LinkedIn Crossclimb #900

LinkedIn Crossclimb #900 is the LinkedIn Crossclimb daily for October 17, 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 SONG to BOOK:

SONG → GONG → GONE → CONE → CONK → COOK → BOOK

Top and bottom share the combo clue: “A compound word for a volume that holds lots of lyrics.”

1. Middle 1Clue 1

   GONG

   Percussion instrument resembling a very large cymbal

   Clue insight

   "Percussion instrument resembling a very large cymbal" resolves to "GONG" 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

   GONE

   Missing

   Clue insight

   Fill-in style clue — "GONE" completes the pattern described in "Missing".

   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

   CONE

   Alternative to a cup in an ice cream parlor

   Clue insight

   "Alternative to a cup in an ice cream parlor" resolves to "CONE" 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

   CONK

   ___ out (break down or fall asleep)

   Clue insight

   Fill-in style clue — "CONK" completes the pattern described in "___ out (break down or fall asleep)".

   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

   COOK

   Their job might require an apron

   Clue insight

   "Their job might require an apron" resolves to "COOK" 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. SONG → GONGStep 1

   S→G at the first letter (SONG → GONG)

   SONG and GONG are adjacent in the solved ladder — S→G at the first letter (SONG → GONG).

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

2. GONG → GONEStep 2

   G→E at the fourth letter (GONG → GONE)

   GONG and GONE are adjacent in the solved ladder — G→E at the fourth letter (GONG → GONE).

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

3. GONE → CONEStep 3

   G→C at the first letter (GONE → CONE)

   GONE and CONE are adjacent in the solved ladder — G→C at the first letter (GONE → CONE).

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

4. CONE → CONKStep 4

   E→K at the fourth letter (CONE → CONK)

   CONE and CONK are adjacent in the solved ladder — E→K at the fourth letter (CONE → CONK).

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

5. CONK → COOKStep 5

   N→O at the third letter (CONK → COOK)

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

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

6. COOK → BOOKStep 6

   C→B at the first letter (COOK → BOOK)

   COOK and BOOK are adjacent in the solved ladder — C→B at the first letter (COOK → BOOK).

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

After solving middles (GONG, GONE, CONE, CONK, COOK), only the order GONG → GONE → CONE → CONK → COOK satisfies the one-letter rule between every adjacent pair. Each step changes exactly one letter: S→G at the first letter (SONG → GONG); G→E at the fourth letter (GONG → GONE); G→C at the first letter (GONE → CONE); E→K at the fourth letter (CONE → CONK); N→O at the third letter (CONK → COOK); C→B at the first letter (COOK → BOOK). Wrong permutations fail when two middles differ by two or more letters.

The combo clue "A compound word for a volume that holds lots of lyrics." describes both end words together — "SONG" and "BOOK" each differ by one letter from their adjacent middle rungs and satisfy the shared top+bottom prompt. Top "SONG" connects to GONG via S→G at the first letter (SONG → GONG). Bottom "BOOK" connects from COOK via C→B at the first letter (COOK → BOOK).

The combo clue "A compound word for a volume that holds lots of lyrics." describes both end words together — "SONG" and "BOOK" 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 GONG, GONE, CONE, CONK, COOK. Middle 1: "Percussion instrument resembling a very large cymbal" → GONG. "Percussion instrument resembling a very large cymbal" resolves to "GONG" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 2: "Missing" → GONE. Fill-in style clue — "GONE" completes the pattern described in "Missing". Middle 3: "Alternative to a cup in an ice cream parlor" → CONE. "Alternative to a cup in an ice cream parlor" resolves to "CONE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 4: "___ out (break down or fall asleep)" → CONK. Fill-in style clue — "CONK" completes the pattern described in "___ out (break down or fall asleep)". Middle 5: "Their job might require an apron" → COOK. "Their job might require an apron" resolves to "COOK" 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: GONG → GONE → CONE → CONK → COOK. Ladder step: S→G at the first letter (SONG → GONG) (connects to a combo end). Ladder step: G→E at the fourth letter (GONG → GONE). Ladder step: G→C at the first letter (GONE → CONE). Ladder step: E→K at the fourth letter (CONE → CONK). Ladder step: N→O at the third letter (CONK → COOK). Ladder step: C→B at the first letter (COOK → BOOK) (connects to a combo end). Phase 3: Unlock combo ends — top "SONG" and bottom "BOOK" share the clue: A compound word for a volume that holds lots of lyrics..

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 SONG to BOOK. The top and bottom rows share one combo clue: A compound word for a volume that holds lots of lyrics. The solution path is SONG → GONG → GONE → CONE → CONK → COOK → BOOK, changing exactly one letter between each rung. Middle clues include Percussion instrument resembling a very large cymbal, Missing, and Alternative to a cup in an ice cream parlor, and others — solve these before reordering. Correct middle order: GONG → GONE → CONE → CONK → COOK. The combo clue "A compound word for a volume that holds lots of lyrics." describes both end words together — "SONG" and "BOOK" 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.