UnscrambleWords
Crosswords
5 min read

Cracking Crossword Clues

A practical system for when you have letters but no clue what word fits.

The core idea

Crossword setters love patterns. When stuck, feed the known letters into Unscramble Words with "contains" and length filters — you will almost always find the answer.

Tips that actually work

  • Use the position filters

    Starts with / ends with / contains can narrow 170,000 words to a handful in one click.

  • Think clue style

    Cryptic clues often hide anagrams inside the clue itself — look for "mixed", "broken", "confused".

  • Learn crossword-ese

    ERIE, OREO, ALOE, ESAI appear constantly. They are short, vowel-heavy, and puzzle setter favourites.

  • Solve by crossings

    When one answer is tough, fill the easier crossings first. The constraints usually reveal the stubborn one.

Put it into practice.

Feed your current rack into the unscrambler and see how many of these ideas land in your next game.