Solve the clue
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Loading the 359,065-word list…
For full Scrabble-style unscrambling with tile scores, try the Word Finder.
Quick Answer
This crossword solver at https://practicalwebtools.com/other/crossword-solver returns every word that fits what you already know: type a pattern like c?t for blanks, enter clue letters to get sub-anagrams such as listen to silent and enlist, or set the length plus known positions. It searches a 359,065-word list entirely in this browser tab — nothing you type is uploaded.
How It Works
Type the letters you know in Pattern mode — use ? for each unknown letter, so c?t finds cat, cot and cut
Turn on advanced patterns to use * or a space for any-length gaps, then narrow matches with length limits
Switch to Clue letters for anagram clues — listen instantly lists silent, enlist and tinsel plus shorter sub-words
Use Known positions when only some squares are filled — set the length, place the letters, then click any word to copy it
Key Facts
- Pattern mode: ? stands for one unknown letter — c?t instantly returns cat, cot, cut and every other c-t word
- Advanced patterns: * or a space matches any run of letters, so c*t finds everything from cat to circumvent
- Clue-letters mode lists every sub-anagram — listen returns enlist, inlets, listen, silent, slinte and tinsel
- Known-positions mode: set the length and placed letters — 7 letters with C first and T fourth includes clothes
- Letter-frequency panel ranks the letters most likely to sit in your blank squares across all candidates
- One pass over a 359,065-word list — the 95th-percentile query measured well under 100 ms
- Click any word to copy it, or copy the whole list at once
- Runs entirely in the browser tab — the word list loads once, then works offline; nothing is uploaded
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I use this crossword solver?
Pick whichever mode matches what you know. Pattern mode takes the letters you have with ? for each blank, so c?t returns cat, cot and cut. Clue letters mode takes an anagram clue's letters in any order. Known positions mode takes the answer length plus the letters already placed in the grid. All three return the full word list instantly, with a letter-frequency panel showing which letters most often fill the blanks you have left.
What do * and spaces mean in the pattern box?
A * or a space stands for any run of letters — zero or more — while ? always stands for exactly one letter. The pattern c*t matches every word that starts with c and ends with t, from cat and curt to circumvent, and cat* matches cat plus cats. Turn on advanced patterns to combine gaps with minimum and maximum length limits when a clue like "cat, in a way" needs flexible lengths.
How do I solve an anagram crossword clue?
Switch to clue letters and type the scrambled letters from the clue. The solver keeps every word whose letters can all be built from yours, so for listen you get the full anagrams enlist, inlets, listen, silent, slinte and tinsel, plus shorter sub-words. Set a minimum length matching the answer square count to hide the short ones.
Can it solve a clue from its meaning alone?
No. This is a pattern and letter solver, not a clue-meaning engine — it finds every dictionary word that fits the letters, lengths, and positions you enter, and the letter-frequency panel helps you pick among them. You still read the clue itself; the solver handles the letter work so you can focus on the wordplay.
What word list does the crossword solver use?
It searches the same 359,065-word general English list I use for the Word Finder on this site (an ENABLE-derived words_alpha list). Crossword editors use their own lexicons — the New York Times crossword draws from a smaller edited dictionary — so a rare fill may appear here that an editor would reject, and vice versa. For everyday puzzles the coverage is effectively complete.
Is my input sent anywhere?
No. I made the solving run entirely in this browser tab: the word list downloads once when the page opens and every search after that happens in your device's memory — you can watch the Network tab to confirm nothing is sent. There is no account, and the page keeps working offline after the first load.