How to Play Cross Ladder

What Is Cross Ladder?

Your task in Cross Ladder is to solve each clue and follow the letter-change rules all the way down the ladder. Every puzzle is made up of six answers, and together they form a single connected chain.

1. Start With a 4-Letter Word

Each puzzle begins with a simple clue and a required word length of four letters.

Example:
Clue: “What a clock tells”
Answer: TIME

Submitting a correct answer moves you to the next level.

2. The Second Answer Is an 8-Letter Word

To build the second answer:

• Use all the letters from your previous word.
• Use them at least as frequently as they appear in that word.
• Add whatever extra letters are needed to reach the new length.
• Rearranging letters is allowed.
• Repeated letters are allowed as long as the final word is valid.

Example:
TIME → ESTIMATE

3. The Third Answer Is a 5-Letter Word

To build the third answer from the second:

• You may only use letters that appear in the previous word.
• Use each letter only as often as it appears in the previous word.
• Drop whichever letters you don’t need.
• Rearranging is allowed.

Example:
ESTIMATE → STEAM

4. Repeat the Alternating Pattern

Every puzzle follows the same length structure: 4 → 8 → 5 → 9 → 6 → 10.

This means levels alternate between:

• Adding letters to build longer words.
• Removing letters to build shorter words.

At every step, your answer must still match the new clue.

5. Solve Each Clue While Respecting the Letter Rules

Each level gives you a new clue. Your answer must:

• Match the clue, and
• Follow the add/remove letter rules.

Example sequence:

• TIME (4)
• ESTIMATE (8)
• STEAM (5)
• MATERIALS (9)
• TRIALS (6)
• INDUSTRIAL (10)

6. Lives, Skips, and Game End

You have 3 lives.

Each incorrect answer costs 1 life. You may also skip one level per puzzle by spending a life.

The game ends when you either:

• Complete all six levels, or
• Use all three lives.

A new puzzle unlocks every day.

Make Cross Ladder Part of Your Routine

Cross Ladder is designed to sit comfortably alongside other daily puzzles like Wordle, Connections, and crosswords. Once you’ve finished (or run out of lives), you’re done for the day—come back tomorrow for a new ladder.

Ready to try it in action? Head back to the main page and play today’s puzzle: Play Cross Ladder.