Car Word Search Printable for Kids, Road Trips and Auto Shop

Press New puzzle for 15 car words, from Engine to Seatbelt, then print a grid for every rider.

Name Date

Car Word Search

Find every word hidden in the grid. Words go across and down.

0 of 15 words found

WAUKEREPERDRDID

IJHANYRFGYHASEL

STEERINGANMKIDU

MRAAWINDSHIELDM

EKDPDHMFOTRRTDA

CNLHPEDALHRSIRN

HAIMXEBHIOOMRIE

ALGFIENINARBEVD

NNHEAMAGENGINER

ITTRUNKHULFJBRB

CUNDWSIWHEELQQW

EOGFWAAAPSRNOHS

DUOITSCYDQZSVOU

AOSSOIDASHBOARD

OJFFOEIHYEZKANS

This grid is wider and taller than its box. Slide it to see every letter.To drag, hold the first letter for a moment, then slide.Keyboard: Tab to the grid, arrow keys to move, Enter on the first and last letter.

EngineENGINE
GasolineGASOLINE
TrunkTRUNK
WindshieldWINDSHIELD
HeadlightHEADLIGHT
MirrorMIRROR
DashboardDASHBOARD
SteeringSTEERING
PedalPEDAL
HornHORN
TireTIRE
WheelWHEEL
MechanicMECHANIC
HighwayHIGHWAY
DriverDRIVER

15 of 24 words from the Car list.

Start from a list

Easy: words go across and down.

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Word list

Large print Lower-case letters Name and date line on paper

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Answer key: Car Word Search

WAUKEREPERDRDID

IJHANYRFGYHASEL

STEERINGANMKIDU

MRAAWINDSHIELDM

EKDPDHMFOTRRTDA

CNLHPEDALHRSIRN

HAIMXEBHIOOMRIE

ALGFIENINARBEVD

NNHEAMAGENGINER

ITTRUNKHULFJBRB

CUNDWSIWHEELQQW

EOGFWAAAPSRNOHS

DUOITSCYDQZSVOU

AOSSOIDASHBOARD

OJFFOEIHYEZKANS

ENGINE, GASOLINE, TRUNK, WINDSHIELD, HEADLIGHT, MIRROR, DASHBOARD, STEERING, PEDAL, HORN, TIRE, WHEEL, MECHANIC, HIGHWAY, DRIVER

Next step Make a word search from your own car words Make a car word scramble

All 138 words

Engine and Fuel 21

Alternator Makes electricity while the engine runs and keeps the battery charged.
Battery Stores the electricity that starts the engine. In an electric car a far bigger one drives the wheels.
Carburetor Mixes air and fuel in older engines. Since the 1990s fuel injection has mostly replaced it.
Crankshaft The spinning shaft that turns the up-and-down push of the pistons into rotation.
Diesel A fuel and a type of engine, both named after Rudolf, the German engineer who invented the engine.
Dipstick A thin metal rod you pull out to check how much oil the engine has.
Engine The machine under the hood that burns fuel to make the car move.
Exhaust The used gases that leave an engine through the tailpipe.
Filter Catches dirt before it gets into the engine with the air, oil or fuel.
Fuel Anything burned to make power, such as gasoline or diesel.
Gasoline The fuel most cars burn. Outside North America it is usually called petrol.
Horsepower A unit of engine power. James Watt adopted it in the late 1700s to compare steam engines with horses.
Motor A machine that turns power into motion. Electric cars use these in place of engines.

Show all 138 words (125 more)

Engine and Fuel, continued

Muffler Quiets the noise of the exhaust. In Britain it is called a silencer.
Octane A rating of how well gasoline resists knocking in an engine. The number is posted on the pump.
Oil The slippery liquid that keeps moving engine parts from grinding together.
Piston A metal plug that slides up and down inside an engine cylinder.
Pump Moves a liquid along. One sends fuel to the engine, and a bigger one stands at the gas station.
Radiator Cools the hot liquid that flows around the engine.
Tank The container that holds the fuel.
Turbo Short for turbocharger, a fan spun by exhaust gas that forces extra air into the engine.

Body and Lights 17

Antenna A rod or fin that picks up radio signals.
Blinker A flashing light that shows which way the car is about to turn.
Bumper The bar across the front and the back that takes the first knock in a small crash.
Chassis The frame that everything else on the car is bolted to. The word comes from French.
Door The hinged panel you open to get in and out.
Fender The panel that curves over a wheel. In British English it is a wing.
Grille The slotted opening at the front that lets air reach the radiator.
Headlight A bright lamp on the front that lights the road ahead.
Hood The hinged cover over the engine. In Britain it is called the bonnet.
Mirror Lets the driver see what is behind or beside the car.
Plate The metal tag on the front or back that shows the registration number.
Sunroof A panel in the roof that opens or lets light in.
Tailgate The back door of a pickup or wagon, hinged to swing down or up.
Taillight A red lamp on the back so drivers behind can see the car.
Trunk The storage space at the back. In Britain it is called the boot.
Windshield The big front window. Britain and Australia call it a windscreen.
Wiper A rubber blade that sweeps rain off the glass. Mary Anderson patented an early one in 1903.

