LinkedIn Crossclimb #908

LinkedIn Crossclimb #908 is the LinkedIn Crossclimb daily for October 25, 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 DATE to PALM:

DATE → RATE → RAKE → SAKE → SALE → PALE → PALM

Top and bottom share the combo clue: “A two-word phrase for a type of tree cultivated for its sweet fruit.”

1. Middle 1Warm-up clue

   RATE

   Give a score from 1 to 10, say

   Clue insight

   "Give a score from 1 to 10, say" resolves to "RATE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Warm-up clue: Solve "Give a score from 1 to 10, say" without peeking at ladder order.

2. Middle 2Cross-check

   RAKE

   Tool in a Zen garden

   Clue insight

   "Tool in a Zen garden" resolves to "RAKE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Cross-check: Solve "Tool in a Zen garden" without peeking at ladder order.

3. Middle 3Pivot answer

   SAKE

   Alcoholic drink made from rice

   Clue insight

   "Alcoholic drink made from rice" resolves to "SAKE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Pivot answer: Solve "Alcoholic drink made from rice" without peeking at ladder order.

4. Middle 4Verifier

   SALE

   Transaction at a shop

   Clue insight

   "Transaction at a shop" resolves to "SALE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Verifier: Solve "Transaction at a shop" without peeking at ladder order.

5. Middle 5Final middle

   PALE

   Lacking color

   Clue insight

   "Lacking color" resolves to "PALE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer.

   Solving note

   Final middle: Solve "Lacking color" without peeking at ladder order.

1. DATE → RATEStep 1

   D→R at the first letter (DATE → RATE)

   Teaching link DATE→RATE: D→R at the first letter (DATE → RATE).

   Rule check 1: Students should reject pairs with 2+ letter differences.

2. RATE → RAKEStep 2

   T→K at the third letter (RATE → RAKE)

   Teaching link RATE→RAKE: T→K at the third letter (RATE → RAKE).

   Rule check 2: Students should reject pairs with 2+ letter differences.

3. RAKE → SAKEStep 3

   R→S at the first letter (RAKE → SAKE)

   Teaching link RAKE→SAKE: R→S at the first letter (RAKE → SAKE).

   Rule check 3: Students should reject pairs with 2+ letter differences.

4. SAKE → SALEStep 4

   K→L at the third letter (SAKE → SALE)

   Teaching link SAKE→SALE: K→L at the third letter (SAKE → SALE).

   Rule check 4: Students should reject pairs with 2+ letter differences.

5. SALE → PALEStep 5

   S→P at the first letter (SALE → PALE)

   Teaching link SALE→PALE: S→P at the first letter (SALE → PALE).

   Rule check 5: Students should reject pairs with 2+ letter differences.

6. PALE → PALMStep 6

   E→M at the fourth letter (PALE → PALM)

   Teaching link PALE→PALM: E→M at the fourth letter (PALE → PALM).

   Rule check 6: Students should reject pairs with 2+ letter differences.

Teach students to test pairs: RATE → RAKE → SAKE → SALE → PALE works because DATE→RATE, RATE→RAKE, RAKE→SAKE, SAKE→SALE, SALE→PALE, PALE→PALM each differ by one letter only.

Endgame: combo clue "A two-word phrase for a type of tree cultivated for its sweet fruit." describes both DATE and PALM. Unlock only after ladder ordering passes every one-letter check.

The combo clue "A two-word phrase for a type of tree cultivated for its sweet fruit." describes both end words together — "DATE" and "PALM" 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 RATE, RAKE, SAKE, SALE, PALE. Middle 1: "Give a score from 1 to 10, say" → RATE. "Give a score from 1 to 10, say" resolves to "RATE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 2: "Tool in a Zen garden" → RAKE. "Tool in a Zen garden" resolves to "RAKE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 3: "Alcoholic drink made from rice" → SAKE. "Alcoholic drink made from rice" resolves to "SAKE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 4: "Transaction at a shop" → SALE. "Transaction at a shop" resolves to "SALE" once you read the clue as a 4-letter crossword answer. Middle 5: "Lacking color" → PALE. "Lacking color" resolves to "PALE" 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: RATE → RAKE → SAKE → SALE → PALE. Ladder step: D→R at the first letter (DATE → RATE) (connects to a combo end). Ladder step: T→K at the third letter (RATE → RAKE). Ladder step: R→S at the first letter (RAKE → SAKE). Ladder step: K→L at the third letter (SAKE → SALE). Ladder step: S→P at the first letter (SALE → PALE). Ladder step: E→M at the fourth letter (PALE → PALM) (connects to a combo end). Phase 3: Unlock combo ends — top "DATE" and bottom "PALM" share the clue: A two-word phrase for a type of tree cultivated for its sweet fruit..

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 DATE to PALM. The top and bottom rows share one combo clue: A two-word phrase for a type of tree cultivated for its sweet fruit. The solution path is DATE → RATE → RAKE → SAKE → SALE → PALE → PALM, changing exactly one letter between each rung. Middle clues include Give a score from 1 to 10, say, Tool in a Zen garden, and Alcoholic drink made from rice, and others — solve these before reordering. Correct middle order: RATE → RAKE → SAKE → SALE → PALE. The combo clue "A two-word phrase for a type of tree cultivated for its sweet fruit." describes both end words together — "DATE" and "PALM" 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.