Solve any crossword pattern
The pattern box matches words by length and known letters: c_a_t finds CHANT, COAST, CLEAT and more. Combine it with Contains if you also know a letter that appears somewhere. The dictionary is the open ENABLE English word list, so most general answers are covered.
How to enter a pattern
- One underscore per empty square. A five-square entry with only the middle letter solved is
__a__— the underscores carry the length information, so count them carefully. - Type crossing letters where they fall. Every letter you already have from crossing answers goes in its exact position:
_o_e_nnarrows thousands of six-letter words to a short list. - Add what you suspect. If the clue hints at a letter but you do not know its position, put it in the Contains box instead of the pattern.
- Press Find words and scan the candidates against the clue's meaning — the grid tells you what fits, the clue tells you which one is right.
Getting unstuck faster
Order matters: solve the crossings of your longest unsolved entry first, because each new letter in a long pattern eliminates far more candidates than in a short one. If a pattern returns nothing, one of your crossing letters is probably wrong — remove the letter you are least sure of and search again; the solver failing is often the first proof of an error in the grid. For themed puzzles, remember that theme entries may be phrases or proper nouns that no dictionary tool will list; use the solver to nail the crossings instead and let the theme answer emerge letter by letter.
Crossword solver FAQ
Can it solve clues from their meaning? No — it matches letter patterns only. It is a fill tool: you bring the definition side, it brings every word that fits the squares.
What lengths does it cover? Words from 2 to 15 letters, the full range of standard crossword grids.
Will it find proper nouns like names and places? No. The ENABLE word list excludes proper nouns, so people, brands and places — common in American-style puzzles — must come from the crossings.