LinkedIn Crossclimb #904

LinkedIn Crossclimb #904 is the LinkedIn Crossclimb daily for October 21, 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 FAIR to GAME:

FAIR → FAIL → FALL → BALL → BALE → GALE → GAME

Top and bottom share the combo clue: “A two-word phrase for a legitimate target for criticism, or an unbiased sporting competition.”

1. Middle 1Sample 1

   FAIL

   Opposite of "succeed"

   Clue insight

   Sample 1: Opposite of "succeed" = FAIL

   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

   FALL

   Tumble to the ground

   Clue insight

   Sample 2: Tumble to the ground = FALL

   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

   BALL

   What gets hit in golf or tennis

   Clue insight

   Sample 3: What gets hit in golf or tennis = BALL

   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

   BALE

   Bundle of hay or straw

   Clue insight

   Sample 4: Bundle of hay or straw = BALE

   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

   GALE

   Strong wind

   Clue insight

   Sample 5: Strong wind = GALE

   Solving note

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

1. FAIR → FAILStep 1

   R→L at the fourth letter (FAIR → FAIL)

   Transition 1 R→L at the fourth letter (FAIR → FAIL)

   Combo boundary transition.

2. FAIL → FALLStep 2

   I→L at the third letter (FAIL → FALL)

   Transition 2 I→L at the third letter (FAIL → FALL)

   Interior ladder transition.

3. FALL → BALLStep 3

   F→B at the first letter (FALL → BALL)

   Transition 3 F→B at the first letter (FALL → BALL)

   Interior ladder transition.

4. BALL → BALEStep 4

   L→E at the fourth letter (BALL → BALE)

   Transition 4 L→E at the fourth letter (BALL → BALE)

   Interior ladder transition.

5. BALE → GALEStep 5

   B→G at the first letter (BALE → GALE)

   Transition 5 B→G at the first letter (BALE → GALE)

   Interior ladder transition.

6. GALE → GAMEStep 6

   L→M at the third letter (GALE → GAME)

   Transition 6 L→M at the third letter (GALE → GAME)

   Combo boundary transition.

Optimal order: FAIL → FALL → BALL → BALE → GALE. 1 valid permutation(s) from 5 middles. Unique ordering.

Combo classification: "A two-word phrase for a legitimate target for criticism, or an unbiased sporting competition." → endpoints FAIR, GAME.

The combo clue "A two-word phrase for a legitimate target for criticism, or an unbiased sporting competition." describes both end words together — "FAIR" and "GAME" 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 FAIL, FALL, BALL, BALE, GALE. Middle 1: "Opposite of "succeed"" → FAIL. "Opposite of "succeed"" resolves to "FAIL" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 2: "Tumble to the ground" → FALL. "Tumble to the ground" resolves to "FALL" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 3: "What gets hit in golf or tennis" → BALL. "What gets hit in golf or tennis" resolves to "BALL" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 4: "Bundle of hay or straw" → BALE. "Bundle of hay or straw" resolves to "BALE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 5: "Strong wind" → GALE. "Strong wind" resolves to "GALE" 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: FAIL → FALL → BALL → BALE → GALE. Ladder step: R→L at the fourth letter (FAIR → FAIL) (connects to a combo end). Ladder step: I→L at the third letter (FAIL → FALL). Ladder step: F→B at the first letter (FALL → BALL). Ladder step: L→E at the fourth letter (BALL → BALE). Ladder step: B→G at the first letter (BALE → GALE). Ladder step: L→M at the third letter (GALE → GAME) (connects to a combo end). Phase 3: Unlock combo ends — top "FAIR" and bottom "GAME" share the clue: A two-word phrase for a legitimate target for criticism, or an unbiased sporting competition..

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 FAIR to GAME. The top and bottom rows share one combo clue: A two-word phrase for a legitimate target for criticism, or an unbiased sporting competition. The solution path is FAIR → FAIL → FALL → BALL → BALE → GALE → GAME, changing exactly one letter between each rung. Middle clues include Opposite of "succeed", Tumble to the ground, and What gets hit in golf or tennis, and others — solve these before reordering. Correct middle order: FAIL → FALL → BALL → BALE → GALE. The combo clue "A two-word phrase for a legitimate target for criticism, or an unbiased sporting competition." describes both end words together — "FAIR" and "GAME" 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.