Enter a word to see all the clues used for it, or enter a pattern to see all answer words that match that pattern.
Standard matching: Patterns use ? for unknown single letters. For example, P??CH will find both POOCH and PEACH.
Use * to mean any number of letters.
A*Z finds both ADZ and ALCATRAZ, *CRY gets words that end with CRY, etc.
Up to 1000 results are shown from each word list.
This page finds words from Daily, Sunday and Variety puzzles, and also from a dictionary search. See FAQs for dictionary info.
You can use $v to mean a single vowel or $c to mean a consonant. The v and c must be lower case.
For consistency with other search engines, Y is always considered to be a consonant. Try these sample links:
$c??$c displays 4-letter answers that start and end with a consonant.
$v$v*$v$v returns words of any length that start and end with two vowels.
Some extensions are available using standard matching. For example,
[QJXZ]???[^A-M] finds 5-letter words starting with Q, J, Z, or Z
and ending with a letter not in the first half of the alphabet.
New regex matching (advanced): You can now choose to use full regular expression (regex) syntax in your searches.
You must explicitly click the RegEx button to perform a regular expression search.
Up to 10,000 results from the combined databases (Shortz, Variety, Pre-Shortz, Dictionary) are returned in a single list.
Standard matching patterns will not work in regex mode. The syntax is completely different.
XWord Info cannot help with regex syntax but the web is full of
helpful sites about this .
The Regex Dictionary has a particularly good tutorial .
The one extension I provide is that $c and $v can be used as shorthand for any consonant and any vowel.
Queries can be arbitrarily complex but here are a few simple ones to get you started.
Find words that include the string ABC somewhere inside:
ABC
Words that can be spelled using only the names of musical notes:
^[A-G]+$
Entries that do not include a vowel:
^[^AEIOU]*$
Words ending in c + 2 vowels + a single consonant:
C$v$v$c$
15-letter words containing neither A nor E:
^[^AE]{15}$
Words containing at least one Q and one V in any order:
(V.*Q)|(Q.*V)
Date Grid Clue Author
Sunday, March 10, 2013 66A Bud (17) Finn Vigeland
Monday, December 31, 2012 33D Amigo (8) Jeffrey Harris
Tuesday, October 2, 2012 40A Crony (3) Ethan Cooper
Thursday, August 23, 2012 31A Buddyroo Mark Feldman
Tuesday, July 31, 2012 54A Amigo (8) Michael Sharp
Monday, July 30, 2012 22A Buddy (14) Rosemarie Dolan and Christopher Geach
Thursday, July 19, 2012 31D Bud (17) Alan Arbesfeld
Sunday, July 15, 2012 36A Bert, to Ernie Randolph Ross
Monday, May 14, 2012 45A Friend (4) John Dunn
Friday, December 30, 2011 31A Someone to hang with Mike Nothnagel
Wednesday, October 12, 2011 32D Bud (17) Gary Cee
Saturday, September 24, 2011 52D Mate (5) Jeremy Horwitz
Sunday, August 28, 2011 13D Comrade Patrick Berry
Sunday, July 10, 2011 116D "Be a ___!" (3) Ben Pall and David Kahn
Wednesday, June 8, 2011 65A Sidekick (5) Peter A. Collins
Sunday, March 6, 2011 13D Bud (17) David Levinson Wilk
Friday, January 14, 2011 53A Ace Martin Ashwood-Smith
Sunday, January 2, 2011 77A Paisano David Levinson Wilk
Sunday, December 5, 2010 14D Bud (17) Ben Pall
Friday, November 5, 2010 53D Bud (17) Mike Nothnagel
Wednesday, November 3, 2010 27A One to hang with (2) Tracy Gray
Wednesday, August 18, 2010 34D Bud (17) Alex Boisvert
Friday, June 18, 2010 4D Alter ego (2) Karen M. Tracey
Thursday, May 13, 2010 52D Chum (17) Patrick Merrell
Tuesday, April 27, 2010 26A Chum (17) Oliver Hill
Monday, March 22, 2010 48D Chum (17) Andrea Carla Michaels
Monday, March 1, 2010 51A Buddy (14) Brendan Emmett Quigley
Sunday, February 21, 2010 1A Trusted one Eric Berlin
Sunday, January 10, 2010 22D Close one (3) Mel Rosen
Saturday, October 10, 2009 40D See 37-Down Natan Last
Wednesday, October 7, 2009 24A One likely to lend a needed hand Tim Wescott
Saturday, May 23, 2009 41A See 8-Down Dave Tuller
Thursday, March 19, 2009 28D Shadow, so to speak (2) Laura Sternberg
Wednesday, January 21, 2009 30A Word after pen or gal Fred Piscop
Monday, January 5, 2009 57D Friend (4) Andrea Carla Michaels
Wednesday, September 24, 2008 44A Person to bum around with Lynn Lempel
Friday, July 18, 2008 15D Familiar (2) Mike Nothnagel
Monday, July 7, 2008 42D Buddy (14) Bob Klahn
Wednesday, June 4, 2008 7D Chum (17) Billie Truitt
Sunday, April 6, 2008 34D "Be a ___!" (3) Daniel C. Bryant
Wednesday, February 27, 2008 65A Bud (17) Lee Glickstein
