Crossword Solver
Enter a pattern using letters and underscores (_) for unknown letters.
How to use patterns:
c_t→ cat, cut, cot, cit…_ight→ light, night, sight, fight…h__se→ house, horse…
About Crossword Puzzles
The crossword puzzle was invented on December 21, 1913 by journalist Arthur Wynne, and published in the New York World newspaper. Since then it has become the world's most popular word puzzle, appearing in thousands of newspapers, magazines, and apps globally. The New York Times crossword — started in 1942 — is considered the gold standard of American crossword construction.
When you're stuck on a tricky clue and you know the length of the answer plus a few crossing letters, our crossword solver narrows the field instantly. Enter the pattern using letters and underscores for unknown positions and get every matching word from our 72,000-word dictionary.
How to Use the Crossword Solver
Pattern Guide
- Use letters for positions you know.
- Use _ (underscore) or ? for unknown letters.
- The total length of your pattern equals the word length.
- Case does not matter —
C_Tandc_twork the same.
Pattern Examples
Crossword Solving Strategies
- Use crossing letters aggressively. Every letter you confirm from a crossing answer dramatically reduces the candidates for an unknown word.
- Count letters precisely. Miscounting by one letter is the most common mistake; re-count the blank squares in the grid before entering a pattern.
- Look for common short answers. Crossword constructors love 3-letter words like ERA, ATE, ORE, EEL, and ALT.
- Think about crossword-ese. Words rarely used in daily speech (ETUI, OLEO, ERNE, SNEE) appear frequently in crosswords — keep them in mind.
- Work in passes. Solve the easiest clues first across the whole puzzle before returning to the hard ones — each solved answer gives you crossing letters for the next.
Frequently Asked Questions
❓ Can the crossword solver understand clue descriptions?
Not yet — it solves by letter pattern only. For clue interpretation (e.g., "capital of France," 5 letters), you'll still need domain knowledge, but the pattern matcher narrows the field dramatically once you know a few letters.
❓ What if my pattern returns too many results?
Add more known letters from crossing answers. Even one extra confirmed letter can cut the result list in half.
❓ Are abbreviations and proper nouns included?
Our dictionary focuses on common English words and excludes most proper nouns, which is typical of crossword puzzle wordlists. If a clue clearly refers to a proper noun, use your general knowledge alongside the pattern.