How pattern matching helps with crosswords
Most crossword solving happens in the crossings. You rarely get a whole answer at once; you get a clue, a length, and two or three letters from answers that cross it. Pattern matching turns that into a short list. With a nine-letter answer and letters in positions two, four, six and eight, there may be only a handful of real words that fit.
Type your pattern as it appears in the grid. The Narrow it down options help when a pattern is still too open. If the clue suggests the answer ends in -ing or starts with re-, put that in the filters. If you have eliminated a letter, add it to Cannot contain.
Wildcard cheat sheet
| Symbol | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
_ or ? | Exactly one unknown letter | c_t finds cat, cot, cut |
* | Any number of letters, including none | un*ing finds undoing, unwilling |
| letters | Fixed letters in that position | _ar_ finds bark, card, wart |
Beyond the pattern
Pattern search is one tool among several. Crossword setters rely on a vocabulary of short, vowel-heavy words (crosswordese), on clue conventions (a question mark usually signals wordplay), and on the grid itself. Our crossword solving tips cover those. If you want to see which words can be built from a set of letters rather than matched to a pattern, use the Word Unscrambler.
Frequently asked questions
How do I enter the pattern?
Type the letters you know and use an underscore (_) or a question mark (?) for each missing letter. c_t_g_r_ finds category. Use * for any run of letters when you do not know the length.
Does it solve crossword clues?
No. It does not read clues. It matches patterns against a dictionary, so you still need to work out roughly what the answer should be. It is best used when you have some crossing letters and need help with the rest.
Can I search without knowing the length?
Yes. Use the * wildcard, for example tr*ing, or leave the pattern empty and use the filters (starts with, ends with, must contain).
What does the Cannot contain filter do?
It removes any word that includes one of the listed letters. It is useful once you have confirmed a letter is not in the answer from crossing words.
Why is the answer I need missing?
Crosswords often use phrases, abbreviations, names and foreign words that a single-word dictionary does not contain. This tool covers standard English words only.