Inside the Car 19

Airbag A cushion that inflates in an instant during a crash.
Booster A raised seat that lifts a child so the seatbelt sits in the right place.
Buckle The clasp that clicks a seatbelt shut.
Clutch The pedal that disconnects the engine from the gears in a manual car.
Cruise Followed by the word control, a system that holds a set speed. Ralph Teetor invented the modern kind in 1948.
Dashboard The panel of dials facing the driver. The word first meant a board that kept splashes off a carriage driver.
Defroster Blows warm air on the glass to clear ice and fog.
Gauge A dial or display that measures something, such as fuel or temperature.
Gearshift The lever a driver moves to pick first, reverse or drive.
Headrest The padded top of a car seat, just behind your neck.
Horn Makes a loud honk to warn other people.
Ignition The switch or button that starts the engine.
Key Unlocks the doors and lets the engine start. Many are now a button on a fob.
Odometer Counts how far the car has traveled. The name comes from Greek words for path and measure.
Pedal A foot lever. Cars have one for gas, one for the brake, and sometimes one for the clutch.
Seatbelt The strap that holds a rider in place. The three-point design used today dates from 1959.
Speedometer The dial that shows how fast the car is going.
Steering Guiding the car left or right with the wheel.
Visor A flap above the windshield that folds down to block the sun.

Wheels and Repairs 22

Alignment Setting the wheels to point straight, so the car does not pull to one side.
Axle The rod that joins a pair of wheels.
Brake Slows or stops the car when the driver presses the pedal.
Caliper The clamp that squeezes the brake pads against the spinning brake disc.
Garage A building where cars are kept or repaired. The word comes from the French garer, to shelter.
Hubcap A cover that snaps over the center of a wheel.
Inflate To pump air into a tire.
Inspection An official check that a car is safe to drive.
Jack A tool that lifts one corner of a car off the ground.
Mechanic A person who repairs and services cars.
Pressure How hard the air inside a tire pushes outward.
Puncture A small hole that lets the air out of a tire.
Service A regular checkup for a car: fresh oil, new filters and a look at the brakes.
Spare An extra tire carried in case of a flat.
Suspension The springs and shock absorbers that smooth out bumps.
Tire The air-filled rubber ring around a wheel. The British spelling is tyre.
Tow To pull a car that cannot drive behind another vehicle.
Traction The grip between the tires and the road.
Tread The grooved pattern on a tire that grips the road.
Wax A coating rubbed on clean paint to protect it and make it shine.
Wheel The round part that turns on an axle and carries the tire.
Wrench A tool that grips and turns nuts and bolts. In Britain it is a spanner.

On the Road 25

Carpool Several people sharing one car for the same trip.
Crosswalk Painted stripes that show where people on foot may go over the street.
Curb The raised edge between the street and the sidewalk.
Detour A different way around a closed road.
Driver The person at the wheel.
Exit The ramp where you leave a highway, usually numbered on a sign.
Highway A main road that links towns and cities.
Intersection The place where two or more roads cross.
Interstate A highway in the national network the United States began building under a 1956 law.
Lane One strip of a road, marked by painted lines.
License A card that shows a person has passed the tests to drive.
Merge To join a line of moving traffic from a ramp or a lane that is ending.
Mileage How many miles a car has gone, or how far it goes on a gallon of fuel.
Parking Leaving a car in a marked space or along a curb.
Passenger Anyone riding in a car who is not driving it.
Pothole A hole in the road surface where the pavement has broken up.
Ramp A sloping road that leads onto or off a highway.
Road A hard surface built for vehicles to travel on.
Roundabout A circular junction where traffic moves one way around a center island.
Shoulder The strip at the edge of a road where a car can pull over in an emergency.
Signal A traffic light. The first four-way one with three colors was built in Detroit in 1920.
Stop A red sign with eight sides means come to a complete halt.
Toll A fee paid to use certain roads, bridges or tunnels.
Traffic All the vehicles moving along a road at one time.
Yield To let other traffic go first. The sign is a triangle that points down.

