Find the clue you need
Reveal one answer or the full solution.
- 1
Middle clue 1 — original clue text unavailable
LIVE - 2
Middle clue 2 — original clue text unavailable
LOVE - 3
Middle clue 3 — original clue text unavailable
LORE - 4
Middle clue 4 — original clue text unavailable
FORE - 5
Middle clue 5 — original clue text unavailable
FORD
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.
- FIVETop endpoint
- LIVEFIVE → LIVE changes position 1 from F to L.
- LOVELIVE → LOVE changes position 2 from I to O.
- LORELOVE → LORE changes position 3 from V to R.
- FORELORE → FORE changes position 1 from L to F.
- FORDFORE → FORD changes position 4 from E to D.
- FOLDFORD → FOLD changes position 3 from R to L.
How the endpoints answer the clue
FIVE + FOLD = FIVEFOLD
FIVE is the top endpoint and the first half of the final combined answer.
Clue meanings and letter changes
| Clue | Answer & meaning | Change from previous word |
|---|---|---|
| Top endpoint | FIVE FIVE is the top endpoint and the first half of the final combined answer. | Start of ladder |
| Middle clue 1 | LIVE LIVE can mean happening in real time, as with a live broadcast. | FIVE → LIVE changes position 1 from F to L. |
| Middle clue 2 | LOVE LOVE completes the familiar saying about love and war. | LIVE → LOVE changes position 2 from I to O. |
| Middle clue 3 | LORE LORE means stories or knowledge passed down through a culture. | LOVE → LORE changes position 3 from V to R. |
| Middle clue 4 | FORE FORE is the warning golfers shout when a shot may endanger someone. | LORE → FORE changes position 1 from L to F. |
| Middle clue 5 | FORD FORD is a shallow place where a person or vehicle can cross water. | FORE → FORD changes position 4 from E to D. |
| Bottom endpoint | FOLD FOLD means to bend something over and supplies the second half of FIVEFOLD. | FORD → FOLD changes position 3 from R to L. |
How to work out the order
The useful anchor is LOVE ↔ LORE: once that pair is fixed, LIVE belongs above it and FORE belongs below it. FORD and FOLD then complete the lower end without any alphabet acrobatics.
- Lock LIVE, LOVE, and LORE together because each neighboring pair changes only its second or third letter.
- Attach FIVE above LIVE and FORE below LORE; both are forced one-letter matches.
- Finish with FORD and FOLD, then read the endpoint combination as FIVEFOLD.
One takeaway
When several words share three fixed letters, solve that mini-chain first. It is the ladder equivalent of finding the corner pieces before arguing with the whole jigsaw.
More CrossClimb
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