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
Wednesday, December 12, 2012 37A Surgery souvenir (4) Peter A. Collins
Sunday, November 11, 2012 13A Cut line Elizabeth C. Gorski
Tuesday, August 14, 2012 69A Memento from Zorro Ian Livengood
Thursday, July 12, 2012 39A Traumatize (4) Pawel Fludzinski
Wednesday, April 4, 2012 1A Frankenstein's monster had one on his forehead Zoe Wheeler
Wednesday, March 14, 2012 15A Many a cut, eventually Dave Sarpola
Monday, March 12, 2012 57D Battle reminder Lynn Lempel
Sunday, March 4, 2012 106A Reminder of a sort David J. Kahn
Saturday, December 17, 2011 45A Bit of emotional damage Tom Heilman
Sunday, November 20, 2011 92A Traumatize (4) Trip Payne
Monday, November 14, 2011 16A Memento of an old wound Mark Feldman
Tuesday, November 1, 2011 44A Reminder of an old wound Kristian House
Sunday, October 9, 2011 105D Tattoo removal reminder Brendan Emmett Quigley
Monday, April 11, 2011 63A "The Lion King" villain (2) Ian Livengood
Saturday, April 9, 2011 35A Protruding rock Scott Atkinson
Sunday, December 12, 2010 127A Accident reminder Karen Young Bonin
Wednesday, November 3, 2010 25D Emotionally damage Tracy Gray
Saturday, July 17, 2010 44D Line of combat? Mark Diehl
Tuesday, April 6, 2010 57D Mark for life (7) Sarah Keller
Sunday, March 28, 2010 77A Leave a mark on (4) Ed Sessa
Tuesday, January 26, 2010 34D Permanent reminder Paula Gamache
Saturday, August 22, 2009 57D Cutting-edge development? Karen M. Tracey
Monday, August 3, 2009 27D Surgery souvenir (4) Janet R. Bender
Monday, April 27, 2009 17A Mark left from an injury Joe Krozel
Tuesday, August 19, 2008 4D "The Lion King" villain (2) Harriet Clifton
Sunday, April 27, 2008 29D Cliff Oliver Hill
Tuesday, March 4, 2008 10A Remnant of a tattoo removal, maybe Kevin Donovan
Tuesday, February 12, 2008 26D Mark permanently Deb Amlen
Tuesday, January 1, 2008 55D Injury reminder Adam G. Perl
Monday, May 28, 2007 1D Memento of a knife fight John Underwood
Monday, February 26, 2007 21A Old punch line? Peter A. Collins
Sunday, August 6, 2006 70D Leave a mark on (4) Mark Feldman
Tuesday, December 6, 2005 25D Lasting impression (5) Nancy Salomon
Tuesday, November 1, 2005 42D Surgery reminder Sarah Keller
Wednesday, June 15, 2005 10A Surgery aftermath Richard Silvestri
Tuesday, May 3, 2005 40D Identifying mark (2) Gary Steinmehl
Monday, April 11, 2005 66A Harry Potter's lightning bolt Norma Steinberg
Saturday, February 19, 2005 37A Identifying mark (2) Brad Wilber
Saturday, December 11, 2004 46A Lasting impression (5) James E. Buell
Wednesday, October 6, 2004 12D Mark for life (7) Adam Cohen
Sunday, September 26, 2004 67A Indication of previous damage Joe DiPietro
Saturday, May 29, 2004 48A Old nick Patrick Berry
Tuesday, May 4, 2004 28D Leave a permanent mark on Eric Berlin
Wednesday, March 3, 2004 52D Operation memento Mark Diehl
Monday, January 26, 2004 46A Harry Potter's lightning bolt, e.g. Patrick Merrell
Sunday, January 18, 2004 37A Mark for life (7) Arlan and Linda Bushman
Saturday, January 17, 2004 20A Steep rocky eminence Patrick Berry
Friday, November 7, 2003 29A Cutting evidence Jim Page
Sunday, November 2, 2003 1D Old battle line? Elizabeth C. Gorski
Monday, October 13, 2003 1A Sign of injury Eric Berlin
Sunday, June 1, 2003 30A Lasting impression (5) Lee Glickstein and Nancy Salomon
Sunday, January 19, 2003 1D Sign of damage (2) Eric Berlin
Monday, November 4, 2002 32D Unwelcome mark Peter Gordon
Tuesday, August 27, 2002 6A Sign of stitches Denise M. Neuendorf
Wednesday, May 8, 2002 1D Lasting impression (5) Fred Piscop
Sunday, April 21, 2002 3D Kind of tissue (2) Trip Payne
Sunday, January 27, 2002 14A Painful reminder Patrick Berry
