CrossClimb #890: Dog, Farm, Dawn Clues
Related Puzzle
CrossClimb #890
LinkedIn CrossClimb #890 for October 7, 2026 full solution with hints, top and bottom answers. Hints: Sound that might come after you say "Who's a good dog? Is it you?", Where a calf may be raised on a farm, Brought into the world, Early part of the day, poetically, Like a well-trimmed yard, A two-word phrase meaning to discount, as a product for sale.
The Ladder at a Glance
CrossClimb #890 rewards careful clue reading and disciplined letter tracking. Each answer has four letters, and every move changes exactly one position.
The central ladder is:
BARK → BARN → BORN → MORN → MOWN
The final compound clue asks for a two-word phrase meaning to discount a product for sale. The completed ladder supplies the two endpoint words that frame that phrase.
Step-by-Step Climb
1. The canine sound
“Sound that might come after you say ‘Who’s a good dog? Is it you?’” points to BARK. It is the natural response from the imagined dog.
2. The farm setting
A calf may be raised in a BARN. To reach it from BARK, swap the fourth letter: K becomes N.
BARK → BARN
3. The birth clue
“Brought into the world” gives BORN. Compare it with BARN: the second letter changes from A to O.
BARN → BORN
4. The poetic morning
“Early part of the day, poetically” is MORN. Only the first letter changes, from B to M.
BORN → MORN
5. The freshly cut yard
A well-trimmed yard is MOWN. The final transition swaps the third letter, changing R to W.
MORN → MOWN
The Aha! Moment
The key is not merely solving the clues. It is confirming that every adjacent pair remains a valid four-letter word after one precise substitution:
BARK → BARN: fourth letter, K to NBARN → BORN: second letter, A to OBORN → MORN: first letter, B to MMORN → MOWN: third letter, R to W
Notice how the clues move through distinct images: a dog, a farm building, birth, morning, and a cut lawn. Their meanings change sharply, but the spelling changes stay controlled.
Solving the Compound
The final clue asks for a phrase meaning to discount a product for sale. That phrase is MARK DOWN.
The two words connect the ladder’s endpoints: MARK sits above BARK, differing only in the first letter, while DOWN sits below MOWN, differing only in the third letter. So the complete climb is:
MARK → BARK → BARN → BORN → MORN → MOWN → DOWN
The compound answer works on both levels. MARK DOWN is the sales phrase requested by the clue, and MARK and DOWN complete the word ladder at its top and bottom.
Final Takeaway
CrossClimb #890 is solved by combining clue precision with letter-by-letter verification. Once the middle sequence is established, the endpoint words make the compound phrase click into place.