LinkedIn Crossclimb #905

LinkedIn Crossclimb #905 is the LinkedIn Crossclimb daily for October 22, 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 MEAL to WORM:

MEAL → PEAL → PEAK → PERK → PORK → WORK → WORM

Top and bottom share the combo clue: “A compound word for a wriggly creature that many birds eat.”

1. Middle 1Clue 1

   PEAL

   Ring, like a bell

   Clue insight

   "Ring, like a bell" resolves to "PEAL" 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

   PEAK

   Top of a mountain

   Clue insight

   "Top of a mountain" resolves to "PEAK" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   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

   PERK

   Part of an incentive package

   Clue insight

   "Part of an incentive package" resolves to "PERK" 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

   PORK

   Pig meat

   Clue insight

   "Pig meat" resolves to "PORK" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   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

   WORK

   What you might do from home or in an office

   Clue insight

   "What you might do from home or in an office" resolves to "WORK" 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. MEAL → PEALStep 1

   M→P at the first letter (MEAL → PEAL)

   MEAL and PEAL are adjacent in the solved ladder — M→P at the first letter (MEAL → PEAL).

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

2. PEAL → PEAKStep 2

   L→K at the fourth letter (PEAL → PEAK)

   PEAL and PEAK are adjacent in the solved ladder — L→K at the fourth letter (PEAL → PEAK).

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

3. PEAK → PERKStep 3

   A→R at the third letter (PEAK → PERK)

   PEAK and PERK are adjacent in the solved ladder — A→R at the third letter (PEAK → PERK).

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

4. PERK → PORKStep 4

   E→O at the second letter (PERK → PORK)

   PERK and PORK are adjacent in the solved ladder — E→O at the second letter (PERK → PORK).

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

5. PORK → WORKStep 5

   P→W at the first letter (PORK → WORK)

   PORK and WORK are adjacent in the solved ladder — P→W at the first letter (PORK → WORK).

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

6. WORK → WORMStep 6

   K→M at the fourth letter (WORK → WORM)

   WORK and WORM are adjacent in the solved ladder — K→M at the fourth letter (WORK → WORM).

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

After solving middles (PEAL, PEAK, PERK, PORK, WORK), only the order PEAL → PEAK → PERK → PORK → WORK satisfies the one-letter rule between every adjacent pair. Each step changes exactly one letter: M→P at the first letter (MEAL → PEAL); L→K at the fourth letter (PEAL → PEAK); A→R at the third letter (PEAK → PERK); E→O at the second letter (PERK → PORK); P→W at the first letter (PORK → WORK); K→M at the fourth letter (WORK → WORM). Wrong permutations fail when two middles differ by two or more letters.

The combo clue "A compound word for a wriggly creature that many birds eat." describes both end words together — "MEAL" and "WORM" each differ by one letter from their adjacent middle rungs and satisfy the shared top+bottom prompt. Top "MEAL" connects to PEAL via M→P at the first letter (MEAL → PEAL). Bottom "WORM" connects from WORK via K→M at the fourth letter (WORK → WORM).

The combo clue "A compound word for a wriggly creature that many birds eat." describes both end words together — "MEAL" and "WORM" 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 PEAL, PEAK, PERK, PORK, WORK. Middle 1: "Ring, like a bell" → PEAL. "Ring, like a bell" resolves to "PEAL" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 2: "Top of a mountain" → PEAK. "Top of a mountain" resolves to "PEAK" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 3: "Part of an incentive package" → PERK. "Part of an incentive package" resolves to "PERK" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 4: "Pig meat" → PORK. "Pig meat" resolves to "PORK" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 5: "What you might do from home or in an office" → WORK. "What you might do from home or in an office" resolves to "WORK" 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: PEAL → PEAK → PERK → PORK → WORK. Ladder step: M→P at the first letter (MEAL → PEAL) (connects to a combo end). Ladder step: L→K at the fourth letter (PEAL → PEAK). Ladder step: A→R at the third letter (PEAK → PERK). Ladder step: E→O at the second letter (PERK → PORK). Ladder step: P→W at the first letter (PORK → WORK). Ladder step: K→M at the fourth letter (WORK → WORM) (connects to a combo end). Phase 3: Unlock combo ends — top "MEAL" and bottom "WORM" share the clue: A compound word for a wriggly creature that many birds eat..

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 MEAL to WORM. The top and bottom rows share one combo clue: A compound word for a wriggly creature that many birds eat. The solution path is MEAL → PEAL → PEAK → PERK → PORK → WORK → WORM, changing exactly one letter between each rung. Middle clues include Ring, like a bell, Top of a mountain, and Part of an incentive package, and others — solve these before reordering. Correct middle order: PEAL → PEAK → PERK → PORK → WORK. The combo clue "A compound word for a wriggly creature that many birds eat." describes both end words together — "MEAL" and "WORM" 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.