Word families
Anagram families
Each row below is a group of three or more real words made from exactly the same letters.
Anagram families matter in two situations. In an anagram clue the letters are given and you must find the word; in a grid, a pattern search can return several words with the same letters, and only a crossing letter tells them apart. The groups here are the commonest ones in our word list with at least three members, each with a definition, and clues where we have one.
| Letters | Words (with a clue where we have one) |
|---|---|
| AELST | LEAST (Smallest amount), SLATE (Roofing rock), STALE (No longer fresh), STEAL (Take unlawfully), STELA (Ancient stone slab), TALES (Stories) |
| ACERST | CASTER (Furniture wheel), RECAST (Assign new actors), CATERS (Provides food for), CRATES (Shipping boxes), REACTS (Responds), TRACES (Small amounts) |
| OPST | POST (Wooden fence support), SPOT (Place or mark), STOP (Red octagon command), TOPS (Highest points), POTS (Cooking vessels) |
| AELPST | PASTEL (Soft pale color), STAPLE (Basic necessity), PLEATS (Fabric folds), PETALS (Blossom segments), PLATES (Dishes) |
| AEST | EAST (Direction of sunrise), EATS (Food informally), SEAT (Place to sit), TEAS (Hot brewed drinks) |
| EIMST | SMITE (Strike hard), TIMES (Repeated instances), MITES (Tiny pests), EMITS (Gives off) |
| EERST | ESTER (Fragrance chemical), RESET (Start over), STEER (Guide), TERSE (Brief), TREES (Tall woody plants) |
| ADEPRS | SPREAD (Extend over an area), SPARED (Left unharmed), DRAPES (Window curtains), PADRES (Military chaplains) |
| AILR | LAIR (Animal den), LIAR (Untruthful person), LIRA (Old Italian money), RAIL (Train track bar) |
| ACEPRS | PARSEC (Astronomical distance unit), SCRAPE (Rub harshly), PACERS (Tempo guides), CAPERS (Pickled flower buds), SPACER (Gap holder) |
| ABERS | SABER (Curved sword), SABRE (Curved sword), BARES (Lays open), BEARS (Large mammals) |
| AERST | ASTER (Daisy-like flower), STARE (Fixed gaze), TEARS (Drops from the eyes) |
| ARST | ARTS (Creative fields), STAR (Famous actor), TSAR (Russian emperor), RATS (Rodents) |
| EINRS | RESIN (Sticky plant substance), RINSE (Wash lightly), RISEN (Gone up), SIREN (Warning wail), REINS (Horse control straps) |
| ENOST | ONSET (First appearance), STONE (Hard rock piece), TONES (Sounds or shades) |
| AEMST | MATES (Close pals), STEAM (Hot water vapor), MEATS (Butcher-shop cuts) |
| EILNST | ENLIST (Join the military), LISTEN (Pay attention to sound), SILENT (Making no sound), TINSEL (Shiny holiday strands), INLETS (Narrow water passages) |
| ELRSTU | LUSTER (Sheen), LUSTRE (Shine), RESULT (Final outcome), RUSTLE (Dry leaf sound), ULSTER (Long heavy coat) |
| EOPRS | POSER (Hard question), PROSE (Ordinary writing), SPORE (Fungal reproductive cell), ROPES (Lariat materials), PORES (Skin openings) |
| APRT | PART (Piece of a whole), RAPT (Fully absorbed), TARP (Waterproof cover), TRAP (Hidden catch) |
| CDEERSU | RESCUED (Saved from danger), RECUSED (Stepped aside legally), SECURED (Made safe), REDUCES (Makes smaller) |
| CEEPRST | RESPECT (Admiration for someone), SCEPTER (Royal staff), SCEPTRE (Royal staff), SPECTER (Ghostly apparition), SPECTRE (Ghostly image) |
| ACDER | ARCED (Curved like a bow), CADRE (Core group), CEDAR (Fragrant evergreen conifer), CARED (Felt concern), RACED (Competed for speed) |
| AEHLS | LEASH (Dog restraint), SHALE (Layered sedimentary rock), HEALS (Becomes well) |
| EORS | ROSE (Flower for romance), SORE (Painful to the touch), ORES (Mine finds), ROES (Fish eggs) |
| EIMRT | MERIT (Worthiness), MITER (Angled joint), MITRE (Bishop's hat), REMIT (Send payment), TIMER (Countdown device) |
| APRST | PARTS (Pieces), SPRAT (Small herring), STRAP (Bag shoulder band), TRAPS (Snares), TARPS (Protective covers) |
| DEIST | DIETS (Eating plans), TIDES (Ocean cycles), EDITS (Written revisions) |
| AEPRSS | PASSER (Throws football), SPARSE (Thinly scattered), PARSES (Analyzes grammar), SPARES (Extra parts), SPEARS (Pointed weapons) |
| EGOR | ERGO (So it follows), GORE (Bloodshed), OGRE (Fairy-tale giant) |
| DEIT | DIET (Food plan), EDIT (Revise for publication), TIDE (Ocean rise and fall) |
| AEMT | MATE (Friend or chess ending), MEAT (Protein from livestock), TAME (Not wild; domesticated), TEAM (Players in uniform) |
| ACERS | ACRES (Field area units), SCARE (Cause sudden fear), RACES (Speed contests), CARES (Feels concern) |
| ADERRW | DRAWER (Sliding desk compartment), REWARD (Prize for effort), WARDER (Prison guard), REDRAW (Sketch anew) |
| EPST | PEST (Annoying nuisance), SEPT (Clan branch), STEP (Move one foot), PETS (Household animals) |
| AEKST | SKATE (Ice glide), STAKE (Garden support stick), STEAK (Cut of beef), TAKES (Accepts or carries) |