Crossword Solver
Enter a pattern with _ for unknown letters to find every matching word.
How to play →What is a crossword solver?
A crossword solver takes a pattern with missing letters and finds every word that fits. You enter what you know (a few letters and underscores for blanks), and it returns every valid match from the dictionary.
Useful when you're stuck on a New York Times Sunday, the LA Times, the Telegraph cryptic, or any crossword variant. Also great for: cryptic crossword hint-checking, word ladder puzzles, Scrabble blank-tile decisions, and verifying obscure words before committing them to a grid.
Our solver covers 168,000 English entries (TWL + SOWPODS) and 328,000 French (ODS + Le Robert). That includes the obscure tournament-Scrabble words you'd never know off the top of your head.
How to use it
1. Enter your pattern
Use letters for known positions and underscores (_) for unknown. Example: _A_E_ means '5-letter word, second letter A, fourth letter E.'
2. Set the length (optional)
If your pattern already implies a length (5 underscores + letters = 5 letters), this is automatic. If you want to expand the search, leave underscores out and just enter the known letters with a length filter.
3. Hit Solve
Every word matching your pattern returns instantly, ranked alphabetically by default. You can also sort by Scrabble score if you're using it for a word game.
Examples
Example 1 — A classic NYT Sunday clue
Example 2 — Tricky letter pattern
Example 3 — Long entry, only a few letters known
FAQ
What's the difference between this and an unscrambler?
An unscrambler takes letters in any order and finds words. A crossword solver takes letters in specific positions with gaps. They solve different problems. If your input is T-R-I-A-N-G-L-E (jumbled letters), use the Unscrambler. If your input is T_I_A_G_E (letters in known positions), use the Crossword Solver.
Can I use multiple wildcards in a row?
Yes. T____E means 'T at start, E at end, anything in the middle' — returns THORPE, TIMBRE, THRACE, and others.
Does it solve cryptic crossword clues?
No. Cryptic clues require interpreting wordplay (anagrams, hidden words, double meanings). Our Solver fills in patterns once you've already worked out the answer from the clue. For the clue-decoding part, use a dedicated cryptic solver.
Are British and American spellings both supported?
Yes. The combined dictionary includes both COLOR/COLOUR, CENTER/CENTRE, etc. SOWPODS especially covers Commonwealth English.
Why are some answers obscure or archaic?
The dictionary includes valid Scrabble words, which means some unusual or rarely-used words appear. This is correct — those words win Scrabble games and appear in crossword puzzles, even if you've never heard of them.