“The early bird catches the ___”

WORM is the answer to "The early bird catches the ___" in LinkedIn Crossclimb on Monday, October 5, 2026. It has four letters and sits on rung 5, just above the bottom word.

"The early bird catches the ___" answer

The answer for Monday's puzzle is:

WORM

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 WORM fits

This one is a fill-in-the-blank. With WORM in the gap, you get "The early bird catches the WORM."

If you've already solved FORM, change its first letter from F to W. The bottom word, WORK, unlocks once the middle rungs are in order, and it differs from WORM only in the fourth letter, K instead of M.

The full ladder for October 5, 2026

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

Other clues from the October 5 Crossclimb

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

• Package of 500 sheets of paper → REAM
• Travel without a plan → ROAM
• Type of cushioning or rubber → FOAM
• Something you might fill out with your name and address → FORM

For the whole solution in one place, top and bottom words included, see the October 5 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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