Tuesday, November 20, 2007 15A Chum (17) Larry Shearer
Monday, November 19, 2007 19A Buddy (14) Lynn Lempel
Sunday, August 5, 2007 65D Familiar (2) Caroline Leong
Thursday, August 2, 2007 58A Mate (5) Robert Dillman
Tuesday, March 13, 2007 34D Buddy (14) Holden Baker
Thursday, November 16, 2006 42A Close one (3) Kevin Donovan
Saturday, October 28, 2006 22A Intimate (2) David Quarfoot
Saturday, August 26, 2006 12A Hang together, with "around" Henry Hook
Wednesday, March 8, 2006 60D Amigo (8) Sherry O. Blackard
Monday, July 25, 2005 39D Chum (17) Lynn Lempel
Sunday, May 15, 2005 105D Cohort (2) Patrick Berry
Tuesday, March 29, 2005 3D Chum (17) Victor Fleming and Nelson Hardy
Monday, February 7, 2005 10A Friend (4) Gordon Seaberg
Tuesday, February 1, 2005 62D Chum (17) Kevan Choset
Sunday, January 9, 2005 90A Mate (5) Brendan Emmett Quigley
Sunday, December 12, 2004 56D Bro Lee Glickstein and Nancy Salomon
Tuesday, November 23, 2004 63D Buddy (14) Kurt Mengel
Wednesday, September 15, 2004 24D Bud (17) Alan Arbesfeld
Wednesday, August 25, 2004 52A Sidekick (5) Richard Silvestri
Sunday, August 15, 2004 14D Buddy (14) Brendan Emmett Quigley
Tuesday, April 27, 2004 49A Chum (17) Janet R. Bender
Friday, January 23, 2004 54D Mate (5) Sherry O. Blackard
Wednesday, December 24, 2003 31D Pard Steve Jones
Tuesday, December 9, 2003 47A Amigo (8) Alan Arbesfeld
Thursday, December 4, 2003 40A Goombah (2) Elizabeth C. Gorski
Tuesday, November 4, 2003 12D Chum (17) Elizabeth C. Gorski
Wednesday, July 16, 2003 6D Pen ___ Norm Guggenbiller
Sunday, July 13, 2003 82D Goombah (2) Randolph Ross
Thursday, June 19, 2003 39A Cohort (2) Randolph Ross
Sunday, May 25, 2003 52A Bud (17) David J. Kahn
Tuesday, May 20, 2003 21A Amigo (8) Peter Abide
Friday, April 18, 2003 10D One to hang with (2) Tyler Hinman
Thursday, April 17, 2003 41D Buddy (14) Eric Berlin
Monday, February 24, 2003 50A Sidekick (5) Gregory E. Paul
Wednesday, January 1, 2003 34D Bud (17) Ed Early
Sunday, September 1, 2002 84A One who lends a hand Patrick Berry
Friday, August 16, 2002 24A Hang (around with) Elizabeth C. Gorski
Thursday, August 15, 2002 38D Mate (5) Manny Nosowsky
Wednesday, June 12, 2002 47A Close one (3) Nancy Salomon and Bill Zais
Wednesday, December 19, 2001 23D Bud (17) Don West
Saturday, October 27, 2001 23D Intimate (2) Trip Payne
Wednesday, March 7, 2001 28D Friend (4) Noah Dephoure
Sunday, January 28, 2001 1D Blood brother Jim Page
Saturday, January 27, 2001 39A Bud (17) Rich Norris
Tuesday, January 16, 2001 52A Buddy (14) Peter Gordon
Friday, November 24, 2000 54A Companion Martin Ashwood-Smith
Thursday, March 16, 2000 44A Homeboy Peter Gordon
Tuesday, February 1, 2000 22D Buddy (14) A. J. Santora
Monday, November 22, 1999 32A Chum (17) Frances Hansen
Wednesday, November 10, 1999 23D Helping sort Joan Yanofsky
Sunday, October 31, 1999 1D Compadre Frank Longo
Monday, August 2, 1999 1D Chum (17) Stephanie Spadaccini
Friday, April 23, 1999 23D "Be a ___!" (3) Harvey Estes
Saturday, April 3, 1999 49A Shadow, so to speak (2) Pat M. Hugel
Monday, January 4, 1999 8D Chum (17) Gregory E. Paul
Sunday, November 1, 1998 48A Amigo (8) Robert Malinow
Sunday, May 10, 1998 40D Bud (17) Rich Silvestri
Sunday, May 3, 1998 34D Bud, to Lou Brendan Emmett Quigley
Sunday, March 29, 1998 78D Bud (17) Robert H. Wolfe
Thursday, June 19, 1997 45A Sidekick (5) Patrick Jordan
Thursday, June 12, 1997 39A Chum (17) Gilbert H. Ludwig
Tuesday, March 18, 1997 46D Buddy (14) John R. Conrad
Tuesday, February 4, 1997 18D Chum (17) G. R. Ferguson
Tuesday, August 6, 1996 1D Buddy (14) F. Heaney
Wednesday, March 13, 1996 11D Crony (3) W. R. Williams
Tuesday, January 23, 1996 30D Buddy (14) B. Lubbers
Saturday, October 14, 1995 32D Alter ego (2) Alex K. Justin
Tuesday, August 1, 1995 5D Buddy (14) Jonathan Schmatzbach
Friday, July 7, 1995 32D Chum (17) Wayne Robert Williams
Sunday, May 21, 1995 45A Bud (17) Dean Niles
Wednesday, April 26, 1995 11A Chum (17) Wayne Robert Williams
Friday, March 17, 1995 49A O'Hara's Joey Randolph Ross
Friday, January 6, 1995 19A Amigo (8) Fran & Lou Sabin
Thursday, September 22, 1994 43A Amigo (8) George Quincy
Wednesday, March 23, 1994 28A Crony (3) Cathy Millhauser
Saturday, March 5, 1994 42D Joey, for one Manny Nosowsky
Monday, February 28, 1994 5D Sidekick (5) Sidney L. Robbins
Tuesday, February 8, 1994 42A Bud (17) Peter Gordon
Saturday, December 11, 1993 26A Playmate Robert H. Wolfe
Sunday, December 5, 1993 100D Good buddy Manny Nosowsky