Find the clue you need
Reveal one answer or the full solution.
- 1
Nimble and skilled
DEFT - 2
___ Punk (French electronic music duo)
DAFT - 3
Float gently through the air, as an aroma might
WAFT - 4
Skin blemish, or a small flaw
WART - 5
Distinct section of something
PART
Top + bottom clue
The top + bottom rows = The opposite of "right," and what it's called on a ship. 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.
- LEFTTop endpoint
- DEFTLEFT → DEFT changes position 1 from L to D.
- DAFTDEFT → DAFT changes position 2 from E to A.
- WAFTDAFT → WAFT changes position 1 from D to W.
- WARTWAFT → WART changes position 3 from F to R.
- PARTWART → PART changes position 1 from W to P.
- PORTPART → PORT changes position 2 from A to O.
How the endpoints answer the clue
LEFT + PORT
The top + bottom rows = The opposite of "right," and what it's called on a ship. 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 | LEFT LEFT is the answer to “The top + bottom rows = The opposite of "right," and what it's called on a ship. Keep in mind: The first word may be at the bottom.” and serves as an endpoint. | Start of ladder |
| Nimble and skilled | DEFT DEFT is the answer to “Nimble and skilled”. | LEFT → DEFT changes position 1 from L to D. |
| ___ Punk (French electronic music duo) | DAFT DAFT is the answer to “___ Punk (French electronic music duo)”. | DEFT → DAFT changes position 2 from E to A. |
| Float gently through the air, as an aroma might | WAFT WAFT is the answer to “Float gently through the air, as an aroma might”. | DAFT → WAFT changes position 1 from D to W. |
| Skin blemish, or a small flaw | WART WART is the answer to “Skin blemish, or a small flaw”. | WAFT → WART changes position 3 from F to R. |
| Distinct section of something | PART PART is the answer to “Distinct section of something”. | WART → PART changes position 1 from W to P. |
| Bottom endpoint | PORT PORT is the answer to “The top + bottom rows = The opposite of "right," and what it's called on a ship. Keep in mind: The first word may be at the bottom.” and serves as an endpoint. | PART → PORT changes position 2 from A to O. |
How to work out the order
LEFT → DEFT starts the chain with a change in position 1. From there, the changed positions run 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, which is a quick way to verify the order without relying on meaning alone.
- Solve the middle clues, then anchor DEFT beside LEFT because they differ at exactly one position.
- Continue through DEFT → DAFT → WAFT → WART → PART, checking spelling position by position rather than grouping words by topic.
- Place PORT at the other endpoint and use the shared endpoint clue to connect LEFT with PORT.
One takeaway
This edition rewards positional checking: its 6 legal moves change letter positions 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2. When the clue meanings wander, the one-letter rule keeps the ladder from wandering with them.
More CrossClimb
Nearby editions: #923 · 2026-11-09 · #921 · 2026-11-07