Chainle terminology · glossary
Bridge word
Definition: The single word you submit in a round that connects all the clue words through meaning.
Examples
- piano + lock → key: 'key' is the bridge word.
- candle + honeycomb → wax: 'wax' links both clues.
A bridge word is the answer you type into a Chainle round: one word that connects every clue on screen through meaning. In rounds 1-3 you bridge two clues, in round 4 you bridge three clues at once, and in round 5 you work from a close-meaning cue instead. There is no single hidden answer to find — your submission is scored by a semantic model that measures how well your word relates to each clue separately.
That is what makes bridge words distinctive: there is no single correct answer, only stronger and weaker ones. “Key” for piano + lock scores far better than “music”, which relates strongly to one clue but leaves the other behind. Because the round score combines an 80% geometric mean of the per-clue similarities with a 20% weakest-link term, a bridge that only fits some of the clues drops sharply.
Why it matters
Recognizing which candidate is a true bridge — rather than a near miss tied to a single clue — is the central skill of the game. The bridge-types guide breaks down the recurring patterns, from shared materials to parts, functions, and familiar phrases, so you can move from lucky guesses to deliberate bridge hunting.