LinkedIn Crossclimb #757 Answer & Analysis

🧠 Expert Logic Walkthrough

My first pass is always to tackle the five core clues to build the puzzle's spine. I started with Jabs with one's finger, which immediately brought POKES to mind—a solid five-letter fit. Next, Holes in the skin is almost a dictionary definition of PORES. That's two down, and I already see a potential connection: POKES to PORES is just a one-letter swap (K to R).

Moving on, Makes someone yawn, possibly by giving an overly long presentation is a great, descriptive clue for BORES. This connects nicely to PORES with a P-to-B change. Then, Exposes, as one's emotions or teeth pointed directly to BARES. A quick check confirms BORES to BARES is a valid move (O to A). The final clue, Is interested, gave me CARES, which links perfectly to BARES with a simple B-to-C swap.

With the core five words deduced—POKES, PORES, BORES, BARES, CARES—the internal sequence became clear: POKES → PORES → BORES → BARES → CARES. Now for the theme hint: "The top + bottom rows = Two words: one for a game played in a casino, and the other for what is dealt out to play. Keep in mind: The first word may be at the bottom." This is the key to finding the locked words. The casino game is unmistakably POKER, and what's dealt? CARDS. POKER connects to POKES (R to S), and CARDS connects to CARES (E to S). This frames the entire puzzle, giving us the full, correct ladder from top to bottom.

This puzzle was a classic example of how solving the straightforward inner clues first can create an unshakable foundation. Once that central chain was forged, the theme hint wasn't a puzzle to solve, but rather a final, satisfying confirmation that provided the start and end points. The hint's warning that "the first word may be at the bottom" was a nice bit of misdirection, but the logical flow from POKER to CARDS made the correct orientation obvious.

🔍 The Word Ladder