Crossword Solver

Enter a pattern with underscores for unknown letters to find matching words instantly.

Filter by length:

How to Use the Crossword Solver

Type your pattern in the input box above. Use underscores (_) for letters you do not know. For example, type _R_N_ to find five-letter words where the second letter is R and the fourth letter is N.
Optionally filter by length using the dropdown. This is useful when you only want results of a certain size.
Browse results instantly. Matching words appear as you type, grouped by word length. You can also click the Search button or press Enter.
Click Clear to reset and start a new search.

The solver supports patterns from 2 to 15 letters. Every underscore matches exactly one letter, and known letters are matched exactly. The search is case-insensitive.

Crossword Solving Tips

Pro Tip: Start by filling in the letters you are most confident about. Even a single known letter dramatically reduces the number of possible words and makes the pattern easier to solve.

Work from Crossings First

When solving a crossword puzzle, focus on squares where two words intersect. Solving one crossing gives you a confirmed letter for the other word. Enter these confirmed letters into the solver along with underscores for the rest.

Use Word Length to Your Advantage

Crossword grids tell you exactly how many letters a word has. Use the length filter to narrow results. A pattern like __A__ might return hundreds of matches, but adding even one more known letter (e.g., __A_E) often reduces it to a handful.

Think About Common Letter Combinations

Certain letter pairs appear frequently in English: TH, SH, CH, QU, PH, WH, and consonant clusters like STR, SPR, SCR. If your pattern has a gap next to one of these common starters, you may be able to guess an additional letter and refine your search.

Consider Plurals and Tenses

If the last letter of your pattern is S, the answer might be a plural noun. If it ends in ED, it could be a past tense verb. Endings like ING, LY, ER, and EST are also extremely common in crosswords.

Common Crossword Patterns

Here are some popular pattern searches that crossword solvers frequently use:

_A_E -- four-letter words with A and E (bake, cage, dare, face, game, hare, lake, etc.)
_O_E -- four-letter words with O and E (bone, code, dome, fore, hole, joke, etc.)
__ING -- five-letter words ending in ING (bring, cling, fling, sling, sting, swing, etc.)
S_A_E -- five-letter words starting with S, containing A and E (shade, shake, shame, shape, share, shave, skate, etc.)
_R___ -- five-letter words with R as the second letter (brand, crest, drift, frost, grain, pride, etc.)

Try entering these patterns above to see how the solver works. The more known letters you provide, the fewer results you will get -- making it easier to find the right answer.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I use the crossword solver?

Type a pattern using underscores (_) for unknown letters. For example, enter _R_N_ to find 5-letter words with R as the second letter and N as the fourth letter. Results appear instantly as you type.

What do the underscores mean?

Each underscore (_) represents exactly one unknown letter. So C_T would match CAT, COT, CUT, and any other three-letter word starting with C and ending with T.

Can I filter results by word length?

Yes. Use the length filter dropdown to show only words of a specific length (2 to 15 letters), or leave it set to "Any" to see all matches regardless of length.

How many words does the crossword solver search?

The solver searches a curated dictionary of approximately 5,000 common English words ranging from 2 to 15 letters. It covers the most frequently used words in crossword puzzles.