Texas Word Search

Sixteen Texas words to find, from Austin and the Alamo to Bluebonnet and Longhorn, with a printable answer key.

Name Date

Texas Word Search

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

0 of 16 words found

QAAAOUDOALAYANL

CLDANOITHUDDUEP

GAVDBIGBENDASBN

AMNRWOIQUEULTAR

LONGHORNCHILIWI

VRIPADREISLANDO

EHOEOHHMLASSOAG

SEBLUEBONNETOER

TNGIVJNOLQCRTLA

ORYUOKBRISKETLN

NTBREMDRNAUEAGD

ESGDSOPANHANDLE

UHCEHOUSTONWNTM

SSNALYNFRODEOSI

DRRVMAVERICKRYH

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.

AustinAUSTIN
HoustonHOUSTON
DallasDALLAS
GalvestonGALVESTON
Rio GrandeRIO GRANDE
PanhandlePANHANDLE
Padre IslandPADRE ISLAND
Big BendBIG BEND
BluebonnetBLUEBONNET
LonghornLONGHORN
ChiliCHILI
RodeoRODEO
AlamoALAMO
LassoLASSO
MaverickMAVERICK
BrisketBRISKET

16 of 26 words from the Texas Favorites list.

Start from a list

Easy: words go across and down.

More options

Show clues, not words

Word list

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

The puzzle changes as you go. See the puzzle

Answer key: Texas Word Search

QAAAOUDOALAYANL

CLDANOITHUDDUEP

GAVDBIGBENDASBN

AMNRWOIQUEULTAR

LONGHORNCHILIWI

VRIPADREISLANDO

EHOEOHHMLASSOAG

SEBLUEBONNETOER

TNGIVJNOLQCRTLA

ORYUOKBRISKETLN

NTBREMDRNAUEAGD

ESGDSOPANHANDLE

UHCEHOUSTONWNTM

SSNALYNFRODEOSI

DRRVMAVERICKRYH

AUSTIN, HOUSTON, DALLAS, GALVESTON, RIO GRANDE, PANHANDLE, PADRE ISLAND, BIG BEND, BLUEBONNET, LONGHORN, CHILI, RODEO, ALAMO, LASSO, MAVERICK, BRISKET

Next step Hunt for all 50 states in one grid Make a puzzle from your own Texas unit words

All 219 words

Texas Cities 30

Abilene West Texas city that took its name from a Kansas cattle town.
Amarillo City in the middle of the Panhandle; its name is Spanish for yellow.
Austin State capital on the Colorado River, where bats pour out from under a downtown bridge at dusk.
Beaumont City beside Spindletop, where a 1901 gusher began the oil boom.
Brownsville City at the southern tip of the state, on the Rio Grande near the Gulf.
Corpus Christi Port city on a Gulf bay, the gateway to Padre Island.
Dallas Big city on the Trinity River that holds the State Fair every fall.
Del Rio Border city on the Rio Grande near Lake Amistad.
El Paso City at the far western tip of the state, on the Rio Grande across from Ciudad Juarez in Mexico.
Fort Worth City nicknamed Cowtown, grown from an army post on the Trinity River and known for its Stockyards.
Fredericksburg Hill Country town founded by German settlers and named for a Prussian prince.
Galveston Island city on the Gulf with a long seawall built after the hurricane of 1900.
Houston Largest city in the state, a busy port near the Gulf and the home of NASA's Mission Control.

Show all 219 words (206 more)

Texas Cities, continued

Laredo Border city on the Rio Grande and a major inland port for trade with Mexico.
Lubbock Hub City of the South Plains, in the middle of cotton country.
Marfa Small high-desert town known for modern art and for mystery lights seen at night.
McAllen City in the Rio Grande Valley, close to the Mexican border.
Midland Oil city of the Permian Basin, named for sitting midway between Fort Worth and El Paso.
Nacogdoches East Texas town that calls itself the oldest town in the state.
New Braunfels Hill Country city founded by German settlers where the Comal River meets the Guadalupe.
Odessa Permian Basin oil city, said to be named after a city in Ukraine.
Port Aransas Fishing and beach town on Mustang Island.
Port Isabel Town near the southern tip of the coast with a historic lighthouse.
San Angelo City on the Concho River that grew up beside an old frontier army post.
San Antonio City of the Alamo and the River Walk, begun as a Spanish mission and outpost.
Terlingua Old mining ghost town near Big Bend, known for a chili cookoff.
Texarkana Twin city on the Arkansas border; its name blends three state names.
Tyler East Texas city called the Rose Capital for its rose growing.
Waco City on the Brazos River, about halfway between Dallas and Austin.
Wichita Falls North Texas city near the Oklahoma border, named for a waterfall on its river.

