How to narrow a five-letter word list
Start with the most certain clue. A fixed beginning or ending usually removes more possibilities than a letter sequence that could appear anywhere. Add one constraint at a time so you can see which clue reduces the candidate list.
- Starts with: useful when the opening letters are fixed, such as CR___.
- Contains: finds a consecutive sequence anywhere, such as _AN__.
- Ends with: targets endings such as ___ER or ____Y.