Find the clue you need
Reveal one answer or the full solution.
- 1
Often explorable underground space
CAVE - 2
Small coastal area with a narrow entrance
COVE - 3
Center of an apple
CORE - 4
Flexible accessory used for charging electronics
CORD - 5
Someone who rules over a domain
LORD
Top + bottom clue
The top + bottom rows = Two verbs associated with computer files: one to store and one to retrieve. 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.
- SAVETop endpoint
- CAVESAVE → CAVE changes position 1 from S to C.
- COVECAVE → COVE changes position 2 from A to O.
- CORECOVE → CORE changes position 3 from V to R.
- CORDCORE → CORD changes position 4 from E to D.
- LORDCORD → LORD changes position 1 from C to L.
- LOADLORD → LOAD changes position 3 from R to A.
How the endpoints answer the clue
SAVE + LOAD
The top + bottom rows = Two verbs associated with computer files: one to store and one to retrieve. 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 | SAVE SAVE is the answer to “The top + bottom rows = Two verbs associated with computer files: one to store and one to retrieve. Keep in mind: The first word may be at the bottom.” and serves as an endpoint. | Start of ladder |
| Often explorable underground space | CAVE CAVE is the answer to “Often explorable underground space”. | SAVE → CAVE changes position 1 from S to C. |
| Small coastal area with a narrow entrance | COVE COVE is the answer to “Small coastal area with a narrow entrance”. | CAVE → COVE changes position 2 from A to O. |
| Center of an apple | CORE CORE is the answer to “Center of an apple”. | COVE → CORE changes position 3 from V to R. |
| Flexible accessory used for charging electronics | CORD CORD is the answer to “Flexible accessory used for charging electronics”. | CORE → CORD changes position 4 from E to D. |
| Someone who rules over a domain | LORD LORD is the answer to “Someone who rules over a domain”. | CORD → LORD changes position 1 from C to L. |
| Bottom endpoint | LOAD LOAD is the answer to “The top + bottom rows = Two verbs associated with computer files: one to store and one to retrieve. Keep in mind: The first word may be at the bottom.” and serves as an endpoint. | LORD → LOAD changes position 3 from R to A. |
How to work out the order
SAVE → CAVE starts the chain with a change in position 1. From there, the changed positions run 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 3, which is a quick way to verify the order without relying on meaning alone.
- Solve the middle clues, then anchor CAVE beside SAVE because they differ at exactly one position.
- Continue through CAVE → COVE → CORE → CORD → LORD, checking spelling position by position rather than grouping words by topic.
- Place LOAD at the other endpoint and use the shared endpoint clue to connect SAVE with LOAD.
One takeaway
This edition rewards positional checking: its 6 legal moves change letter positions 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 3. When the clue meanings wander, the one-letter rule keeps the ladder from wandering with them.
More CrossClimb
Nearby editions: #913 · 2026-10-30 · #911 · 2026-10-28