Texas Rivers and Regions 33

Amistad Big reservoir on the Rio Grande shared with Mexico; its name is Spanish for friendship.
Balcones Fault zone whose line of hills marks the edge of the Hill Country, with large springs along it.
Big Bend Where the Rio Grande makes a great turn: a national park of desert, canyons and mountains.
Big Thicket Dense forest and swamp land of southeast Texas, protected as a national preserve.
Blue Norther Fast cold front that sweeps down the plains and drops the temperature in minutes.
Brazos River across the middle of the state; Spanish explorers called it the Arms of God.
Caddo Lake Swampy water of bald cypress trees on the border with Louisiana.
Canadian River Stream that crosses the Panhandle on its way from New Mexico to Oklahoma.
Caprock Long line of cliffs where the High Plains drop to the rolling plains below.
Chisos Mountain range that lies entirely inside Big Bend National Park.
Colorado River Flows past Austin to the Gulf, and both begins and ends inside the state.
Cross Timbers Belt of oak woods mixed with prairie that runs from Kansas and Oklahoma into central Texas.
Davis Mountains Range in West Texas with a big astronomical observatory on one summit.
Edwards Plateau Limestone upland of west-central Texas, used for grazing sheep and goats.
Enchanted Rock Huge pink granite dome that rises above the Hill Country near Fredericksburg.
Guadalupe Peak Highest point in Texas, a mountain top in the far west near New Mexico.
Gulf Coast Texas shoreline of bays, beaches and barrier islands along the sea to the southeast.
Hill Country Rolling limestone land of springs and wildflowers west of Austin and north of San Antonio.
Laguna Madre Long, shallow, very salty lagoon between Padre Island and the mainland.
Llano Estacado High, flat tableland of the west; its Spanish name is often translated as Staked Plain.
Matagorda Large bay on the middle coast, cut off from the Gulf by a long thin peninsula.
Nueces River of South Texas whose Spanish name means nuts, for the pecan trees on its banks.
Padre Island Very long barrier strip of sand and dunes off South Texas, where sea turtles nest.
Palo Duro Canyon Deep red-rock gorge in the Panhandle; its Spanish name means hard stick.
Panhandle Square northern part of the state that sticks up between Oklahoma and New Mexico.
Pecos River of dry West Texas that joins the Rio Grande.
Permian Basin Oil-rich region of West Texas around Midland and Odessa.
Piney Woods Forest of pine trees that covers East Texas and spills into its neighbors.
Red River Stream along most of the Oklahoma border, colored by the reddish soil it carries.
Rio Grande River that forms the whole border between Texas and Mexico on its way to the Gulf.
Sabine River along the Louisiana border; its Spanish name means cypress.
Toledo Bend Large man-made lake on the Sabine River, shared with Louisiana.
Trinity River that runs past Dallas and Fort Worth, then south toward Galveston Bay.

