fourth letter (PARS → PARA). Ladder step: R→P at the third letter (PARA → PAPA) (connects to a combo end). Phase 3: Unlock combo ends — top "MAMA" and bottom "PAPA" share the clue: Two of the very first words a baby might speak, or the people who might hear them..

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 MAMA to PAPA. The top and bottom rows share one combo clue: Two of the very first words a baby might speak, or the people who might hear them. The solution path is MAMA → MAYA → MAYS → PAYS → PARS → PARA → PAPA, changing exactly one letter between each rung. Middle clues include Mesoamerican civilization known for its calendar and pyramids, as at Chichén Itzá, Months after Aprils, and Puts the money up, as for a meal, and others — solve these before reordering. Correct middle order: MAYA → MAYS → PAYS → PARS → PARA. The combo clue "Two of the very first words a baby might speak, or the people who might hear them." describes both end words together — "MAMA" and "PAPA" 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.