Word searchesAdults
Word search for adults
A 17 × 17 word search with 22 words hidden in all eight directions, set up with country names and open to themes like US states, music and food. It is for adults who want a full-size puzzle to work at leisure.
- Type your details or print blank
- Answer key on its own page
- Print or PDF, Letter or A4
- Free, no sign-up
On this page
Adult word searches tend to be bigger, with more words and less hand-holding. This one opens on the Countries theme at the top difficulty, and it prints on a single page with a second page for the answers.
What prints
The sheet has a title ("Countries Word Search"), an instruction line to find 22 words in any direction, a 17 × 17 grid of capital letters and an alphabetical word bank with tick boxes. Some country names are long, such as Madagascar and Switzerland, and a few run together without spaces: New Zealand becomes NEWZEALAND and South Africa becomes SOUTHAFRICA, so check the bank for the exact spelling. The answer page outlines each word and bolds its letters.
Because the generator draws 22 of the theme's 32 words, the set changes each time you press "New puzzle".
The settings
- Title (optional) can carry a heading such as "Trip planning" or a person's name, 40 characters at most.
- Theme includes Countries, US States, Music, Sports, Food, Weather and Bible, and "My own words".
- Difficulty opens on Hard (17 × 17). Medium is 14 × 14 and Easy is 10 × 10.
- Large print brings it down to 12 × 12 with up to 12 words; the large print word search page starts there.
- Lowercase letters prints small letters.
Printing choices
Print on letter paper at 100 percent for a grid that fills most of the page. If small type tires your eyes, use the large print option, or send the page to a printer at a higher quality setting so the letters stay crisp. A pencil with a soft lead lets you circle words and erase mistakes. A single clipped answer page keeps the solution from tempting you.
The National Institute on Aging notes that research on activities for thinking skills is still developing and that the evidence for lasting effects is not definitive. Treat a puzzle as a pastime you enjoy rather than a treatment.
Worked example: a retirement-club handout
Walter organizes a Thursday coffee hour at a community center and brings a puzzle each week. This week he picks US States, leaves Hard on, and sets the title to "Thursday Coffee Puzzle". He prints twelve copies, and since the 22 states change with every press of "New puzzle", he prints a different version for each pair of tables. Winners are whoever has the most words circled after the coffee is gone. The answer pages stay with him.
More ideas
Pair it with a crossword or a sudoku for a full puzzle table. For someone newer to word searches, try the printable word search at Medium.