2026-10-04 · LinkedIn Wend #118
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Puzzle guide
Full breakdown using the Strategy coach format — word list, path analysis, and strategy notes.
Overview
LinkedIn Wend #118 is the LinkedIn Wend daily for October 4, 2026. Wend is LinkedIn's word-finding game: drag through adjacent letters on a 7×7 grid to spell 6 hidden words (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10 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 6 words: "LOAF", "GREAT", "TARGET", "SCIENCE", "MAGICIAN", "OPTIMISTIC".
The longest word is OPTIMISTIC — solve it first, then work through the remaining paths in recommended order.
Analysis
Teaching board LinkedIn Wend #118: 7×7 cells, 6 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 "OPTIMISTIC". Students should note the interior start and zigzag shape before committing.
Step 2: "MAGICIAN" splits the grid further. 22 letters left — ask which cluster looks like a word.
Step 3: "SCIENCE" splits the grid further. 15 letters left — ask which cluster looks like a word.
Step 4: "TARGET" splits the grid further. 9 letters left — ask which cluster looks like a word.
Step 5: "GREAT" splits the grid further. 4 letters left — ask which cluster looks like a word.
Final move: "LOAF". Check that every remaining cell belongs to this path — no stragglers.
Takeaway from this board: longest-first ordering (OPTIMISTIC, MAGICIAN, SCIENCE, TARGET, GREAT, LOAF) is the teaching path that matches how the grid wants to be solved.
Words
Path
Starts at row 4, column 3 (interior), then runs 2 cells south, then one cell east, then one cell south, then 2 cells west, then one cell north, then one cell west, then one cell south.
A zigzag path with multiple turns — harder to guess without tracing letter by letter.
Solving note
Opening move: Practice tracing "OPTIMISTIC" without lifting — zigzag shape, 6 turn(s).
Path
Starts at row 7, column 6 (edge), then runs one cell east, then one cell north, then one cell west, then one cell north, then one cell west, then 2 cells south.
A zigzag 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 2, column 1 (edge), then runs 2 cells east, then one cell south, then one cell west, then 2 cells south.
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
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 one cell east, then one cell north, then 2 cells west.
A snaking path with multiple turns — harder to guess without tracing letter by letter.
Solving note
Elimination step: Mid-board — eliminate paths that would orphan a listed word length.
Path
Starts at row 2, column 4 (interior), then runs one cell north, then 3 cells west.
An L-shaped path with one turn — common for medium-length words along two edges.
Solving note
Endgame word: Mid-board — eliminate paths that would orphan a listed word length.
Path
Starts at row 4, column 6 (interior), then runs one cell west, then 2 cells north.
An L-shaped path with one turn — common for medium-length words along two edges.
Solving note
Board complete: Endgame — only "LOAF" fits the remaining 4 cells.
Verification
Teach students this order: "OPTIMISTIC" (10), then "MAGICIAN" (8), then "SCIENCE" (7), then "TARGET" (6), then "GREAT" (5), then "LOAF" (4). After "OPTIMISTIC", ask "what letter clusters remain?" — the answer is always the next longest listed word. This board is a long-word anchor board type; The longest word crosses a large section of the grid — locking it first removes the most territory and exposes how the shorter words must fit.
Solve path
Step 1: Lock "OPTIMISTIC" (10 letters) first — Starts at row 4, column 3 (interior), then runs 2 cells south, then one cell east, then one cell south, then 2 cells west, then one cell north, then one cell west, then one cell south. 30 playable letters remain. Step 2: Place "MAGICIAN" (8 letters). 22 letters left in 4 words. Step 3: Place "SCIENCE" (7 letters). 15 letters left in 3 words. Step 4: Place "TARGET" (6 letters). 9 letters left in 2 words. Step 5: Place "GREAT" (5 letters). 4 letters left in 1 word. Step 6: Finish with "LOAF" — the last 4-letter path. Every letter on the board is now accounted for.
Pattern
The longest word crosses a large section of the grid — locking it first removes the most territory and exposes how the shorter words must fit.
All 40 playable letters belong to exactly 6 words (LOAF, GREAT, TARGET, SCIENCE, MAGICIAN, OPTIMISTIC). 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 ("OPTIMISTIC") before short fills. On this board, that is 10 letters — nearly 25% of a single word's share of the grid.
Paths on this board include zigzag, snake, lShape shapes. Recognizing L-turns and snakes speeds up tracing without trial-and-error.
Before celebrating, count: 6 words, 40 total letters, zero overlap. All 40 playable letters belong to exactly 6 words (LOAF, GREAT, TARGET, SCIENCE, MAGICIAN, OPTIMISTIC). No letter is shared between paths, and every cell with a letter is used.
Solution
This Wend puzzle hides LOAF, GREAT, TARGET, SCIENCE, MAGICIAN, and OPTIMISTIC 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 4 to 10 letters; recommended solve order (longest first): OPTIMISTIC, MAGICIAN, SCIENCE, TARGET, GREAT, and LOAF. Start with "OPTIMISTIC" — the 10-letter anchor — then fill shorter paths through remaining letter clusters. The longest word crosses a large section of the grid — locking it first removes the most territory and exposes how the shorter words must fit. 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.