Crossword Solver

How to use the crossword solver

Start by entering the clue exactly as it appears in your puzzle — the wording matters, because crossword setters phrase clues in specific ways that hint at the answer. Then tell the solver how many letters the answer has and fill in any squares you've already solved from crossing words. Use a question mark, dot, or blank for each unknown letter (for example, C?O??W?R? for a nine-letter answer starting with C). The more crossing letters you supply, the tighter the results: a blank clue with no letters returns a broad list, while even two or three known squares usually pins the answer down to a handful of candidates.

Solving clues by pattern (known letters)

Half of crossword solving is really pattern-matching. Once a few crossing answers are in place, you often know the length and several letters of a word before you've cracked its clue — and that pattern alone can reveal the answer. The solver is built for exactly this: enter the pattern (say, ?A??L? for a six-letter word with A in the second spot and L in the fifth), and it lists every valid word that fits, so you can scan for the one that matches the clue's meaning. This pattern search is what rescues you from a grid that's 90% done but jammed in one corner.

The types of crossword clues it cracks

Crosswords use several clue styles, and the solver handles all of them because it works from the answer's length and letters, not just the clue's wording:

Today's crossword answers by publication

Want the full solution to a specific puzzle rather than one clue? Pick your crossword below for today's complete clues and answers, updated every day the moment the new grid goes live:

• NYT Crossword — the daily New York Times puzzle, Monday's easy grid through Saturday's toughest.
• NYT Mini Crossword — the free 5×5 speed puzzle, solved in a minute or two.
• NYT Midi Crossword — the mid-size weekend grid, between the Mini and the full puzzle.
• LA Times Crossword — the syndicated daily favourite.
• LA Times Mini Crossword — the quick bite-size LA Times grid.
• USA Today Crossword — themed, no difficulty ramp, a fresh puzzle every day.
• USA Today Quick Cross — the fast mini-style puzzle.
• Guardian Quick Crossword — the British straight-definition daily.
• Washington Post Mini — the WaPo bite-size daily grid.

Solving a themed or cryptic crossword that isn't listed? The solver above cracks any clue from any publication.

Why clues have more than one answer

If the solver returns several options, that's normal — and useful. Many clues are deliberately ambiguous until the crossing letters resolve them. “Bat” could be an animal or a piece of sports equipment; “lead” could be a metal, a clue, or the front position. That's why the solver ranks results and lets you filter by pattern: you pick the answer whose meaning matches the clue and whose letters agree with the words crossing it. When a clue seems to have two valid answers, the crossing squares are always the tiebreaker.

Tips for solving crosswords faster

• Start with the fill-in-the-blanks and short words. They're the easiest to guess and immediately give you crossing letters everywhere else.
• Trust the crossings. If a clue stumps you, solve the words that cross it first; three or four letters usually make the answer obvious.
• Watch the tense and number. A plural clue gives a plural answer (often ending in S); a past-tense clue often ends in ED. These endings are free letters.
• Learn “crosswordese.” Short vowel-heavy words (ERA, OREO, ETUI, ALOE) appear constantly because they fit awkward grids — spotting them saves time.
• Use the solver as a learning tool, not just a crutch: seeing the answer teaches you the setter's trick for next time.

Crossword solver vs. anagram solver vs. word finder

These tools overlap but solve different problems. Use the crossword solver when you have a clue and a letter pattern to satisfy. Reach for the anagram solver when you have a set of letters to rearrange into words (handy for cryptic anagram clues). And the word finder or unscramble tools are best when you simply have loose letters — from a rack of tiles or a jumble — and want every word you can make.