LinkedIn CrossClimb #621 Solution – SHARE to SMELL (and SHARK / SMELT Explained)

Keywords: LinkedIn CrossClimb solution, CrossClimb #621, daily LinkedIn games, word ladder, Jan 11 2026, logic puzzles

This guide walks through the full solution for LinkedIn CrossClimb #621 published on January 11, 2026. We will solve the ladder from the starting word to the final rung, then use those words to crack the combo clue at the top and bottom.

Quick overview of CrossClimb rules

In LinkedIn CrossClimb you solve clues to get words, then reorder them into a word ladder where:

• All words have the same length.
• Each step changes exactly one letter.
• Letters stay in the same positions (no rearranging).
• The completed ladder unlocks the top and bottom answers for the final combo clue.

For CrossClimb #621, all words are five letters.

Final ordered ladder for #621

The correct word ladder sequence is:

SHARE → SHALE → SHALL → SHELL → SMELL

From this ladder, we then answer the combo clue with:

Top answer: SHARK
Bottom answer: SMELT

Step-by-step reasoning for each hint

Hint 1: “Stock certificate” → SHARE

The first clue points to finance vocabulary. A stock certificate represents ownership in a company, and each unit of that ownership is called a share.

So the answer is:

SHARE

This gives us our starting point on the ladder.

Hint 2: “Gray rock” → SHALE

Next we need a five-letter word for a gray rock that differs by only one letter from SHARE. Geology offers a perfect fit: shale, a fine-grained sedimentary rock that is often gray.

Compare the two words:

SHARE
SHALE

Only the fourth letter changes:

• SHARE
• SHALE

We replaced the R in position 4 with an L, while all other letters remain fixed. That keeps the one-letter-change rule intact.

Hint 3: “A more formal form of ‘will’” → SHALL

The clue asks for a more formal or old-fashioned version of the helping verb “will”. In formal English, shall is used in place of “will,” especially in legal or traditional phrasing (“We shall overcome,” “The tenant shall pay…”).

From the ladder perspective, we go:

SHALE → SHALL

Letter-by-letter:

• SHALE
• SHALL

Only the last letter changes from E to L. All other positions stay the same, so it is a valid one-letter step.

Hint 4: “What distinguishes a snail from a slug” → SHELL

The key biological difference between a snail and a slug is that a snail has a shell, while a slug does not. That makes SHELL the natural answer.

Check the transition:

SHALL → SHELL

Letter comparison:

• SHALL
• SHELL

We change only the third letter from A to E. One-letter rule still respected.

Hint 5: “Unpleasant emanation from a garbage heap” → SMELL

The final rung is a vivid image: the unpleasant emanation from a garbage heap is its bad smell.

We move from:

SHELL → SMELL

Letter comparison:

• SHELL
• SMELL

Only the second letter changes, from H to M, forming SMELL. That completes the ladder while maintaining the one-letter-change pattern from SHARE all the way to SMELL.

Verifying the full ladder

It is useful to double-check that every step changes exactly one letter and remains a real English word:

SHARE → SHALE  (R → L)
SHALE → SHALL  (E → L)
SHALL → SHELL  (A → E)
SHELL → SMELL  (H → M)

Each pair differs in exactly one position, and all words are common dictionary terms. That confirms the ladder is valid.

Solving the combo clue

Combo clue: “Two fish, one big and one small.”

Once the ladder is solved, CrossClimb unlocks the top and bottom words, both tied to the combined hint. Here, the clue references two fish of different sizes: one typically thought of as big, the other as small.

Top answer: SHARK

The “big fish” in common language is a shark. It fits neatly at the top, and visually echoes the ladder’s early words (starting with “SHA-”).

Top: SHARK

Bottom answer: SMELT

The smaller fish is a smelt, a real small fish species whose name is also five letters. It mirrors the bottom of the ladder with the “SM-” pattern from SMELL.

Bottom: SMELT

How the ladder helps the combo answers

Notice how the final ladder words hint at the structure of the combo words:

• SHARE → SHALE → SHALL → SHELL all start with “SHA/SH” which nudges you toward SHARK.
• SMELL ends the ladder with “SME-LL,” very close visually and phonetically to SMELT.

If you are stuck on the combo clue in future puzzles, try these tactics:

• Look at the patterns in your first and last ladder words.
• Think of related words that share most letters but fit the final clue better.
• Consider common pairs (big/small, old/young, hot/cold, etc.).

CrossClimb #621 recap

For LinkedIn CrossClimb #621 (Question ID: 621):

Ladder: SHARE → SHALE → SHALL → SHELL → SMELL
Top combo answer: SHARK
Bottom combo answer: SMELT

Keep practicing this pattern: solve each clue cleanly, then sort the answers into a tight one-letter ladder. Once the middle is locked in, the CrossClimb combo clue at the top and bottom becomes far easier to crack.