Crossclimb #623 Answer – January 13, 2026

PLAYSTOP

Answer

PLAYSTOP

PLAY
CLAY
“Substance that can be molded to make pottery”
CLAP
“Put your hands together to show appreciation”
FLAP
“Beat, as a bird’s wings”
FLOP
“Throw oneself down on the ground in an ungainly way, as a footballer might do to draw a foul”
SLOP
“Food waste that may be fed to animals like pigs”
STOP

Combo Clue

“Two buttons that may appear on a remote, one to start a program and another to end it”

📖 How I Solved It

I tackled puzzle #623 on January 13, 2026, and it was a wild ride! The combo clue about 'Two buttons that may appear on a remote' had me scratching my head for a bit. I kept going back and forth between 'play' and 'pause' but that didn't fit the letters. I finally realized the answer was 'PLAYSTOP', which made total sense but took me way longer than I'd like to admit. The word ladder was pretty straightforward, but I did get stuck on 'CLAY' for a minute—thought it might be 'GRAY' instead. I couldn't believe how quickly I glossed over 'SLOP' and what it meant. In the end, I felt a mix of relief and pride when I figured it all out. Who knew remote buttons could be such a brain teaser?

💡 Tips for This Puzzle

❓ FAQ

The Crossclimb answer for January 13, 2026 (#623) is PLAYSTOP. The complete word ladder is: PLAY → CLAY → CLAP → FLAP → FLOP → SLOP → STOP.