Find the clue you need
Reveal one answer or the full solution.
- 1
Actually existing
REAL - 2
Enjoy literature
READ - 3
Heavy metallic element that can block X-rays
LEAD - 4
___ an ear (listen)
LEND - 5
Terrestrial animals live on it
LAND
Top + bottom clue
The top + bottom rows = A word meaning to distribute playing cards, and a word for what each player then has. Keep in mind: The first word may be at the bottom.
The complete word ladder
Read from top to bottom. Highlighted letters show what changes from the previous word.
- DEALTop endpoint
- REALDEAL → REAL changes position 1 from D to R.
- READREAL → READ changes position 4 from L to D.
- LEADREAD → LEAD changes position 1 from R to L.
- LENDLEAD → LEND changes position 3 from A to N.
- LANDLEND → LAND changes position 2 from E to A.
- HANDLAND → HAND changes position 1 from L to H.
How the endpoints answer the clue
DEAL + HAND
The top + bottom rows = A word meaning to distribute playing cards, and a word for what each player then has. Keep in mind: The first word may be at the bottom.
Clue meanings and letter changes
| Clue | Answer & meaning | Change from previous word |
|---|---|---|
| Top endpoint | DEAL DEAL is the answer to “The top + bottom rows = A word meaning to distribute playing cards, and a word for what each player then has. Keep in mind: The first word may be at the bottom.” and serves as an endpoint. | Start of ladder |
| Actually existing | REAL REAL is the answer to “Actually existing”. | DEAL → REAL changes position 1 from D to R. |
| Enjoy literature | READ READ is the answer to “Enjoy literature”. | REAL → READ changes position 4 from L to D. |
| Heavy metallic element that can block X-rays | LEAD LEAD is the answer to “Heavy metallic element that can block X-rays”. | READ → LEAD changes position 1 from R to L. |
| ___ an ear (listen) | LEND LEND is the answer to “___ an ear (listen)”. | LEAD → LEND changes position 3 from A to N. |
| Terrestrial animals live on it | LAND LAND is the answer to “Terrestrial animals live on it”. | LEND → LAND changes position 2 from E to A. |
| Bottom endpoint | HAND HAND is the answer to “The top + bottom rows = A word meaning to distribute playing cards, and a word for what each player then has. Keep in mind: The first word may be at the bottom.” and serves as an endpoint. | LAND → HAND changes position 1 from L to H. |
How to work out the order
DEAL → REAL starts the chain with a change in position 1. From there, the changed positions run 1, 4, 1, 3, 2, 1, which is a quick way to verify the order without relying on meaning alone.
- Solve the middle clues, then anchor REAL beside DEAL because they differ at exactly one position.
- Continue through REAL → READ → LEAD → LEND → LAND, checking spelling position by position rather than grouping words by topic.
- Place HAND at the other endpoint and use the shared endpoint clue to connect DEAL with HAND.
One takeaway
This edition rewards positional checking: its 6 legal moves change letter positions 1, 4, 1, 3, 2, 1. When the clue meanings wander, the one-letter rule keeps the ladder from wandering with them.
More CrossClimb
Nearby editions: #908 · 2026-10-25 · #907 · 2026-10-24