2026-07-11
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Puzzle guide
Full breakdown using the Strategy coach format — word list, path analysis, and strategy notes.
Overview
LinkedIn Wend #33 is the LinkedIn Wend daily for July 11, 2026. Wend is LinkedIn's word-finding game: drag through adjacent letters on a 7×7 grid to spell 4 hidden words (5, 7, 8, and 9 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.
Answer
This board hides 4 words: "CLOAK", "MISTOOK", "KANGAROO", "KEYSTROKE".
The longest word is KEYSTROKE — solve it first, then work through the remaining paths in recommended order.
Analysis
Teaching board LinkedIn Wend #33: 7×7 cells, 4 words, one rule — every letter used exactly once. Lesson one: do not start with a 3-letter guess unless the long anchors are obvious.
Move 1: trace "KEYSTROKE". Students should note the edge start and snake shape before committing.
Step 2: "KANGAROO" splits the grid further. 12 letters left — ask which cluster looks like a word.
Step 3: "MISTOOK" splits the grid further. 5 letters left — ask which cluster looks like a word.
Final move: "CLOAK". Check that every remaining cell belongs to this path — no stragglers.
Takeaway from this board: longest-first ordering (KEYSTROKE, KANGAROO, MISTOOK, CLOAK) is the teaching path that matches how the grid wants to be solved.
Words
Path
Starts at row 4, column 7 (edge), then runs one cell west, then 2 cells south, then one cell west, then 3 cells north, then one cell west.
Contains rare letters K, K — usually a strong anchor for this word's path. The snake spans three or more quadrants of the board — a high-impact route to place early. A snaking path with multiple turns — harder to guess without tracing letter by letter. Starts on an edge — edge starts reduce the number of possible directions.
Solving note
Opening move: Practice tracing "KEYSTROKE" without lifting — snake shape, 4 turn(s).
Path
Starts at row 7, column 4 (edge), then runs one cell north, then 2 cells west, then one cell north, then 2 cells east, then one cell north.
Contains rare letter K — usually a strong anchor for this word's path. The path crosses the grid center, consuming territory that would block multiple shorter words. A snaking path with multiple turns — harder to guess without tracing letter by letter. Starts on an edge — edge starts reduce the number of possible directions.
Solving note
Grid split: Mid-board — eliminate paths that would orphan a listed word length.
Path
Starts at row 4, column 3 (interior), then runs 2 cells north, then one cell west, then 2 cells south, then one cell west.
Contains rare letter K — usually a strong anchor for this word's path. A snaking path with multiple turns — harder to guess without tracing letter by letter.
Solving note
Pattern test: Mid-board — eliminate paths that would orphan a listed word length.
Path
Starts at row 3, column 6 (interior), then runs one cell north, then 2 cells west, then one cell north.
Contains rare letter K — usually a strong anchor for this word's path. A U-turn path that doubles back — watch for cells that look available but belong to this word.
Solving note
Elimination step: Endgame — only "CLOAK" fits the remaining 5 cells.
Verification
Teach students this order: "KEYSTROKE" (9), then "KANGAROO" (8), then "MISTOOK" (7), then "CLOAK" (5). After "KEYSTROKE", ask "what letter clusters remain?" — the answer is always the next longest listed word. This board is a rare-letter anchor type; 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.
Solve path
Step 1: Lock "KEYSTROKE" (9 letters) first — Starts at row 4, column 7 (edge), then runs one cell west, then 2 cells south, then one cell west, then 3 cells north, then one cell west. 20 playable letters remain. Step 2: Place "KANGAROO" (8 letters). 12 letters left in 2 words. Step 3: Place "MISTOOK" (7 letters). 5 letters left in 1 word. Step 4: Finish with "CLOAK" — the last 5-letter path. Every letter on the board is now accounted for.
Pattern
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 29 playable letters belong to exactly 4 words (CLOAK, MISTOOK, KANGAROO, KEYSTROKE). No letter is shared between paths, and every cell with a letter is used.
Learn more in Wend Puzzle Strategies →Takeaways
Always identify the longest listed word ("KEYSTROKE") before short fills. On this board, that is 9 letters — nearly 31% of a single word's share of the grid.
Paths on this board include snake, uTurn shapes. Recognizing L-turns and snakes speeds up tracing without trial-and-error.
Before celebrating, count: 4 words, 29 total letters, zero overlap. All 29 playable letters belong to exactly 4 words (CLOAK, MISTOOK, KANGAROO, KEYSTROKE). No letter is shared between paths, and every cell with a letter is used.
Solution
This Wend puzzle hides CLOAK, MISTOOK, KANGAROO, and KEYSTROKE on a 7×7 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 9 letters; recommended solve order (longest first): KEYSTROKE, KANGAROO, MISTOOK, and CLOAK. Start with "KEYSTROKE" — the 9-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.