Crossword Maker

Fill crossword gaps with pattern matching

Enter known letters in position, ? for unknowns. Example: ?A?E finds BAKE, BARE, CAGE...

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About Crossword Maker

Stuck on a crossword clue with only a few letters filled in? Our Crossword Maker uses pattern matching to search over 280,000 words and find every word that fits your grid. Type the letters you know, use ? for the blanks, and the maker does the rest. Works for standard crosswords, cryptic puzzles, and any grid-based word challenge where you need to match a known pattern.

How It Works

1

Type the Pattern

Enter known letters in their positions. Use ? for unknown squares. Example: C?OSS?O?D

2

Narrow Your Results

Use the filter section to narrow by words containing, starting with, or ending with specific letters.

3

Find the Answer

Browse matching words sorted by length or alphabetically and pick the one that fits your clue.

Crossword Pattern Matching Tips

Pro tip: The more letters you already know, the fewer matches the maker returns, making it easier to find the right answer. Start with clues where you have 3 or more crossing letters filled in.
  • Solve crossing words first: Fill intersecting words to reveal letters in difficult clues, then pattern-match the rest
  • Think about word endings: Common crossword endings include -ED, -ING, -ER, -EST, -TION, -LY, and -NESS
  • Count grid squares carefully: Make sure your pattern length matches the exact number of squares in the puzzle grid
  • Look for theme connections: Themed puzzles often share a wordplay or conceptual link between their longest answers
  • Use letter frequency: E, T, A, O, I, N, S are the most common English letters — try these first for unknown positions

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I enter a crossword pattern?

Type the letters you know in their correct positions and use ? for unknown letters. For example, ?A?E matches BAKE, BARE, BASE, CAGE, CAKE, CAME, CANE, CAPE, CARE, CASE, DATE, DARE, FACE, and many more. The length of your pattern determines the word length.

How many words does the dictionary contain?

Our maker searches over 280,000 words including the Scrabble TWL and SOWPODS dictionaries, which are excellent sources for crossword answers. You can switch dictionaries in the Search Options.

Does this work for cryptic crosswords?

Yes. The pattern matching works regardless of clue style. For cryptic crosswords, you still enter known letters with ? for unknowns. The maker finds all matching words regardless of how the clue was constructed.

What if I get too many results?

Expand the Filter Results section to narrow by words containing, starting with, or ending with specific letters. Setting a minimum word length also reduces matches.