LinkedIn Crossclimb #899

LinkedIn Crossclimb #899 is the LinkedIn Crossclimb daily for October 16, 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 SLED to DOGS:

SLED → SEED → FEED → FEES → FOES → FOGS → DOGS

Top and bottom share the combo clue: “A two-word phrase for animals that may work in snowy conditions.”

1. Middle 1Sample 1

   SEED

   A tree may grow from it

   Clue insight

   Sample 1: A tree may grow from it = SEED

   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

   FEED

   Give a supply of nutrients

   Clue insight

   Sample 2: Give a supply of nutrients = FEED

   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

   FEES

   Charges for professional services

   Clue insight

   Sample 3: Charges for professional services = FEES

   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

   FOES

   Opposing forces

   Clue insight

   Sample 4: Opposing forces = FOES

   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

   FOGS

   Weather patterns that may be described as "pea soup"

   Clue insight

   Sample 5: Weather patterns that may be described as "pea soup" = FOGS

   Solving note

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

1. SLED → SEEDStep 1

   L→E at the second letter (SLED → SEED)

   Transition 1 L→E at the second letter (SLED → SEED)

   Combo boundary transition.

2. SEED → FEEDStep 2

   S→F at the first letter (SEED → FEED)

   Transition 2 S→F at the first letter (SEED → FEED)

   Interior ladder transition.

3. FEED → FEESStep 3

   D→S at the fourth letter (FEED → FEES)

   Transition 3 D→S at the fourth letter (FEED → FEES)

   Interior ladder transition.

4. FEES → FOESStep 4

   E→O at the second letter (FEES → FOES)

   Transition 4 E→O at the second letter (FEES → FOES)

   Interior ladder transition.

5. FOES → FOGSStep 5

   E→G at the third letter (FOES → FOGS)

   Transition 5 E→G at the third letter (FOES → FOGS)

   Interior ladder transition.

6. FOGS → DOGSStep 6

   F→D at the first letter (FOGS → DOGS)

   Transition 6 F→D at the first letter (FOGS → DOGS)

   Combo boundary transition.

Optimal order: SEED → FEED → FEES → FOES → FOGS. 1 valid permutation(s) from 5 middles. Unique ordering.

Combo classification: "A two-word phrase for animals that may work in snowy conditions." → endpoints SLED, DOGS.

The combo clue "A two-word phrase for animals that may work in snowy conditions." describes both end words together — "SLED" and "DOGS" 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 SEED, FEED, FEES, FOES, FOGS. Middle 1: "A tree may grow from it" → SEED. "A tree may grow from it" resolves to "SEED" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 2: "Give a supply of nutrients" → FEED. "Give a supply of nutrients" resolves to "FEED" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 3: "Charges for professional services" → FEES. "Charges for professional services" resolves to "FEES" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 4: "Opposing forces" → FOES. "Opposing forces" resolves to "FOES" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 5: "Weather patterns that may be described as "pea soup"" → FOGS. "Weather patterns that may be described as "pea soup"" resolves to "FOGS" 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: SEED → FEED → FEES → FOES → FOGS. Ladder step: L→E at the second letter (SLED → SEED) (connects to a combo end). Ladder step: S→F at the first letter (SEED → FEED). Ladder step: D→S at the fourth letter (FEED → FEES). Ladder step: E→O at the second letter (FEES → FOES). Ladder step: E→G at the third letter (FOES → FOGS). Ladder step: F→D at the first letter (FOGS → DOGS) (connects to a combo end). Phase 3: Unlock combo ends — top "SLED" and bottom "DOGS" share the clue: A two-word phrase for animals that may work in snowy conditions..

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 SLED to DOGS. The top and bottom rows share one combo clue: A two-word phrase for animals that may work in snowy conditions. The solution path is SLED → SEED → FEED → FEES → FOES → FOGS → DOGS, changing exactly one letter between each rung. Middle clues include A tree may grow from it, Give a supply of nutrients, and Charges for professional services, and others — solve these before reordering. Correct middle order: SEED → FEED → FEES → FOES → FOGS. The combo clue "A two-word phrase for animals that may work in snowy conditions." describes both end words together — "SLED" and "DOGS" 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.