LinkedIn Crossclimb #902

LinkedIn Crossclimb #902 is the LinkedIn Crossclimb daily for October 19, 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 DICE to CUBE:

DICE → DIRE → DARE → PARE → PURE → CURE → CUBE

Top and bottom share the combo clue: “Objects rolled during some board games, and a common shape for them.”

1. Middle 1Exhibit A

   DIRE

   Desperate, as a situation or a need

   Clue insight

   Exhibit A — "Desperate, as a situation or a need" → DIRE. "Desperate, as a situation or a need" resolves to "DIRE" 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

   DARE

   Be boldly courageous

   Clue insight

   Exhibit B — "Be boldly courageous " → DARE. "Be boldly courageous " resolves to "DARE" 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

   PARE

   Peel the skin off of, as fruit

   Clue insight

   Exhibit C — "Peel the skin off of, as fruit" → PARE. "Peel the skin off of, as fruit" resolves to "PARE" 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

   PURE

   ___ and simple (no more, no less)

   Clue insight

   Exhibit D — "___ and simple (no more, no less)" → PURE. Fill-in style clue — "PURE" completes the pattern described in "___ and simple (no more, no less)".

   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

   CURE

   Completely get rid of, as an illness

   Clue insight

   Exhibit E — "Completely get rid of, as an illness" → CURE. "Completely get rid of, as an illness" resolves to "CURE" 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. DICE → DIREStep 1

   C→R at the third letter (DICE → DIRE)

   Link A: C→R at the third letter (DICE → DIRE).

   Combo-adjacent link — confirms end word placement.

2. DIRE → DAREStep 2

   I→A at the second letter (DIRE → DARE)

   Link B: I→A at the second letter (DIRE → DARE).

   Middle chain link — ordering constraint.

3. DARE → PAREStep 3

   D→P at the first letter (DARE → PARE)

   Link C: D→P at the first letter (DARE → PARE).

   Middle chain link — ordering constraint.

4. PARE → PUREStep 4

   A→U at the second letter (PARE → PURE)

   Link D: A→U at the second letter (PARE → PURE).

   Middle chain link — ordering constraint.

5. PURE → CUREStep 5

   P→C at the first letter (PURE → CURE)

   Link E: P→C at the first letter (PURE → CURE).

   Middle chain link — ordering constraint.

6. CURE → CUBEStep 6

   R→B at the third letter (CURE → CUBE)

   Link F: R→B at the third letter (CURE → CUBE).

   Combo-adjacent link — confirms end word placement.

The evidence supports middle order DIRE → DARE → PARE → PURE → CURE. Alternative permutations break the one-letter adjacency rule unless an answer is wrong.

Final exhibits: DICE (top combo) and CUBE (bottom combo). Shared prompt: "Objects rolled during some board games, and a common shape for them.".

The combo clue "Objects rolled during some board games, and a common shape for them." describes both end words together — "DICE" and "CUBE" 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 DIRE, DARE, PARE, PURE, CURE. Middle 1: "Desperate, as a situation or a need" → DIRE. "Desperate, as a situation or a need" resolves to "DIRE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 2: "Be boldly courageous " → DARE. "Be boldly courageous " resolves to "DARE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 3: "Peel the skin off of, as fruit" → PARE. "Peel the skin off of, as fruit" resolves to "PARE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 4: "___ and simple (no more, no less)" → PURE. Fill-in style clue — "PURE" completes the pattern described in "___ and simple (no more, no less)". Middle 5: "Completely get rid of, as an illness" → CURE. "Completely get rid of, as an illness" resolves to "CURE" 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: DIRE → DARE → PARE → PURE → CURE. Ladder step: C→R at the third letter (DICE → DIRE) (connects to a combo end). Ladder step: I→A at the second letter (DIRE → DARE). Ladder step: D→P at the first letter (DARE → PARE). Ladder step: A→U at the second letter (PARE → PURE). Ladder step: P→C at the first letter (PURE → CURE). Ladder step: R→B at the third letter (CURE → CUBE) (connects to a combo end). Phase 3: Unlock combo ends — top "DICE" and bottom "CUBE" share the clue: Objects rolled during some board games, and a common shape for 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 DICE to CUBE. The top and bottom rows share one combo clue: Objects rolled during some board games, and a common shape for them. The solution path is DICE → DIRE → DARE → PARE → PURE → CURE → CUBE, changing exactly one letter between each rung. Middle clues include Desperate, as a situation or a need, Be boldly courageous , and Peel the skin off of, as fruit, and others — solve these before reordering. Correct middle order: DIRE → DARE → PARE → PURE → CURE. The combo clue "Objects rolled during some board games, and a common shape for them." describes both end words together — "DICE" and "CUBE" 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.