Texas State Symbols 35

Armadillo Small state mammal with a bony shell; it can jump straight up when startled.
Blue Lacy State dog breed, a working ranch dog that began in Texas.
Blue Topaz Official state gem, a clear sky-colored stone found in Mason County.
Bluebonnet State flower, a lupine that turns roadsides and fields blue each spring.
Chili State dish, a spicy stew of meat and chile peppers; purists leave out the beans.
Chiltepin Official native pepper, a tiny round wild chile that is very hot.
Chuck Wagon State vehicle: the rolling kitchen that fed cowboys on a cattle drive.
Cotton State fiber and fabric, grown on the plains around Lubbock.
Cowboy Boot State footwear, with a tall shaft and a heel that holds a stirrup.
Cowboy Hat Official state hat, with a high crown and a wide brim.
Crape Myrtle State shrub, covered in pink, red, purple or white summer blossoms.
Dutch Oven State cooking implement: a heavy iron pot with a tight lid.
Free-tailed Bat State flying mammal; huge colonies roost in Bracken Cave and under an Austin bridge.
Friendship The state motto; the name Texas comes from a Caddo word for friends or allies.
Guadalupe Bass State fish, a small green river swimmer native to Texas streams.
Guitar Official state musical instrument, usually with six strings.
Horned Lizard State reptile, a flat spiky ant-eater often called a horny toad.
Jalapeno State pepper, a green chile named after the Mexican city of Xalapa.
Kemp's Ridley State sea turtle, a small endangered kind that nests on Padre Island.
Lightning Whelk State shell; unlike most sea snail shells it opens on the left side.
Lone Star Single white emblem on the state flag; it gives Texas its nickname.
Longhorn Cattle breed with very wide horns, the official large state mammal.
Mockingbird State bird, a gray singer that copies the songs of other birds.
Monarch State insect, an orange and black butterfly that crosses Texas on its way to Mexico.
Palmwood State stone: wood of ancient palm trees that turned to rock.
Pan de Campo The official state bread; in Spanish the name means country bread.
Pecan State tree; its nuts fill the official state pie.
Prickly Pear State plant, a cactus with flat pads and sweet fruit called tunas.
Quarter Horse State breed for the saddle, named for its speed in very short sprint races.
Red Grapefruit State fruit since 1993, a sweet citrus with deep rosy flesh.
Rodeo State sport: riders rope calves and try to stay on bucking horses and bulls.
Sideoats Grama State grass; its seeds hang in a row along one side of the stem.
Square Dance Official state folk step for four couples, who follow the moves a caller sings out.
Sweet Onion State vegetable, a mild kind of bulb grown in South Texas.
Western Swing Official state music, a lively dance-band style that grew up in the Southwest in the 1920s and 1930s.

Texas Wildlife and Plants 32

Alligator Big reptile of the swamps, bayous and marshes of East Texas and the coast.
Bald Cypress Swamp tree with knobby knees that poke up from the water around its trunk.
Bison Shaggy giant that once roamed the plains in huge herds; the state herd lives at Caprock Canyons.
Bobcat Short-tailed wild cat with tufted ears and a spotted coat.
Caracara Bold falcon of South Texas that often walks on the ground and eats carrion.
Cottonmouth Venomous water snake of East Texas that shows the white lining of its mouth as a warning.
Coyote Wild dog of the prairie, known for its yipping howl at night.
Jackrabbit Long-eared hare of the plains; its huge ears help it stay cool.
Javelina Pig-like animal of the brush country, also called the collared peccary.
Lechuguilla Small agave of the Chihuahuan Desert, armed with sharp tips.
Live Oak Spreading shade tree that stays green through the winter.
Mesquite Thorny tree of dry ranch land; cooks burn its wood for a smoky flavor.
Mountain Lion Big tan cat, also called cougar or puma, that still lives in West Texas.
Mule Deer Western browser with antlers, named for its long donkey-like ears.
Ocelot Rare spotted wild cat; a small number still live in the thorn brush of far South Texas.
Ocotillo Desert plant of tall thorny canes tipped with red flowers after rain.
Paintbrush Red-orange wildflower that blooms beside bluebonnets in spring.
Painted Bunting Small songbird; the male is blue, green and red like a box of paints.
Pelican Coastal bird that plunges into the water and scoops fish in a throat pouch.
Prairie Dog Burrowing rodent that lives in underground towns and barks an alarm.
Pronghorn Swift runner of the open western plains, built like an antelope but not one.
Rattlesnake Venomous snake that shakes the tip of its tail as a warning buzz.
Redfish Copper-colored fish of the bays with a black spot near its tail; the state saltwater fish.
Ringtail Night climber with a striped tail, a small cousin of the raccoon.
Roadrunner Speedy ground bird that would rather run than fly and eats lizards and snakes.
Scissortail Bird with a very long forked tail that snaps insects out of the air.
Scorpion Eight-legged stinger that hides under rocks and bark by day.
Spoonbill Pink wading bird of the coast that sweeps its flat bill from side to side.
Tarantula Large, hairy, slow-moving spider that lives in a burrow.
Whooping Crane Tall, rare white bird that flies from Canada to spend the winter on the Texas coast.
Wild Turkey Big ground bird of oak woods and river bottoms; one kind is named for the Rio Grande.
Yucca Dry-country plant with stiff sword-shaped leaves and a tall stalk of white flowers.

