LinkedIn CrossClimb #611 Solution: Complete Walkthrough

CrossClimb is one of LinkedIn's engaging word puzzle games where players climb from a starting word to a target word by changing exactly one letter at each step. This guide breaks down the solution to CrossClimb #611, explaining the reasoning behind each answer and how the puzzle connects together.

Understanding the Puzzle Structure

Each CrossClimb puzzle requires you to solve clues that form a word ladder. In this puzzle, you start at one word and reach a target word by modifying a single letter in each step. The final compound clue ties everything together, using words from your ladder to answer a specific question.

Step-by-Step Solution

Step 1: Arachnid Pest → TICK

The first clue asks for an arachnid pest. The answer is TICK. Ticks are small parasitic arachnids that attach to animals and humans, making them the perfect answer to this clue. This serves as your starting point for the word ladder.

Step 2: It Holds Up a Note on a Bulletin Board → TACK

From TICK, we change one letter to get TACK. By changing the I to an A, TICK becomes TACK. A tack is a small nail or pin used to hold papers on a bulletin board, fitting this clue perfectly. Notice how only one letter changed from the previous word.

Step 3: Give a Speech → TALK

Next, we transform TACK to TALK by changing the C to an L. When you talk, you give a speech or communicate verbally. This continues the pattern of single-letter modifications while maintaining common English words.

Step 4: Towering in Height → TALL

From TALK, change the K to an L to get TALL. Something that is towering in height can be described as tall. This step maintains the consistency of the word ladder while introducing another common vocabulary word.

Step 5: Sound of a Bell → TOLL

Finally, change the A to an O in TALL to reach TOLL. A toll is the sound a bell makes when it rings, particularly the deep, resonant sound of large bells. This completes your main word ladder.

The Compound Question: Basketball Maneuver

The final clue reads: "Basketball maneuver ___ and ___, made out of words that can mean to select something and to move by turning."

Top Answer: PICK — To pick means to select something, which is one component of the compound answer.

Bottom Answer: ROLL — To roll means to move by turning, and it also fits the basketball context as part of the maneuver description.

The basketball maneuver being referenced is a "pick and roll," one of the most fundamental offensive plays in basketball where one player sets a screen (pick) while another player uses that screen to move past a defender (roll).

Key Strategies for Solving CrossClimb Puzzles

• Focus on single-letter changes: Always look for words that differ by exactly one letter from the previous answer.
• Use common vocabulary: CrossClimb puzzles typically use everyday words rather than obscure terms.
• Think about synonyms: If your first guess doesn't fit the ladder, consider alternative meanings or synonyms that match the letter count.
• Work with vowel transitions: Changing vowels often creates new valid words, so try modifying A, E, I, O, U first.
• Understand the compound clue: The final clue often reveals how multiple words from your ladder connect to form a meaningful phrase or answer.

Why This Puzzle Works

This CrossClimb puzzle demonstrates excellent puzzle design by creating a smooth progression through common words (TICK → TACK → TALK → TALL → TOLL) that logically connects to a sports-related compound clue (PICK and ROLL). Each clue is unambiguous, each word is a standard English vocabulary word, and the final answer integrates words from the puzzle into a real-world concept.

LinkedIn's CrossClimb games like #611 provide daily mental exercises that strengthen vocabulary knowledge, logical reasoning, and pattern recognition skills. By practicing these puzzles regularly, players improve their ability to make word connections and think strategically about language.