Crossword Solver

Pattern-match crossword answers with clue-aware ranking 280K words

Use ? for unknown letters. Example: ?A?I? finds CABIN, MAGIC, RAPID, etc.

Enter keywords from the crossword clue to rank results by relevance

▶ Dictionary & Sort Options...

About the Crossword Solver

Crossword puzzles reward pattern recognition and vocabulary breadth. Our solver applies systematic pattern matching against a 280,000-word dictionary, combined with a clue relevance engine that cross-references your hint against thousands of published crossword clues. The result is a ranked list where the most statistically likely answers appear first, reducing the cognitive load of scanning through hundreds of potential matches.

How the hybrid engine works: Pattern matching runs on our high-performance FastCGI API (the same engine behind A2Z Words), while crossword clue lookups use a locally cached database of thousands of harvested clues. This dual approach gives you both raw dictionary coverage and crossword-specific intelligence in a single search.

How to Use This Tool

1

Enter the Pattern

Type known letters in their correct positions and use ? for blanks. Example: ?A?I? finds 5-letter words with A in position 2 and I in position 4.

2

Add a Clue Hint

Optional: enter keywords from the crossword clue. Answers with matching published clues are highlighted with a green border and ranked first.

3

Browse & Click

Click any word to reveal its crossword clue history and dictionary definition links. Words with known crossword clues show a green "clues" badge.

Pattern Matching Examples

  • ?A?I? — 5-letter words with A in position 2 and I in position 4: results include CABIN, MAGIC, RAPID, BASIC, HABIT, RATIO, and dozens more
  • S???? — 5-letter words starting with S: hundreds of matches, but adding a clue hint like "reptile" immediately surfaces SNAKE at the top
  • ??NG — 4-letter words ending in NG: BANG, DING, GANG, HANG, KING, LONG, PING, RING, SANG, SING, TONG, WING, and more
  • QU??? — 5-letter words starting with QU: QUACK, QUAFF, QUEEN, QUERY, QUEST, QUEUE, QUICK, QUIET, QUILL, QUIRK, QUOTA, QUOTE
  • ?OO? — 4-letter words with OO in the middle: BOOK, BOOM, BOON, BOOT, COOK, COOL, DOOM, DOOR, FOOD, FOOT, GOOF, GOOD, HOOD, HOOK, HOOF, HOOP, LOOM, LOOP, MOOD, MOON, MOOR, NOON, NOOK, POOL, POOP, POOR, ROOF, ROOM, ROOT, SOON, SOOT, TOOL, WOOD, ZOOM

Crossword Solving Strategies

  • Solve fill-in-the-blank clues first: These are typically the easiest entries in any crossword and give you crossing letters for tougher clues nearby
  • Watch for plural and tense markers: If the clue is plural, the answer likely ends in S. Past tense clue? Try -ED. Present participle? Try -ING. This narrows your pattern before you even start searching
  • Use crossing letters aggressively: Every solved word gives you free letters in intersecting entries — enter them into your pattern to dramatically reduce candidates
  • Count squares carefully: The word length is fixed by the grid. A 4-letter word with double-O is probably BOOK, COOK, FOOD, GOOD, MOOD, MOON, POOL, or ROOF
  • Leverage the clue hint field: Even a single keyword from the clue (like "king" or "animal" or "country") can push the right answer to the top of results, saving significant scanning time on patterns with many matches
  • Try different dictionaries: The Crossword dictionary includes specialized crossword vocabulary that may not appear in Scrabble dictionaries, making it the best default choice for puzzle solving

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I enter a crossword pattern?

Type the letters you know in their correct positions. Use ? (question mark) for letters you do not know. For example, if you have a 5-letter word and know the 2nd letter is A and the 4th is I, type ?A?I? and click Find Answers. The solver will return every dictionary word that matches this positional constraint.

How do clue hints improve results?

When you enter a clue hint, we check every matching word against our database of published crossword clues. Words whose clues contain your hint keyword are highlighted with a green border and sorted to the top. For example, entering the pattern ?A?I? with the hint "fast" would surface RAPID at the top, since published crossword clues for RAPID include "fast" as a keyword.

How large is the dictionary?

The pattern search queries a 280,000-word dictionary via our FastCGI API. This is significantly larger than the local word lists used by many crossword helpers, so you will find even obscure crossword vocabulary here. The crossword-specific dictionary includes proper crossword fill words that standard dictionaries omit.

What if I get too many results?

Add more known letters to your pattern, enter a clue hint keyword, or switch to a more specific dictionary. Every additional known letter exponentially reduces the candidate space. The clue hint field is particularly effective — even one keyword can surface the correct answer from hundreds of pattern matches.