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ZWordFinderZ

Puzzle solver

Crossword Solver

Type a clue, pick how many squares the answer has and add any letters you already know.

How to use the crossword solver

Type the clue into the box above. You can paste it exactly as printed or trim it to the words that carry the meaning: “Japanese farewell” works as well as “Farewell, in Tokyo”. Then tap the number of squares the answer fills. A row of boxes appears: type any letters that crossing answers have already given you and leave the rest empty.

Hit Find answers and the solver ranks every candidate that fits your squares. Each result shows its definition, so you can check at a glance whether it really matches the clue. Below the ranked list you get every dictionary word that fits the pattern, ordered from the most common to the most obscure. That list helps when a clue is a pun the definitions can’t see.

Tips for cracking tricky clues

  • Match the grammar. A plural clue (“Small dogs”) wants a plural answer; a past-tense clue (“Ran quickly”) wants a past-tense answer. The solver prefers forms that agree with your clue.
  • Watch for abbreviations. If the clue contains an abbreviation (“Org.”, “Dept.”) or ends with “for short”, the answer is usually shortened too.
  • A question mark signals wordplay. Clues ending in “?” are puns. Lean on the pattern list and your crossing letters rather than the literal meaning.
  • Fill-in-the-blank clues are gifts. “___ of the above” style clues have one familiar answer; solve them first to get crossing letters.
  • Vowels narrow the pattern. Even one vowel in the right square can cut a list of hundreds to a handful.

Crossword helper, missing-letter finder and word checker in one

The same page works three ways. With a clue and a length it behaves like a classic crossword clue solver. With only a pattern it becomes a missing-letter finder for crosswords, codewords and fill-ins. And every answer links to its full dictionary entry, where you can see whether the word is valid in Scrabble and Words With Friends. For daily puzzles, see our NYT Mini and NYT Crossword answer pages.

Frequently asked questions

How does this crossword solver find answers?
It compares the words in your clue with the definitions, synonyms and example sentences of more than 77,000 entries in the WordNet lexical database, then keeps only answers that fit your length and known letters. Answers whose meaning overlaps the clue most come first; ties go to the more common word.
Can I search with only a letter pattern?
Yes. Leave the clue empty, pick the length and type the letters you have. The solver lists every dictionary word that fits, most common words first. That is handy when the clue is a pun and you only trust the crossing letters.
What about answers that are more than one word?
Crossword grids ignore spaces, so count every letter: AU REVOIR fills 8 squares. The solver knows many multi-word phrases from WordNet and shows them with their spacing next to the grid spelling.
Why is the answer I expected missing?
Our data is a general-purpose dictionary, not an archive of published puzzles, so trivia, brand names, recent slang and heavy wordplay may not appear. Try a shorter clue with only the key word, or use the known-letters boxes to narrow the pattern list.
What does the match strength mean?
It shows how much of the clue the answer’s definition covers. Five bars means nearly every meaningful word of the clue appears in the answer’s definition or synonyms; one bar means only a loose connection.
Is there a way to get a hint instead of the full answer?
Switch on Hint mode above the results. You will see each candidate’s definition and first letter, and can reveal the full word only when you are ready.