Texas History 21

Alamo Old Spanish mission in San Antonio, site of a famous battle in the Texas Revolution.
Annexation The joining of Texas to the United States as the 28th state in 1845.
Battleship The Texas, an old warship kept as a museum and named the official state ship.
Caddo Native people of the East Texas woods; the word Texas comes from their word for friends.
Camino Real The Royal Road, an old Spanish route across Texas to Natchitoches in Louisiana.
Chisholm Trail Route used after the Civil War to drive Texas cattle north to the railroads in Kansas.
Comanche Native nation of skilled riders that once ruled the southern plains.
Empresario Agent who was granted land in Mexican Texas in return for bringing in settlers.
Fort Davis Restored frontier army post in the mountains of West Texas, now a national historic site.
Goliad South Texas town with a Spanish mission and fort, remembered from the Texas Revolution.
Gonzales Town remembered for a fight over a small cannon in the Texas Revolution.
Karankawa Native people of the Gulf coast who traveled the bays in dugout canoes.
Lipan Apache Native people of the Southern Plains whose homeland covered parts of Texas and northern Mexico.
Mission Settlement built by Spanish friars; several still stand in San Antonio.
Presidio Spanish word for a fort built to guard a mission and its settlers.
Republic For almost ten years from 1836, Texas was an independent country of this kind.
San Jacinto Battlefield near Houston where Texas won independence in 1836; a tall column with a star on top marks it.
Spindletop Salt dome hill near Beaumont where a 1901 gusher started the Texas oil boom.
Tejano A Texan of Mexican or Spanish heritage; also a style of music.
Texian Name for a settler of Texas in the days of the Revolution and the Republic.
Vaquero Spanish and Mexican horseman whose skills and gear the American cowboy copied.

Texas Ranch and Oil 28

Barbed Wire Spiked fencing that brought the open range to an end.
Boomtown Town that grows very fast when oil or gold is found nearby.
Brand Mark burned into a cow's hide to show who owns it.
Bronco Untrained horse that bucks; riding one is a rodeo event.
Cattle Drive Long walk of a herd to market, kept together by riders on horseback.
Chaps Leather leg covers that protect a rider from thorny brush.
Corral Fenced pen for holding horses or cattle.
Cotton Gin Machine that pulls the fluffy fibers of a boll away from the seeds.
Cowboy Worker who herds cattle on horseback.
Derrick Tall framework tower over an oil well that holds the drilling gear.
Gusher Oil well that shoots a fountain of crude into the air before it is brought under control.
Lasso Rope with a sliding loop, thrown to catch cattle; also called a lariat.
Maverick Unbranded calf; the word was the surname of a Texas rancher who left his cattle unmarked.
Mustang Free-roaming horse descended from animals the Spanish brought.
Pumpjack Nodding machine that lifts oil out of a well.
Ranch Large farm for raising cattle, sheep or horses on open grazing land.
Refinery Plant that turns crude oil into gasoline, diesel and other fuels.
Remuda The herd of spare horses that ranch hands choose their mounts from.
Roughneck Worker on an oil drilling crew.
Roundup Gathering of scattered cattle so they can be counted, branded or sold.
Saddle Rider's seat with a horn in front for holding a rope.
Santa Gertrudis Red cattle breed developed in South Texas.
Stampede Sudden wild rush of a frightened herd.
Stockyards Historic livestock market district of Fort Worth.
Wildcatter Person who drills for oil in places where none has been found yet.
Wind Farm Rows of giant turbines turning on the plains of West Texas to make electricity.
Windmill Tall wind-driven pump that lifts well water for cattle on dry land.
Wrangler Hand who looks after the horses on a ranch or trail.

Texas Food 23

Barbacoa Slow-cooked meat, traditionally made in a pit dug in the ground.
Barbecue Meat cooked slowly over wood smoke; in Texas that usually means beef.
Breakfast Taco Morning meal of eggs and other fillings folded in a soft tortilla.
Brisket Cut of beef smoked low and slow for hours, the star of Texas barbecue.
Corn Dog Sausage on a stick fried in cornmeal batter, a State Fair favorite.
Cornbread Quick loaf baked from cornmeal, often in an iron skillet.
Enchilada Rolled tortilla covered in chile sauce.
Fajita Grilled strips of skirt steak served with tortillas, a Tex-Mex favorite.
Guacamole Dip of mashed avocado.
Kolache Sweet pastry with a fruit center, brought to central Texas by Czech settlers.
Migas Tex-Mex scramble of eggs and strips of corn tortilla.
Nachos Tortilla chips covered with melted cheese and jalapeno slices, a Tex-Mex snack.
Okra Green seed pod, often sliced, breaded and fried.
Pecan Pie Sweet nut dessert, the official state pie.
Pico de Gallo Fresh chopped salsa of tomato, onion and chile; the name means rooster's beak.
Pinto Beans Legume cooked whole in a pot or mashed and refried.
Queso Warm dip of melted cheese and chile peppers, scooped up with tortilla chips.
Salsa Tomato and chile dip; with tortilla chips it is the official state snack.
Sopaipilla Puffy fried pillow of dough, served warm with honey or dusted with sugar.
Tamale Corn dough around a filling, wrapped in a corn husk and steamed.
Tex-Mex Cooking style that mixes Texan and Mexican foods, heavy on cheese, beef and flour tortillas.
Texas Toast Bread sliced twice as thick as usual, buttered and grilled.
Tortilla Thin round flatbread of corn or wheat flour.

