Crossclimb 862 Answer & Solution Guide

Answer: MEAT PIES

---

Puzzle Overview

Today's Crossclimb puzzle #862 starts with MEAT and ends with PIES. The theme clue points to tasty pastries for carnivores, which gives the final phrase meat pies.

The five middle answers are NEAT, NEAR, PEAR, PEER, and PIER. Each rung changes exactly one letter from the previous word, creating a smooth path from MEAT to PIES.

Complete Word Ladder

Position	Word	Clue
Top	MEAT	First half of the final phrase
1	NEAT	Clean and organized
2	NEAR	Close by
3	PEAR	Fruit shaped like a teardrop
4	PEER	Colleague who is an equal to you in age, job, and/or social status
5	PIER	Raised walkway that extends from the shore over water
Bottom	PIES	Second half of the final phrase

Player Solution Walkthrough

Step 1: Understanding the Puzzle

The clue describes pastries that would appeal to carnivores. That makes MEAT PIES the likely final phrase, with MEAT and PIES anchoring the ladder.

Step 2: Starting from the Top

"Clean and organized" gives NEAT. It is a direct one-letter change from MEAT, swapping the first letter while keeping the rest of the word intact.

Step 3: Moving Through the Middle

"Close by" solves to NEAR, changing the final letter from NEAT. From there, "Fruit shaped like a teardrop" gives PEAR, which keeps the EAR ending and changes the first letter.

Step 4: Connecting to the Bottom

"Colleague who is an equal to you in age, job, and/or social status" is PEER. Then "Raised walkway that extends from the shore over water" gives PIER, setting up the final one-letter move to PIES.

Step 5: Answer

The full ladder is:

MEAT -> NEAT -> NEAR -> PEAR -> PEER -> PIER -> PIES

That makes the final answer MEAT PIES.

Word Reference

Word	Meaning
MEAT	Animal flesh used as food
NEAT	Clean, tidy, and organized
NEAR	Close in distance, time, or relationship
PEAR	A sweet fruit with a rounded base and narrow top
PEER	An equal, colleague, or person of similar standing
PIER	A raised structure extending from shore over water
PIES	Baked dishes with pastry crusts and sweet or savory fillings

FAQ

Q1: What is the answer to Crossclimb 862?
The answer is MEAT PIES.

Q2: What is the full word ladder?
The full ladder is MEAT -> NEAT -> NEAR -> PEAR -> PEER -> PIER -> PIES.

Q3: How many middle answers are there?
There are five middle answers: NEAT, NEAR, PEAR, PEER, and PIER.

Q4: Why does MEAT PIES fit the clue?
Meat pies are savory pastries filled with meat, so they match "tasty pastries for carnivores."

Q5: What is the trickiest clue?
PEER may be the trickiest because the clue gives a social or workplace relationship rather than a concrete object.

Strategy Tips

1. Use the theme clue to identify the likely top-and-bottom phrase early.
2. Watch repeated letter patterns like EAR and EER as the ladder narrows.
3. Confirm every neighboring pair differs by exactly one letter.
4. Solve short everyday clues first, then use them to place the harder words.
5. Check the bottom word against the final phrase before submitting.