Crossword Pro Solver

Fill missing letters with pattern matching

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

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About Crossword Pro Solver

Stuck on a crossword clue? Our Crossword Pro Solver uses pattern matching to find words that fit your puzzle grid. Enter the letters you know and use ? for the blanks. The solver searches over 280,000 words to find every possible match, making it easy to crack even the trickiest clues.

How It Works

1

Enter the Pattern

Type known letters and use ? for unknown positions. Example: C?OSS?O?D

2

Set Length Filters

Use min/max length in Search Options to narrow by word size.

3

Find Your Answer

Browse matching words sorted by length or alphabetically.

Crossword Solving Strategies

Pro tip: Start with the clues where you already know 3 or more letters. The more letters you provide, the fewer matches the solver returns, making it easier to spot the right answer.
  • Fill crossing words first: Solve intersecting words to reveal letters in the hard clues
  • Think about word endings: Many crossword answers end in -ED, -ING, -ER, -EST, -TION, or -LY
  • Count the squares carefully: Make sure your pattern length matches the number of squares in the grid
  • Consider theme answers: Themed puzzles often have a wordplay connection between the longest answers
  • Use letter frequency: E, T, A, O, I, N are the most common English letters — try these first for unknowns

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, and many more. The pattern length determines the word length.

How large is the word dictionary?

Our solver searches over 280,000 words covering standard English vocabulary plus crossword-specific terms. This includes the Scrabble TWL and SOWPODS dictionaries, which are excellent sources for crossword answers.

Can I use this for cryptic crosswords?

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

What if I get too many results?

Use the filter options to narrow results. You can filter by words containing, starting with, or ending with specific letter combinations. Setting a minimum length also helps reduce matches.