Quadratic Function Word Search Puzzle

A quadratic functions vocabulary puzzle with its answer key, from Axis and Intercept to Maximum and Minimum.

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Quadratic Functions Word Search

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

0 of 16 words found

COPIVERTEXIANLS

LRAIWATNQQWNEQO

RDRCDYJFUNCTION

IIAXISBBANOTXFD

NSBFWSIYTJDMSLR

TCOEFFICIENTIHM

ERLAOHAIOANMQEI

RIATRKVPNRRAUNN

CMHIMDFGUFZAADI

EITOUMAXIMUMDOM

PNRFLLCNLEAPRDU

TAIOAOTVEPDRAPM

DNNWSUOSYMMETRY

OTNKDTRZEROAISO

BRHAIMROOTINCUI

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.

ParabolaPARABOLA
VertexVERTEX
RootROOT
DiscriminantDISCRIMINANT
FactorFACTOR
CoefficientCOEFFICIENT
QuadraticQUADRATIC
FunctionFUNCTION
EquationEQUATION
SymmetrySYMMETRY
AxisAXIS
MaximumMAXIMUM
MinimumMINIMUM
InterceptINTERCEPT
ZeroZERO
FormulaFORMULA

16 of 21 words from the Quadratic Functions Key Terms list.

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Answer key: Quadratic Functions Word Search

COPIVERTEXIANLS

LRAIWATNQQWNEQO

RDRCDYJFUNCTION

IIAXISBBANOTXFD

NSBFWSIYTJDMSLR

TCOEFFICIENTIHM

ERLAOHAIOANMQEI

RIATRKVPNRRAUNN

CMHIMDFGUFZAADI

EITOUMAXIMUMDOM

PNRFLLCNLEAPRDU

TAIOAOTVEPDRAPM

DNNWSUOSYMMETRY

OTNKDTRZEROAISO

BRHAIMROOTINCUI

PARABOLA, VERTEX, ROOT, DISCRIMINANT, FACTOR, COEFFICIENT, QUADRATIC, FUNCTION, EQUATION, SYMMETRY, AXIS, MAXIMUM, MINIMUM, INTERCEPT, ZERO, FORMULA

Next step Print the quadratics crossword puzzle Print the algebra word search

All 124 words

Parts of a Quadratic 17

Coefficient A number that multiplies a variable, like the 3 in 3x².
Constant A number that stands alone with no variable, like c in ax² + bx + c.
Degree The highest power of the variable; for every quadratic it is 2.
Equation A statement that two expressions are equal, such as x² − 9 = 0.
Form The way an expression is written, such as standard, vertex or factored.
Function A rule that gives exactly one output for each input.
Linear Describes b, the coefficient of plain x; also a graph that is a straight line.
Negative Less than zero; when a is like this, the parabola opens downward.
Nonzero Not equal to 0, as the a in ax² + bx + c must be.
Parameter A constant that can be set to different values, like h and k in vertex form.
Positive Greater than zero; when a is like this, the parabola opens upward.
Quadratic Having a squared variable as its highest power; from the Latin for square.
Second The power of x in a quadratic's highest term: the ___ power.
Sign Plus or minus; the one on a tells which way a parabola opens.
Squared Raised to the second power; multiplied by itself.
Term One part of an expression, set apart by a plus or minus sign.
Trinomial An expression with three terms, such as x² + 5x + 6.

Show all 124 words (107 more)

Graphing a Parabola 18

Axis A line that a graph is measured from or is symmetric about.
Curvature How sharply a line bends; a controls that of a parabola.
Curve A line that bends smoothly with no straight parts.
Highest Farthest up, like the vertex of a parabola that opens downward.
Intercept A point where a graph crosses the x-axis or the y-axis.
Lowest Farthest down, like the vertex of a parabola that opens upward.
Maximum The greatest value; the vertex gives it when a parabola opens downward.
Minimum The least value; the vertex gives it when a parabola opens upward.
Narrow Not far across; a parabola looks this way when a is far from zero.
Opens Spreads apart; a parabola ___ upward when a is positive.
Parabola The U-shaped curve that the graph of every quadratic function makes.
Peak The highest point, like the vertex of a parabola that opens downward.
Point An exact place on a graph, named by an x and a y.
Shape The outline of a thing; a parabola's is like the letter U.
Symmetry A match between two halves; a parabola has it across the line through its vertex.
Vertex The turning point of a parabola: its highest or lowest point.
Wide Far across; a parabola looks this way when a is close to zero.
Width How far across something is; the size of a sets that of a parabola.

