LinkedIn Crossclimb #897

LinkedIn Crossclimb #897 is the LinkedIn Crossclimb daily for October 14, 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 NINE to HOLE:

NINE → NICE → MICE → MACE → MALE → MOLE → HOLE

Top and bottom share the combo clue: “A hyphenated word describing a golf course that's half as long as usual.”

1. Middle 1Exhibit A

   NICE

   Pleasant, or the name of a city in France

   Clue insight

   Exhibit A — "Pleasant, or the name of a city in France" → NICE. "Pleasant, or the name of a city in France" resolves to "NICE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

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

2. Middle 2Exhibit B

   MICE

   Computer peripherals used for clicking

   Clue insight

   Exhibit B — "Computer peripherals used for clicking" → MICE. "Computer peripherals used for clicking" resolves to "MICE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

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

3. Middle 3Exhibit C

   MACE

   Medieval club, often with spiky bits

   Clue insight

   Exhibit C — "Medieval club, often with spiky bits" → MACE. "Medieval club, often with spiky bits" resolves to "MACE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

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

4. Middle 4Exhibit D

   MALE

   Like a bull or ram, but not a cow or ewe

   Clue insight

   Exhibit D — "Like a bull or ram, but not a cow or ewe" → MALE. "Like a bull or ram, but not a cow or ewe" resolves to "MALE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

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

5. Middle 5Exhibit E

   MOLE

   Critter that digs tunnels

   Clue insight

   Exhibit E — "Critter that digs tunnels" → MOLE. "Critter that digs tunnels" resolves to "MOLE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

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

1. NINE → NICEStep 1

   N→C at the third letter (NINE → NICE)

   Link A: N→C at the third letter (NINE → NICE).

   Combo-adjacent link — confirms end word placement.

2. NICE → MICEStep 2

   N→M at the first letter (NICE → MICE)

   Link B: N→M at the first letter (NICE → MICE).

   Middle chain link — ordering constraint.

3. MICE → MACEStep 3

   I→A at the second letter (MICE → MACE)

   Link C: I→A at the second letter (MICE → MACE).

   Middle chain link — ordering constraint.

4. MACE → MALEStep 4

   C→L at the third letter (MACE → MALE)

   Link D: C→L at the third letter (MACE → MALE).

   Middle chain link — ordering constraint.

5. MALE → MOLEStep 5

   A→O at the second letter (MALE → MOLE)

   Link E: A→O at the second letter (MALE → MOLE).

   Middle chain link — ordering constraint.

6. MOLE → HOLEStep 6

   M→H at the first letter (MOLE → HOLE)

   Link F: M→H at the first letter (MOLE → HOLE).

   Combo-adjacent link — confirms end word placement.

The evidence supports middle order NICE → MICE → MACE → MALE → MOLE. Alternative permutations break the one-letter adjacency rule unless an answer is wrong.

Final exhibits: NINE (top combo) and HOLE (bottom combo). Shared prompt: "A hyphenated word describing a golf course that's half as long as usual.".

The combo clue "A hyphenated word describing a golf course that's half as long as usual." describes both end words together — "NINE" and "HOLE" 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 NICE, MICE, MACE, MALE, MOLE. Middle 1: "Pleasant, or the name of a city in France" → NICE. "Pleasant, or the name of a city in France" resolves to "NICE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 2: "Computer peripherals used for clicking" → MICE. "Computer peripherals used for clicking" resolves to "MICE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 3: "Medieval club, often with spiky bits" → MACE. "Medieval club, often with spiky bits" resolves to "MACE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 4: "Like a bull or ram, but not a cow or ewe" → MALE. "Like a bull or ram, but not a cow or ewe" resolves to "MALE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 5: "Critter that digs tunnels" → MOLE. "Critter that digs tunnels" resolves to "MOLE" 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: NICE → MICE → MACE → MALE → MOLE. Ladder step: N→C at the third letter (NINE → NICE) (connects to a combo end). Ladder step: N→M at the first letter (NICE → MICE). Ladder step: I→A at the second letter (MICE → MACE). Ladder step: C→L at the third letter (MACE → MALE). Ladder step: A→O at the second letter (MALE → MOLE). Ladder step: M→H at the first letter (MOLE → HOLE) (connects to a combo end). Phase 3: Unlock combo ends — top "NINE" and bottom "HOLE" share the clue: A hyphenated word describing a golf course that's half as long as usual..

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 NINE to HOLE. The top and bottom rows share one combo clue: A hyphenated word describing a golf course that's half as long as usual. The solution path is NINE → NICE → MICE → MACE → MALE → MOLE → HOLE, changing exactly one letter between each rung. Middle clues include Pleasant, or the name of a city in France, Computer peripherals used for clicking, and Medieval club, often with spiky bits, and others — solve these before reordering. Correct middle order: NICE → MICE → MACE → MALE → MOLE. The combo clue "A hyphenated word describing a golf course that's half as long as usual." describes both end words together — "NINE" and "HOLE" 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.