LinkedIn Wend #35

LinkedIn Wend #35 is the LinkedIn Wend daily for July 13, 2026. Wend is LinkedIn's word-finding game: drag through adjacent letters on a 5×5 grid to spell 4 hidden words (3, 4, 5, and 7 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: Easy. Estimated solve time: 3–5 min. Read the explainer sections below for strategy, or jump straight into play.

This board hides 4 words: "ICY", "OVAL", "QUICK", "LANTERN".

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

1. Word 1Anchor word7 letters

   LANTERN

   Path

   Starts at row 3, column 1 (edge), then runs 2 cells north, then one cell east, then one cell south, then 2 cells east.

   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

   Anchor word: Start here — "LANTERN" claims 7 cells and defines the rest of the partition.

2. Word 2Territory claim5 letters

   QUICK

   Path

   Starts at row 5, column 3 (edge), then runs one cell north, then 2 cells east, then one cell south.

   Contains rare letters Q, 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. Starts on an edge — edge starts reduce the number of possible directions.

   Solving note

   Territory claim: After prior locks, 12 cells were open; this word consumes 5.

3. Word 3Bridge path4 letters

   OVAL

   Path

   Starts at row 1, column 4 (edge), then runs one cell east, then 2 cells south.

   An L-shaped path with one turn — common for medium-length words along two edges. Starts on an edge — edge starts reduce the number of possible directions.

   Solving note

   Bridge path: After prior locks, 7 cells were open; this word consumes 4.

4. Word 4Gap filler3 letters

   ICY

   Path

   Starts at row 4, column 2 (interior), then runs one cell west, then one cell south.

   An L-shaped path with one turn — common for medium-length words along two edges.

   Solving note

   Gap filler: "ICY" is the final 3-letter path — verify no unused cells remain.

Longest-first ordering ("LANTERN" (7), then "QUICK" (5), then "OVAL" (4), then "ICY" (3)) minimizes dead-end paths on this 5×5 board. "LANTERN" removes the most cells in one trace — 7 letters — leaving 12 for the remaining words. Shorter words after that often have only one legal path through leftover clusters.

Step 1: Lock "LANTERN" (7 letters) first — Starts at row 3, column 1 (edge), then runs 2 cells north, then one cell east, then one cell south, then 2 cells east. 12 playable letters remain. Step 2: Place "QUICK" (5 letters). 7 letters left in 2 words. Step 3: Place "OVAL" (4 letters). 3 letters left in 1 word. Step 4: Finish with "ICY" — the last 3-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 19 playable letters belong to exactly 4 words (ICY, OVAL, QUICK, LANTERN). No letter is shared between paths, and every cell with a letter is used.

This Wend puzzle hides ICY, OVAL, QUICK, and LANTERN on a 5×5 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 3 to 7 letters; recommended solve order (longest first): LANTERN, QUICK, OVAL, and ICY. Start with "LANTERN" — the 7-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.