LinkedIn Wend #27

LinkedIn Wend #27 is the LinkedIn Wend daily for July 5, 2026. Wend is LinkedIn's word-finding game: drag through adjacent letters on a 8×8 grid to spell 6 hidden words (5, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 letters each). Every letter is used exactly once. 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.

This board hides 6 words: "SUSHI", "INHIBIT", "SAPPHIRE", "HIGHLIGHT", "MEMBERSHIP", "HITCHHIKING".

The longest word is HITCHHIKING — solve it first, then work through the remaining paths in recommended order.

1. Word 1Exhibit A11 letters

   HITCHHIKING

   Path

   Exhibit A — "HITCHHIKING": Starts at row 3, column 2 (interior), then runs one cell north, then one cell west, then one cell north, then 2 cells east, then one cell south, then one cell east, then one cell north, then 2 cells east.

   Contains rare letter K — usually a strong anchor for this word's path. A zigzag path with multiple turns — harder to guess without tracing letter by letter.

   Solving note

   Chain-of-custody: 11 adjacent cells, zigzag geometry, interior origin.

2. Word 2Exhibit B10 letters

   MEMBERSHIP

   Path

   Exhibit B — "MEMBERSHIP": Starts at row 2, column 5 (interior), then runs one cell east, then one cell south, then one cell east, then 2 cells north, then one cell east, then 3 cells south.

   A zigzag path with multiple turns — harder to guess without tracing letter by letter.

   Solving note

   Chain-of-custody: 10 adjacent cells, zigzag geometry, interior origin.

3. Word 3Exhibit C9 letters

   HIGHLIGHT

   Path

   Exhibit C — "HIGHLIGHT": Starts at row 5, column 2 (interior), then runs one cell south, then one cell west, then 2 cells south, then 4 cells east.

   A snaking path with multiple turns — harder to guess without tracing letter by letter.

   Solving note

   Chain-of-custody: 9 adjacent cells, snake geometry, interior origin.

4. Word 4Exhibit D8 letters

   SAPPHIRE

   Path

   Exhibit D — "SAPPHIRE": Starts at row 7, column 2 (interior), then runs one cell east, then one cell north, then one cell east, then one cell south, then 3 cells east.

   A snaking path with multiple turns — harder to guess without tracing letter by letter.

   Solving note

   Chain-of-custody: 8 adjacent cells, snake geometry, interior origin.

5. Word 5Exhibit E7 letters

   INHIBIT

   Path

   Exhibit E — "INHIBIT": Starts at row 5, column 7 (interior), then runs one cell east, then 3 cells south, then 2 cells west.

   A U-turn path that doubles back — watch for cells that look available but belong to this word.

   Solving note

   Chain-of-custody: 7 adjacent cells, uTurn geometry, interior origin.

6. Word 6Exhibit F5 letters

   SUSHI

   Path

   Exhibit F — "SUSHI": Starts at row 3, column 5 (interior), then runs one cell west, then 2 cells south, then one cell east.

   The path crosses the grid center, consuming territory that would block multiple shorter words. The snake spans three or more quadrants of the board — a high-impact route to place early. A U-turn path that doubles back — watch for cells that look available but belong to this word.

   Solving note

   Chain-of-custody: 5 adjacent cells, uTurn geometry, interior origin.

The evidence supports this sequence: "HITCHHIKING" (11), then "MEMBERSHIP" (10), then "HIGHLIGHT" (9), then "SAPPHIRE" (8), then "INHIBIT" (7), then "SUSHI" (5). The longest path ("HITCHHIKING") constrains the entire grid; shorter entries fit into the gaps it creates. Any order that leaves the longest word for last forces you to route through already-claimed cells.

Step 1: Lock "HITCHHIKING" (11 letters) first — Starts at row 3, column 2 (interior), then runs one cell north, then one cell west, then one cell north, then 2 cells east, then one cell south, then one cell east, then one cell north, then 2 cells east. 39 playable letters remain. Step 2: Place "MEMBERSHIP" (10 letters). 29 letters left in 4 words. Step 3: Place "HIGHLIGHT" (9 letters). 20 letters left in 3 words. Step 4: Place "SAPPHIRE" (8 letters). 12 letters left in 2 words. Step 5: Place "INHIBIT" (7 letters). 5 letters left in 1 word. Step 6: Finish with "SUSHI" — the last 5-letter path. Every letter on the board is now accounted for.

A rare letter (Q, X, Z, J, or K) anchors at least one word. Uncommon letters usually belong to a single path — scan for them before guessing long routes through the center.

All 50 playable letters belong to exactly 6 words (SUSHI, INHIBIT, SAPPHIRE, HIGHLIGHT, MEMBERSHIP, HITCHHIKING). No letter is shared between paths, and every cell with a letter is used.

This Wend puzzle hides SUSHI, INHIBIT, SAPPHIRE, HIGHLIGHT, MEMBERSHIP, and HITCHHIKING on a 8×8 board. Each word is spelled by connecting horizontally or vertically adjacent cells — no diagonals, no reusing letters, and no overlapping paths. Word lengths run from 5 to 11 letters; recommended solve order (longest first): HITCHHIKING, MEMBERSHIP, HIGHLIGHT, SAPPHIRE, INHIBIT, and SUSHI. Start with "HITCHHIKING" — the 11-letter anchor — then fill shorter paths through remaining letter clusters. A rare letter (Q, X, Z, J, or K) anchors at least one word. Uncommon letters usually belong to a single path — scan for them before guessing long routes through the center. Use the Solution tab above for an interactive word-by-word walkthrough with live paths on the grid, or the Solved board tab for the complete answer at a glance.