Moving the Graph 17

Compress To squeeze a graph toward an axis.
Flatter Rising more gently; a parabola looks this way when a is closer to zero.
Flip To turn over; multiplying a quadratic by −1 does this to its parabola.
Left The way a parabola slides when h in vertex form gets smaller.
Move To change the place of a graph.
Parent The simplest function of a family; for quadratics it is y = x².
Reflect To flip a graph over a line, as y = −x² does to y = x².
Right The way a parabola slides when h in vertex form gets larger.
Scale To make larger or smaller by multiplying.
Shift To slide a graph up, down, left or right without changing its shape.
Shrink To press a graph shorter, which makes a parabola look wider.
Slide To move a graph without turning or resizing it.
Steeper Rising more sharply; a parabola's sides look this way when a is farther from zero.
Stretch To pull a graph taller, which makes a parabola look narrower.
Transform To change a graph by a shift, a stretch or a reflection.
Translate To slide every point of a graph the same distance in the same direction.
Units The equal steps counted along an axis.

Solving Quadratic Equations 19

Completing ___ the square: the method that turns standard form into vertex form.
Denominator The bottom of a fraction; in the quadratic formula it is 2a.
Discriminant The part b² − 4ac of the quadratic formula; it tells how many real roots there are.
Distinct Different from each other, like the two roots when the discriminant is positive.
Factor One of the expressions multiplied together, such as (x + 2) in (x + 2)(x + 3).
Foil First, Outer, Inner, Last: a memory word for multiplying two binomials.
Formula A rule written in symbols; the quadratic one gives the roots from a, b and c.
Halve To divide by 2, as is done to b when completing the square.
Imaginary Describes a number such as the square root of −1.
Inspection A close look; factoring by ___ means spotting the factors without a formula.
Opposite The same number with the other sign; the quadratic formula starts with that of b.
Pair Two of a kind, like the two roots of most quadratic equations.
Radical A root of a number, written with the √ sign.
Real The kind of roots a quadratic has when its discriminant is not negative.
Repeated Describes a root that appears two times, as when the discriminant is zero.
Rewrite To put an equation in another form, such as with zero on one side.
Root A value of x that makes a quadratic equal zero.
Square To multiply a number by itself; also the shape that gave quadratics their name.
Zero Another name for a root of a function; also the number 0.

Parabolas in the Real World 18

Antenna A device that sends or receives radio signals; many are parabolic.
Arch A curved span over an opening; some are built in the shape of a parabola.
Area The space inside a flat shape; Babylonians solved quadratic problems about a rectangle's.
Ball A round object for games; thrown, it follows a path close to a parabola.
Bridge A structure over a river or road; some rest on a parabolic arch.
Cable A thick steel rope; the main ones on a suspension bridge hang close to a parabola.
Flight The trip of an object through the air.
Gravity The pull toward Earth that bends a thrown ball's path into a parabola.
Headlight A lamp on the front of a car; many have a parabolic reflector behind the bulb.
Height How far up something is; a quadratic gives that of a thrown ball at each moment.
Launch To send an object into the air.
Microphone A device that picks up sound; one kind uses a parabolic reflector.
Path The line an object moves along.
Projectile An object thrown or launched into the air; without air resistance its path is a parabola.
Reflector A curved surface that bounces light or sound; a parabolic one sends it to the focus.
Satellite An object in orbit; the dish that receives its signals is parabolic.
Telescope A tool for seeing far-off objects; many use a parabolic mirror.
Throw To send through the air with your arm.

Conic Sections 16

Chord A line segment that joins two points of a curve.
Circle The round curve that is a special case of the ellipse.
Cone A solid with a round base and a point; one way of slicing it gives a parabola.
Conic Describes a curve made by cutting a cone with a plane.
Directrix The fixed line that every point of a parabola is as far from as from the focus.
Eccentricity A number that tells conic sections apart; for every parabola it is 1.
Ellipse The oval conic section.
Equidistant The same distance away from two things.
Focal The ___ length is the distance from the vertex to the focus.
Focus The fixed point that every point of a parabola is as far from as from the directrix.
Hyperbola The conic section with two separate branches.
Locus The set of all points that fit a rule.
Parabolic Shaped like a parabola.
Plane A flat surface that goes on forever in every direction.
Section A flat cut through a solid.
Slice To cut through; do it to a cone parallel to its side and the cut edge is a parabola.

