Black residue from a fire

SOOT is the answer to "Black residue from a fire" in LinkedIn Crossclimb on Wednesday, July 22, 2026. It has four letters and sits on rung 2 of 5.

"Black residue from a fire" answer

The answer for Wednesday's puzzle is:

SOOT

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 SOOT fits

If you've already solved SHOT, change its second letter from H to O. Coming from SOON instead, swap its fourth letter, N, for a T. Either way, you end up at SOOT.

The full ladder for July 22, 2026

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

Other clues from the July 22 Crossclimb

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

• Basketball attempt or espresso unit → SHOT
• Happening in the near future → SOON
• Apollo 11’s destination → MOON
• Cut, like a well-manicured lawn → MOWN

For the whole solution in one place, top and bottom words included, see the July 22 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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