Prods, as with a stick or finger

POKES is the answer to "Prods, as with a stick or finger" in LinkedIn Crossclimb on Saturday, July 18, 2026. It has five letters and sits on rung 4 of 5.

"Prods, as with a stick or finger" answer

The answer for Saturday's puzzle is:

POKES

The rest of the ladder at the top of the page stays hidden until you tap a rung, so you can check this word without giving away the others.

Why POKES fits

If you've already solved POKER, change its fifth letter from R to S. Coming from POLES instead, swap its third letter, L, for a K. Either way, you end up at POKES.

The full ladder for July 18, 2026

Here's every word from that day, with POKES marked.

Other clues from the July 18 Crossclimb

The other four clues from that day, each linked to its own page:

• One who makes a commitment, as a bride or groom on their wedding day → VOWER
• Electricity, for example → POWER
• Bluffing game played around a table at a casino → POKER
• Ends of a magnetic field, such as Earth's North and South → POLES

For the whole solution in one place, top and bottom words included, see the July 18 Crossclimb answers. Today's puzzle is on the main Crossclimb page.

About LinkedIn Crossclimb

Crossclimb is LinkedIn's daily word-ladder game. You answer short trivia clues, then put the words in order so each one differs from the next by a single letter; getting that right unlocks the top and bottom words. A new ladder goes live at midnight Pacific (3 a.m. Eastern), and it's free to play on LinkedIn.

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