Find the clue you need
Reveal one answer or the full solution.
- 1
Middle clue 1 — original clue text unavailable
BOOT - 2
Middle clue 2 — original clue text unavailable
BOOS - 3
Middle clue 3 — original clue text unavailable
BOTS - 4
Middle clue 4 — original clue text unavailable
BOTH - 5
Middle clue 5 — original clue text unavailable
BATH
Top + bottom clue
Reveal the solution to see the two endpoint words.
The complete word ladder
Read from top to bottom. Highlighted letters show what changes from the previous word.
- FOOTTop endpoint
- BOOTFOOT → BOOT changes position 1 from F to B.
- BOOSBOOT → BOOS changes position 4 from T to S.
- BOTSBOOS → BOTS changes position 3 from O to T.
- BOTHBOTS → BOTH changes position 4 from S to H.
- BATHBOTH → BATH changes position 2 from O to A.
- PATHBATH → PATH changes position 1 from B to P.
How the endpoints answer the clue
FOOT + PATH = FOOTPATH
FOOT is the body part used for standing and begins the final compound.
Clue meanings and letter changes
| Clue | Answer & meaning | Change from previous word |
|---|---|---|
| Top endpoint | FOOT FOOT is the body part used for standing and begins the final compound. | Start of ladder |
| Middle clue 1 | BOOT BOOT is protective footwear that extends above the ankle. | FOOT → BOOT changes position 1 from F to B. |
| Middle clue 2 | BOOS BOOS are sounds of audience disapproval. | BOOT → BOOS changes position 4 from T to S. |
| Middle clue 3 | BOTS BOTS are automated software programs, including web crawlers. | BOOS → BOTS changes position 3 from O to T. |
| Middle clue 4 | BOTH BOTH refers to two items considered together. | BOTS → BOTH changes position 4 from S to H. |
| Middle clue 5 | BATH BATH is washing or soaking the body in water. | BOTH → BATH changes position 2 from O to A. |
| Bottom endpoint | PATH PATH is a route for walking and completes FOOTPATH. | BATH → PATH changes position 1 from B to P. |
How to work out the order
FOOT → BOOT is immediate. BOOS and BOTS then bridge the vowel-heavy opening to BOTH, which makes BATH and PATH almost inevitable.
- Place FOOT and BOOT together, then test the two plural candidates BOOS and BOTS.
- Use BOTH as the bridge from BOTS to the TH-ending words.
- Finish BOTH → BATH → PATH and combine the endpoints as FOOTPATH.
One takeaway
A bridge word may look semantically unrelated because its job is structural. BOTH is not attending the same vocabulary party as BOOS or BATH; it is simply holding the door open.
More CrossClimb
Nearby editions: #821 · 2026-07-30 · #819 · 2026-07-28