Kinds of Cars 18

Automobile The formal word for a car, from the Greek autos, self, and the Latin mobilis, movable.
Classic An older car that people keep and restore because it is admired.
Compact A small car that is easy to park.
Convertible A car with a roof that folds down or lifts off.
Coupe A car with two doors and a sloping roof. The name comes from the French word for cut.
Crossover A vehicle that sits high like an SUV but is built on the frame of a passenger car.
Dragster A long, light car built to race in a straight line over a short distance.
Electric Powered by a battery. A car of this kind has no gas tank.
Hatchback A car whose back door swings up, glass and all, to open the cargo space.
Hybrid A car that uses both a gasoline engine and an electric motor.
Jalopy A battered old car. The word was first seen in print in 1924, and nobody is sure where it came from.
Limousine A long luxury car with a hired driver. It is named after Limousin, a region of France.
Minivan A tall family vehicle, often with sliding rear doors and three rows of seats.
Pickup A light truck with an open cargo bed at the back.
Sedan A car with four doors and a separate trunk. The name comes from a covered chair carried on poles in the 1600s.
Taxi A car you pay to ride in. The word is short for taximeter cab, after the meter that counts the fare.
Vehicle Anything built to carry people or goods, such as a car, a bus or a truck.
Wagon After the word station, a car with a long roof and extra cargo room behind the back seat.

At the Racetrack 16

Circuit A closed loop of road built for racing.
Drift To slide a car sideways through a corner on purpose.
Finish The line that ends the race.
Flag A checkered one is shown at the line when the race is over.
Grid The painted places where cars line up before the start.
Hairpin A very tight bend that turns the track back on itself.
Helmet A hard hat with a visor that protects a driver's head.
Lap One full trip around the track.
Pit The area beside the track where the team changes tires and adds fuel during a race.
Podium The platform where the top three finishers stand.
Qualify To earn a starting place by setting a fast time before the race.
Race A contest to see who is fastest.
Rally A race from point to point on real roads, with cars setting off one at a time.
Speedway A race track, often an oval, built for very fast laps.
Track The course that race cars drive around.
Trophy The cup or prize given to the winner.

How this list was compiled: 138 car part, driving, body style and racing words chosen and defined for this site: seven themed lists, a 24-word starter list, 12 short words and every word of 8 letters or more. The list holds no make, model, brand or team name. Definitions are our own wording for readers of about 8 and up. Facts were checked on 19 September 2026 in English Wikipedia, at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ followed by Windscreen_wiper, Dashboard, Seat_belt, Traffic_light, Limousine, Sedan_(automobile), Coupe, Interstate_Highway_System, Hood_(car), Trunk_(car), Windshield, Muffler, Fender_(vehicle), Gasoline, Tire, Wrench, Horsepower, Diesel_engine, Carburetor, Cruise_control, Octane_rating, Turbocharger, Crossover_SUV, Rallying, Stop_sign, Yield_sign, Racing_flags and Minivan. Word origins of odometer, automobile, taxi, garage, chassis and jalopy are from https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/odometer and its sister entries. Licence: own work

How it works

For a long drive or an auto shop class, this car word search printable has a clue for every word. Seven themed lists wait under Start from a list, and the starter list holds 24, Engine, Headlight and Seatbelt among them.

Read the full guide

Seven car themes

Engine and Fuel, Body and Lights, Inside the Car, Wheels and Repairs, On the Road, Kinds of Cars and At the Racetrack hold one theme each. Planning a cars word search printable for a long drive? Print three or four lists before you leave, so every rider gets a different grid.

Car words with a past

All 138 words are generic, and many carry a story. A dashboard was first a board on a carriage that kept splashes off the driver. Sedan comes from the sedan chair of the 1600s, coupe from the French word for cut, and limousine from Limousin, a region of France. British drivers say bonnet for hood, boot for trunk and spanner for wrench.

Questions and answers

Why are there no car brands in the lists?

Make and model names are trademarks, and a worksheet built from them dates fast. These lists stick to words that fit any car. To add the cars your class loves, type the names at the end of the word list and they join the puzzle.

Can I save the car word search as a PDF?

Yes. Press Print or save as PDF and pick Save as PDF as the printer. You get two pages on Letter or A4: the puzzle with a name and date line, then the answer key.

Which car clues carry a date?

Wiper, Seatbelt and Signal, among others. Mary Anderson patented an early windshield wiper in 1903, the three-point seatbelt dates from 1959, and the first four-way, three-color traffic signal was built in Detroit in 1920. With Show clues, not words ticked, the dates print too.

All 138 words

Engine and Fuel 21

Engine and Fuel, continued

Body and Lights 17

Inside the Car 19

Wheels and Repairs 22

On the Road 25

Kinds of Cars 18

At the Racetrack 16

How it works

Seven car themes

Car words with a past

Questions and answers

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