Crossclimb 852 Answer & Solution Guide
Answer: ROVER COMET
Puzzle Overview
Today's Crossclimb puzzle #852 starts with ROVER and ends with COMET. The theme clue points to NASA's Perseverance: it is a rover, and it photographed a comet from Mars on October 4, 2025.
The five middle answers are RIVER, DIVER, DOVER, COVER, and COVET. Each rung changes one letter from the previous word while moving from ROVER to COMET.
Complete Word Ladder
| Position | Word | Clue |
|---|---|---|
| Top | ROVER | What NASA's Perseverance is |
| 1 | RIVER | Mississippi or Nile, for example |
| 2 | DIVER | Scuba ___ |
| 3 | DOVER | City in England with white cliffs |
| 4 | COVER | Perform a new version of a song originally by another artist |
| 5 | COVET | Have a strong desire for something that belongs to someone else |
| Bottom | COMET | What Perseverance photographed from Mars on October 4, 2025 |
Player Solution Walkthrough
Step 1: Understanding the Puzzle
The theme clue gives two NASA-related targets. Perseverance is a Mars rover, and the second endpoint is comet, the object it photographed from Mars.
Step 2: Starting from the Top
"Mississippi or Nile, for example" solves to RIVER. It changes only the second letter from ROVER, giving a clean first move.
Step 3: Building the Middle
"Scuba ___" is DIVER. From there, the clue about the English city with white cliffs gives DOVER, changing the second letter again.
Step 4: Connecting to the Bottom
"Perform a new version of a song originally by another artist" points to COVER. The final middle clue, "Have a strong desire for something that belongs to someone else," is COVET, which sets up the final one-letter move into COMET.
Step 5: The Answer
The full ladder is:
ROVER -> RIVER -> DIVER -> DOVER -> COVER -> COVET -> COMET
That makes the final answer ROVER COMET.
Word Reference
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ROVER | A vehicle designed to explore the surface of another planet or moon |
| RIVER | A large natural stream of flowing water |
| DIVER | Someone who dives, including underwater with scuba gear |
| DOVER | An English city known for its white cliffs |
| COVER | To perform a song previously recorded by another artist |
| COVET | To strongly desire something, especially something belonging to another person |
| COMET | An icy Solar System body that can form a glowing coma and tail near the Sun |
FAQ
Q1: What is the answer to Crossclimb 852?
The answer is ROVER COMET.
Q2: What is the full word ladder?
The full ladder is ROVER -> RIVER -> DIVER -> DOVER -> COVER -> COVET -> COMET.
Q3: How many middle answers are there?
There are five middle answers: RIVER, DIVER, DOVER, COVER, and COVET.
Q4: Why does ROVER COMET fit the clue?
NASA's Perseverance is a rover, and the clue says it photographed a comet from Mars on October 4, 2025.
Q5: What was the trickiest clue?
DOVER may be the trickiest if the white cliffs reference is unfamiliar.
Strategy Tips
- Use the theme clue to identify both endpoint words before filling the ladder.
- Check that each adjacent word changes by exactly one letter.
- Solve short fill-in clues first, such as DIVER from "Scuba ___."
- Watch for geography clues like DOVER.
- Confirm the final transition from COVET to COMET before submitting.