How to Solve LinkedIn CrossClimb Puzzle #588 – Step-by-Step Guide for December 9, 2025

LinkedIn CrossClimb #588 is a daily word puzzle challenge published on December 9, 2025. In this puzzle, each word clue must be solved such that the answers form a sequence where each word differs by exactly one letter from the previous one. The goal is to climb from the starting word to a target word using logical reasoning aligned with the provided hints. Today’s puzzle brilliantly combines simple yet clever clues that require focusing on one-letter differences and logical word matching. Here’s how to solve the puzzle step by step.

Step 1: Understand the Game Mechanics

CrossClimb challenges you to create a word ladder, where each intermediate word differs by only one letter from its neighbors. Each clue helps identify one word, and these words must be arranged so that neighbors in the ladder differ by a single letter, enabling only valid dictionary words.

Step 2: Analyze Each Clue and Find the Corresponding Word

1. Hint 1: Salamander

   The answer here is NEWT. Newt is a type of salamander, making this a straightforward association and an excellent start for the ladder.

2. Hint 2: Crow's ___ (structure on the top of a ship’s mast used as a lookout, not as a home for birds)

   The correct answer is NEST. Although "nest" is usually bird-related, in nautical terms the "crow's nest" is the lookout platform on a ship. This fits perfectly with the clue and differs from NEWT by just one letter - changing the last letter 't' to 's' creates NEST.

3. Hint 3: An organism harmful to humans such as an insect that damages crops

   PEST fits this clue accurately. It differs from NEST by changing the first letter 'N' to 'P'.

4. Hint 4: What a mailbox might sit atop, or contain

   The answer is POST. This word perfectly fits both meanings: a mailbox might be mounted on a post, and mail is often called a post. POST differs from PEST by changing the third letter 'S' to 'O'.

5. Hint 5: Number on a price tag

   The suitable answer here is COST, which means a price or value. COST differs from POST by changing the first letter 'P' to 'C'.

Step 3: Confirm the Word Ladder

Putting these words together, each step changes one letter:

NEWT
NEST
PEST
POST
COST

This chain respects the one-letter difference rule:

• NEWT → NEST (Change 'W' to 'S')
• NEST → PEST (Change 'N' to 'P')
• PEST → POST (Change 'E' to 'O')
• POST → COST (Change 'P' to 'C')

Step 4: Solve the Compound Question

The compound question asks for a compound word for a show featuring anchors that deliver daily updates. The top and bottom answers unlocked are:

• NEWS
• CAST

Combine these to get NEWSCAST, which means a broadcast presenting news, perfectly matching the clue.

Summary of the Solution

The final word ladder and compound solution for LinkedIn CrossClimb #588 are:

NEWT → NEST → PEST → POST → COST
Compound: NEWS + CAST = NEWSCAST

This puzzle demonstrates the logic of one-letter transformations guided by precise clue interpretation and vocabulary. Players must think both laterally and sequentially, ensuring each step changes only a single letter while fitting the clues perfectly.

Tips for Future CrossClimb Puzzles

• Focus on the meaning of clues to find the best fit words.
• Check each adjacent pair for exactly one letter difference to validate the ladder.
• Use the compound question as a guide to ensure the start and end words make logical sense.
• Keep vocabulary practical and common for quick recall.

Happy puzzling! Follow daily solutions and sharpen your word-ladder logic with every LinkedIn CrossClimb challenge.