Crossclimb · No. 857 · Friday edition
LinkedIn Crossclimb #857 Answer (Sep 4, 2026)
Top & bottom: The top + bottom rows = A two-word phrase for a tennis stroke that lands the ball near the net. Keep in mind: The first word may be at the bottom.
- Top rung
- Plant grown for human consumption
- Where chickens live
- Section of a roller coaster that may be particularly exciting or scary to ride around
- Treasure found in a dungeon
- Black powder in a chimney
- Bottom rung
Hint: Solve the middle clues first; neighboring words differ by exactly one letter.
Show Crossclimb #857 answer as text
- The top + bottom rows = A two-word phrase for a tennis stroke that lands the ball near the net. Keep in mind: The first word may be at the bottom. → DROP
- Plant grown for human consumption → CROP
- Where chickens live → COOP
- Section of a roller coaster that may be particularly exciting or scary to ride around → LOOP
- Treasure found in a dungeon → LOOT
- Black powder in a chimney → SOOT
- The top + bottom rows = A two-word phrase for a tennis stroke that lands the ball near the net. Keep in mind: The first word may be at the bottom. → SHOT
About Crossclimb #857
- Crossclimb #857 is a ladder of 7 4-letter words, each one letter away from the next.
- Listed alphabetically rather than in ladder order, the five middle clues are: "Black powder in a chimney"; "Plant grown for human consumption"; "Section of a roller coaster that may be particularly exciting or scary to ride around"; "Treasure found in a dungeon"; "Where chickens live".
- The shortest, "Where chickens live", runs 3 words against 15 for the longest; short, direct clues are usually the fastest to pin down.
- Settle the middle five before touching the top and bottom rungs: those two share one combined clue that opens only once the middle is in ladder order.