NYT Crossword Tips
Tip: Use ? for unknown answer letters, e.g. AN??ER. Use the space bar to enter ? quickly.
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Search

You can search our crossword puzzle database for clues and answers. You can search for an answer or a clue, or both. For answers, use a ? (question mark) or - (dash) to denote unknown letters. You can also use the space bar to enter a question mark.

We recommend entering the length of your answer, by using ? for letters that you do not know. For example, ???? would represent a four-letter answer.

Search
Tip: Use ? for unknown answer letters, e.g. AN??ER
Answer preview
Enter the letters you know in the answer box above, if you don't know any letters yet just enter spaces or question marks for each empty box. This lets us know at least how many letters your answer has.

Search Efficiently

The best way to search NYT Crossword Tips efficiently is to provide a word or two from your clue, and the length of the answers.

For example, image your clue is "After-dinner coffee order" and its answer is 5 letters long. To search properly, type ????? in the answer box. The question marks serve a placeholder for the letter that you don't know.

If you hit "Go," you'll see 0CARB as the top search result since there are many five-letter words. You'll want to provide some of the clue. Keep ????? in the answer box, and provide a keyword from the clue, say "coffee." This time, you'll see more relevant possible answers such as aroma, beans, blend, brews, decaf (the answer) and grind.

If you know some of the letters of your answer, you can enter those. For example, if you know that your answer is five letters and starts with D, you can enter D????. This will help narrow down your answer.