LinkedIn CrossClimb #600 — Step-by-step solution and strategy for LATEX → EASEL

Game: LinkedIn CrossClimb • question_id: 600 • published date: December 21, 2025 • question name: LinkedIn CrossClimb #600

This post is a concise, step‑by‑step walkthrough that shows how to solve today’s CrossClimb puzzle and how each clue leads to the one‑letter transitions that unlock the final compound answers. Keywords: LinkedIn CrossClimb solution, word ladder, word puzzle walkthrough, LATEX, EASEL.

Quick answer (top and bottom)

Top answer: LATEX
Bottom answer: EASEL

How the ladder works — quick note

CrossClimb gives several clue lines that each correspond to a word of the same length; once you have those words, you reorder them so every consecutive pair differs by exactly one letter. That one‑letter change rule is the constraint that forces the correct synonyms and helps you reach the final top/bottom compound answers.

Step‑by‑step clues and reasoning

1. Hint 1: "Sometime after this" → LATER

   Reasoning: The common phrase for something occurring "sometime after this" is LATER. It’s a direct, commonly used five‑letter answer that fits the clue and provides stable letters for the ladder’s first rung.

2. Hint 2: "Part of a bar code reader" → LASER

   Reasoning: A bar‑code scanner commonly uses a LASER beam. Compared with LATER, LASER changes only one letter (the second letter A is the same, but the third letter changes T→S and the fourth change E→E—actually check positions: L A T E R → L A S E R changes the third letter T→S). That single‑letter difference is what allows LASER to sit next to LATER in the ladder.

3. Hint 3: "More villainous" → BASER

   Reasoning: The comparative form of "base" (as in morally low or villainous) is BASER. To move from LASER to BASER you change the first letter L→B, a single‑letter swap that preserves the remaining four letters, satisfying the ladder rule.

4. Hint 4: "Founded (on)" → BASED

   Reasoning: The past participle phrase "founded (on)" or "established on" is often expressed as BASED (e.g., "based on"). BASER → BASED changes one letter (the fourth letter R→D), making it the correct adjacent step in the chain.

5. Hint 5: "Relaxed" → EASED

   Reasoning: "Relaxed" can be rendered as EASED (e.g., "the tension eased"). BASED → EASED changes one letter (the first letter B→E), keeping the rest of the letters intact and maintaining the one‑letter difference requirement.

Verifying the full ladder

Put the middle rungs in order so each adjacent pair differs by exactly one letter. The sequence is:

LATER
LASER
BASER
BASED
EASED

Check each step is a one‑letter change:

• LATER → LASER: change T → S (position 3)
• LASER → BASER: change L → B (position 1)
• BASER → BASED: change R → D (position 5)
• BASED → EASED: change B → E (position 1)

Compound clue: two things a painter might use

Once the ladder is correct, CrossClimb unlocks the top and bottom entries that combine letters from the ladder or follow a final compound clue. The two painter items requested are:

• LATEX — a kind of paint (latex paint) that painters commonly use.
• EASEL — a frame or stand used to hold a canvas while painting.

Each of these final answers is consistent with the letters available from the ladder and solves the final compound prompt: one is a kind of paint, the other a kind of frame/stand for paintings.

Solver tips illustrated by this puzzle

• Favor common words: CrossClimb answers are usually everyday words (LATER, LASER, EASEL), so start with the most common synonyms for each clue.
• Track letter positions: When you have one confirmed word, list words that differ by one letter and match adjacent clues—this narrows options quickly.
• Use comparatives and forms: Clues like "more villainous" often expect a comparative form (BASER), not a phrase; think of single‑word comparatives.
• Work both directions: If stuck, try building from both a secure middle word and the final compound clue to see which words bridge them with one‑letter changes.

Short solver checklist

- Fill obvious clues first (common one‑word answers).
- Arrange candidate words so each adjacent pair differs by one letter.
- Confirm each change is exactly one letter (not a swap or transposition).
- Use the completed ladder letters to unlock and test the top/bottom compound answers.

This CrossClimb #600 solution demonstrates how precise synonyms plus attention to letter positions produce the ladder LATER → LASER → BASER → BASED → EASED and the final pair LATEX / EASEL. Happy puzzling — come back each day for another LinkedIn CrossClimb walkthrough.