CrossClimb #916: The Six-Step Clue Ladder

The Climb at a Glance

CrossClimb #916 rewards precision. Each clue supplies a four-letter word, and every neighboring rung differs by exactly one letter. The key is to solve the clue answers first, then arrange them into a valid climb.

LEAD
LEAK
BEAK
BEAR
BOAR
SOAR
STAR

Solving the Clue Rungs

1. A broken pipe or faucet may have one

The answer is LEAK. It becomes the first middle rung and gives the ladder an immediate structural foothold.

2. What a bird eats with

The answer is BEAK. To move from LEAK to BEAK, swap the first letter: L becomes B.

3. Animal whose name also means “to tolerate”

The answer is BEAR. From BEAK to BEAR, swap the fourth letter: K becomes R.

4. Type of wild pig

The answer is BOAR. From BEAR to BOAR, swap the second letter: E becomes O.

5. Fly high and majestically

The answer is SOAR. From BOAR to SOAR, swap the first letter: B becomes S.

Finding the Endpoints

The final instruction asks for two words describing the most prominent actor in a play or film. That points to LEAD and STAR.

Both endpoints also obey the ladder rule. From LEAD to LEAK, swap the fourth letter: D becomes K. At the bottom, from SOAR to STAR, swap the second letter: O becomes T.

The Aha! Moment

The clue answers are not merely a set of definitions. They are engineered as a chain:

LEAD → LEAK  (D → K)
LEAK → BEAK  (L → B)
BEAK → BEAR  (K → R)
BEAR → BOAR  (E → O)
BOAR → SOAR  (B → S)
SOAR → STAR  (O → T)

The compound pair ties the whole puzzle together because the starting and ending words both describe the same central performer. The ladder therefore climbs from one fitting term to another while every middle clue locks the route into place.

Final Route

LEAD → LEAK → BEAK → BEAR → BOAR → SOAR → STAR

Once the letter swaps are checked, the answer is fully justified: every rung solves its clue, every transition changes one letter, and the endpoints satisfy the compound prompt.