Wednesday, January 16, 2002 36D Rocky outlook Linda Bushman
Sunday, November 18, 2001 77D Bad mark Jim Page
Thursday, July 19, 2001 31A Melee memento (2) Marjorie Richter
Sunday, May 13, 2001 111D Uglify Nancy Nicholson Joline
Tuesday, April 10, 2001 5D Battle memento Kevin McCann
Wednesday, February 21, 2001 62D Permanent marker? Karen Hodge
Wednesday, February 14, 2001 52D Mark for life (7) Robert Dillman
Monday, December 11, 2000 37D Fight reminder Myles Callum
Saturday, August 26, 2000 10D Vet's pride, perhaps A. J. Santora
Sunday, August 13, 2000 67D The lightning bolt on Harry Potter's forehead, e.g. Nancy Salomon and Harvey Estes
Monday, July 3, 2000 62A Surgery souvenir (4) Marjorie Berg
Friday, June 30, 2000 45D Mark of Zorro? Martin Ashwood-Smith
Monday, April 10, 2000 45D Kind of tissue (2) Ed Early
Tuesday, March 28, 2000 35D Surgery result Fred Piscop
Friday, February 18, 2000 10D Slash mark? (2) Manny Nosowsky
Monday, December 27, 1999 5A Reminder of a swordfight Gregory E. Paul
Sunday, November 14, 1999 84D Mark for life (7) Lloyd E. Pollet
Tuesday, August 3, 1999 33A Mark for life (7) Dave Tuller
Sunday, July 25, 1999 6A Mark for life (7) Charles M. Deber
Sunday, July 11, 1999 84A Stitch souvenir Nancy Salomon
Thursday, June 10, 1999 26D Permanently affect for the worse Adam G. Perl
Tuesday, February 23, 1999 36A Injury's aftermath Robert Zimmerman
Saturday, January 2, 1999 43A Rocky cliff Rich Norris
Tuesday, December 29, 1998 9A Mark left by Zorro? (2) Susan Harrington Smith
Sunday, December 6, 1998 115D Duel souvenir Marjorie Richter
Wednesday, November 11, 1998 30A Leave a mark on (4) Elizabeth C. Gorski
Wednesday, November 4, 1998 43D Melee memento (2) Rich Norris
Sunday, June 7, 1998 104D Capone trademark Randolph Ross
Wednesday, March 18, 1998 16A Stigma Susan Smith
Saturday, February 21, 1998 10A Unwanted line Richard Hughes
Thursday, January 29, 1998 48D Dueling memento, maybe Frances Hansen
Sunday, November 30, 1997 91A Leave a mark on (4) Charles Deber
Thursday, November 13, 1997 52D Slash mark? (2) Manny Nosowsky
Saturday, November 8, 1997 24D Lasting effect (2) Jim Page
Tuesday, September 30, 1997 52D Wound reminder (2) Nancy Schuster
Sunday, August 31, 1997 36D Sign of damage (2) David J. Kahn
Sunday, August 24, 1997 103D Lasting effect (2) Michael S. Maurer
Wednesday, April 23, 1997 37D Lasting impression (5) Cathy Millhauser
Monday, April 7, 1997 6D Old wound mark Teresa M. Hackett
Wednesday, March 5, 1997 17A Mark left by Zorro? (2) Michael S. Maurer
Thursday, January 16, 1997 33D Reminder of a duel W. R. Williams
Sunday, January 12, 1997 48D Badge of battle M. Rosen
Thursday, January 9, 1997 32D Traumatize (4) C. Millhauser
Wednesday, January 8, 1997 1D Lasting impression? J. D. Leavy
Sunday, December 1, 1996 21A Cicatrix (2) D. J. Kahn
Monday, September 23, 1996 51D Capone feature (3) S. L. Robbins
Monday, June 10, 1996 32A Deface (3) S. Spadaccini
Friday, May 24, 1996 43D Deface (3) M. Ashwood-Smith
Monday, May 13, 1996 34D Capone feature (3) S. L. Robbins
Sunday, May 12, 1996 38D Vaccination reminder R. Silvestri
Sunday, April 14, 1996 111D Rumble reminder Henry Hook
Wednesday, November 29, 1995 43A Cicatrix (2) Nancy S. Ross
Tuesday, November 7, 1995 42A Capone feature (3) Sidney L. Robbins
Thursday, September 7, 1995 10A Surgery souvenir (4) Rich Norris
Friday, July 14, 1995 1D Deface (3) Rich Norris
Wednesday, June 14, 1995 3D Dueling memento Richard Hughes
Friday, July 29, 1994 37D Disfigure (2) A. D. Cover
Sunday, May 22, 1994 103D Traumatize (4) Randolph Ross
Monday, April 18, 1994 37D Disfigure (2) Nancy Joline
Tuesday, January 25, 1994 41A Cutting reminder? Joel Davajan
Thursday, December 2, 1993 25A Wound reminder (2) Richard Silvestri