Crossclimb 873 Answer & Solution Guide
Answer: FOSTER FATHER 🌟
🎮 Puzzle Overview
Crossclimb 873 starts with FOSTER and ends with FATHER. The theme clue asks for a two-word phrase describing a male family member who is not related to you by blood. The endpoint words combine directly to give FOSTER FATHER.
The five middle answers are POSTER, PESTER, FESTER, FASTER, and FATTER. Placed in the right order, each neighboring word differs by exactly one letter.
🪜 Complete Word Ladder
| Position | Word | Clue or Role | Letter Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top | FOSTER | First word of the final answer | Starting word |
| 1 | POSTER | Large notice or picture hung on a wall | F → P |
| 2 | PESTER | Irritate or bother | O → E |
| 3 | FESTER | Become more irritating, like an ignored problem | P → F |
| 4 | FASTER | At a higher speed | E → A |
| 5 | FATTER | Stouter | S → T |
| Bottom | FATHER | Second word of the final answer | T → H |
🧠 Player Solution Walkthrough
Step 1: Understanding the Puzzle
The endpoint clue is unusually direct: a male family member outside your bloodline is a foster father. That identifies both endpoint words, but the middle clues still need to be solved and arranged into a valid ladder.
Step 2: Finding the First Move
The wall notice clue gives POSTER. It fits immediately after FOSTER because only the first letter changes: FOSTER → POSTER.
Step 3: Building the Middle
To irritate or bother is to PESTER, which changes the O in POSTER to E. An ignored problem can FESTER, giving the next step by changing P to F.
Step 4: Reaching the Bottom
“At a higher speed” gives FASTER, followed by FATTER for “stouter.” The last move changes FATTER to FATHER, completing the climb.
Step 5: Final Answer
The full ladder is FOSTER → POSTER → PESTER → FESTER → FASTER → FATTER → FATHER, and the endpoints form FOSTER FATHER.
📚 Word Reference
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| FOSTER | Providing parental care to a child without being the child's biological parent. |
| POSTER | A large printed notice or picture displayed on a wall. |
| PESTER | To annoy or bother someone repeatedly. |
| FESTER | To become worse or more troublesome when left unresolved. |
| FASTER | Moving or happening at a higher speed. |
| FATTER | More stout or having more body fat. |
| FATHER | A male parent. |
❓ FAQ
Q1: What is the answer to Crossclimb 873?
The final answer is FOSTER FATHER.
Q2: What is the complete word ladder?
The ladder is FOSTER → POSTER → PESTER → FESTER → FASTER → FATTER → FATHER.
Q3: How many middle answers are there?
There are five: POSTER, PESTER, FESTER, FASTER, and FATTER.
Q4: What does foster father mean?
A foster father is a man who provides parental care for a child through a foster-care arrangement rather than through a biological relationship.
Q5: Why does POSTER come immediately after FOSTER?
The two words differ only in their first letter, changing F to P while leaving OSTER unchanged.
Q6: What is the trickiest part of Crossclimb 873?
Several answers share the same ending, so it is easy to see the word family but still arrange the rungs incorrectly. Every neighboring pair must differ by exactly one letter.
🎯 Strategy Tips
- Use the endpoint clue early when it clearly identifies a familiar phrase.
- Solve the most concrete clue first; POSTER is a useful anchor here.
- Compare letter positions rather than relying only on similar sounds.
- Verify all six transitions before finalizing the ladder.