Two-Word Quadratic Terms 19

Axis of symmetry The line through the vertex that divides a parabola into mirror halves.
Common factor A number or variable that divides every term; take it out before factoring further.
Constant term The part of a quadratic with no x; it gives the height where the parabola meets the y-axis.
Double root The single solution a quadratic equation has when its discriminant is zero.
Factored form A quadratic written as a(x − r)(x − s), which shows its roots r and s.
Focal length The distance from the vertex of a parabola to its focus.
Maximum value The greatest output of a function; the y of the vertex when a is negative.
Minimum value The least output of a function; the y of the vertex when a is positive.
Ordered pair Two numbers (x, y) that name a point on a graph.
Parent function The simplest function of a family; y = x² for quadratics.
Perfect square A trinomial such as x² + 6x + 9 that equals a binomial multiplied by itself.
Plus-minus The name of the ± sign in the quadratic formula; it shows there are two roots.
Second degree The kind of polynomial a quadratic is, because its highest power is 2.
Square root A number that gives the original number when multiplied by itself.
Standard form A quadratic written as ax² + bx + c.
Turning point Another name for the vertex, where a parabola changes direction.
Vertex form A quadratic written as a(x − h)² + k, which shows the turning point (h, k).
Y-intercept The point where a graph crosses the vertical axis; for a quadratic it is (0, c).
Zero product The ___ property: if two factors multiply to 0, one of them must be 0.

How this list was compiled: 124 quadratic function words chosen and defined for this site, in seven themed lists plus a key terms list, an easy list of words of 4 or 5 letters and a hard list of words of 9 letters or more. Spellings and word meanings were checked in the American Heritage Dictionary, https://www.ahdictionary.com/, on 2026-10-16. The algebra in the clues and the uses of parabolas were checked the same day in the English Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/, in the articles Quadratic function, Quadratic equation, Quadratic formula, Completing the square, Parabola, Conic section, FOIL method, Zero-product property, Parent function, Projectile motion, Parabolic reflector and Parabolic arch. Clues are our own wording. Licence: own work

How it works

This quadratic function word search puzzle opens on 16 key terms: Parabola, Vertex, Root, Discriminant, Factor and Coefficient among them. Every word has a one-line meaning under the puzzle. Nine more lists hold the rest of the 124 words.

Read the full guide

Lists that follow the unit

Under Start from a list, Parts of a Quadratic has Coefficient, Constant and Parameter. Graphing a Parabola has Vertex, Axis and Curvature; Moving the Graph has Shift, Stretch and Reflect. Solving Quadratic Equations has Root, Discriminant, Completing and Foil.

Past the textbook chapter

Parabolas in the Real World has Projectile, Headlight and Telescope: the clue for each says where the parabola is. Conic Sections has Focus, Directrix and Hyperbola. Two-Word Quadratic Terms hides Vertex form, Double root and Axis of symmetry with no gap: AXISOFSYMMETRY.

Under More options, tick Show clues, not words: pupils read "The turning point of a parabola: its highest or lowest point" and hunt for Vertex.
Easy Quadratic Words has 39 words of 4 or 5 letters, such as Root, Zero and Axis, for the first lesson of the unit.

Questions and answers

What is the vertex of a parabola?

The point where the parabola turns: its lowest point when it opens upward and its highest when it opens downward. In vertex form, a(x − h)² + k, the vertex is the point (h, k).

What does the discriminant tell you?

The discriminant is b² − 4ac. When it is positive, the quadratic equation has two different real roots. When it is zero, there is one repeated real root. When it is negative, there are no real roots, only two complex ones.

What are the three forms of a quadratic function?

Standard form is ax² + bx + c. Factored form is a(x − r)(x − s), which shows the roots r and s. Vertex form is a(x − h)² + k, which shows the vertex (h, k). All three share the same a.

Why is it called quadratic when the highest power is 2?

Quadratic comes from the Latin quadratus, which means square. The name points to the squared variable, x², the way the area of a square is its side squared. It does not point to a fourth power.

All 124 words

Parts of a Quadratic 17

Graphing a Parabola 18

Moving the Graph 17

Solving Quadratic Equations 19

Parabolas in the Real World 18

Conic Sections 16

Two-Word Quadratic Terms 19

How it works

Lists that follow the unit

Past the textbook chapter

Questions and answers

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