Find the clue you need
Reveal one answer or the full solution.
- 1
At the back, as two legs of many animals
HIND - 2
Human body part with knuckles
HAND - 3
Grains plentiful in the Sahara
SAND - 4
Capable of thinking rationally
SANE - 5
Occasion when prices are lowered
SALE
Top + bottom clue
The top + bottom rows = Air movement, and a strong form of it. 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.
- WINDTop endpoint
- HINDWIND → HIND changes position 1 from W to H.
- HANDHIND → HAND changes position 2 from I to A.
- SANDHAND → SAND changes position 1 from H to S.
- SANESAND → SANE changes position 4 from D to E.
- SALESANE → SALE changes position 3 from N to L.
- GALESALE → GALE changes position 1 from S to G.
How the endpoints answer the clue
WIND + GALE
The top + bottom rows = Air movement, and a strong form of it. 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 | WIND WIND is the answer to “The top + bottom rows = Air movement, and a strong form of it. Keep in mind: The first word may be at the bottom.” and serves as an endpoint. | Start of ladder |
| At the back, as two legs of many animals | HIND HIND is the answer to “At the back, as two legs of many animals”. | WIND → HIND changes position 1 from W to H. |
| Human body part with knuckles | HAND HAND is the answer to “Human body part with knuckles”. | HIND → HAND changes position 2 from I to A. |
| Grains plentiful in the Sahara | SAND SAND is the answer to “Grains plentiful in the Sahara”. | HAND → SAND changes position 1 from H to S. |
| Capable of thinking rationally | SANE SANE is the answer to “Capable of thinking rationally”. | SAND → SANE changes position 4 from D to E. |
| Occasion when prices are lowered | SALE SALE is the answer to “Occasion when prices are lowered”. | SANE → SALE changes position 3 from N to L. |
| Bottom endpoint | GALE GALE is the answer to “The top + bottom rows = Air movement, and a strong form of it. Keep in mind: The first word may be at the bottom.” and serves as an endpoint. | SALE → GALE changes position 1 from S to G. |
How to work out the order
WIND → HIND starts the chain with a change in position 1. From there, the changed positions run 1, 2, 1, 4, 3, 1, which is a quick way to verify the order without relying on meaning alone.
- Solve the middle clues, then anchor HIND beside WIND because they differ at exactly one position.
- Continue through HIND → HAND → SAND → SANE → SALE, checking spelling position by position rather than grouping words by topic.
- Place GALE at the other endpoint and use the shared endpoint clue to connect WIND with GALE.
One takeaway
This edition rewards positional checking: its 6 legal moves change letter positions 1, 2, 1, 4, 3, 1. When the clue meanings wander, the one-letter rule keeps the ladder from wandering with them.
More CrossClimb
Nearby editions: #918 · 2026-11-04 · #917 · 2026-11-03