Texas Landmarks and Parks 17

Aransas Coastal wildlife refuge known for its endangered whooping cranes.
Balmorhea Desert state park built around a huge spring-fed swimming pool.
Barton Springs Spring-fed swimming pool in Austin's Zilker Park that stays cool all year.
Bracken Cave Hill Country cavern where a vast colony of free-tailed bats spends the summer.
Capitol Domed seat of state government in Austin, built of reddish granite.
Dinosaur Valley State park near Glen Rose where real fossil footprints cross the riverbed.
Hueco Tanks Rocky hills near El Paso with natural water basins and ancient rock paintings.
Lost Maples Hill Country park known for fall color from a lonely stand of bigtooth maple trees.
Marfa Lights Glowing dots seen at night in the West Texas desert; one study traced them to distant car headlights.
Mission Control Room at the Johnson Space Center in Houston that guided the Apollo flights to the Moon.
Mission San Jose Restored Spanish church settlement in San Antonio, nicknamed the queen of them all.
Observatory Mountain-top science station in the Davis Mountains with large telescopes for studying the stars.
Pink Granite Stone from the Hill Country used to build the State Capitol in Austin.
River Walk Stone paths, bridges and cafes one level below the streets along a San Antonio waterway.
Sandhills State park of tall sand dunes near Monahans.
Seawall Long concrete wall that shields Galveston from storm waves.
State Fair Yearly autumn show in Dallas with rides, livestock, fried food and a giant cowboy statue.

How this list was compiled: Own work. Words and names about the state of Texas for grades 2 to 8: eight themed lists (cities, rivers and regions, state symbols, wildlife and plants, history, ranch and oil, food, landmarks and parks), Texas Favorites, an easy list of every word of 3 to 5 letters and a hard list of every word of 8 letters or more. The grid keeps only the letters A to Z, so Rio Grande is hidden as RIOGRANDE and Kemp's Ridley as KEMPSRIDLEY. Entries have 3 to 14 letters once spaces, hyphens and apostrophes are dropped, and inside one list no word sits inside another, forwards or backwards. Clues are our own wording; no clue repeats a word of four letters or more from its own entry. No brand, team, living person, fictional character or drink is listed. American spellings. Places and names were checked on 9 October 2026 against the English Wikipedia article Texas, its list of Texas state symbols and the article for each entry (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas, license CC BY-SA 4.0). Every entry of the state symbols list was checked the same day against the Texas State Library and Archives Commission's list of state symbols (https://www.tsl.texas.gov/ref/abouttx/symbols.html). Dates, the capital, the largest city and the highest point were checked in a second work, Store norske leksikon (https://snl.no/Texas). Where no second work gave a date or a record, the clue leaves it out. Unofficial and not affiliated with the State of Texas; an educational puzzle, so check the official source before you rely on a fact. Licence: own work

How it works

This Texas word search hides Houston, Rio Grande, Panhandle, Rodeo and 12 more favorites in its first grid. Eight themed lists follow: cities, rivers and regions, state symbols, wildlife and plants, history, ranch and oil, food, and landmarks and parks.

Read the full guide

Spanish names that the clues translate

Many Texas names are Spanish, and the clues say what they mean. Amarillo is yellow, Nueces is nuts, for the pecan trees on the river's banks, and Sabine is cypress. Palo Duro is hard stick, and Llano Estacado is often translated as Staked Plain. Open More options and tick Show clues, not words, and pupils work each name out before they hunt for it.

A state hat, state footwear and a state vehicle

Texas State Symbols goes far past the bluebonnet and the mockingbird. The Legislature has also named a state hat (Cowboy Hat), footwear (Cowboy Boot), vehicle (Chuck Wagon) and cooking implement (Dutch Oven).

Maverick is in Texas Ranch and Oil: the word was first the surname of a rancher who left his calves unbranded.
For a history unit, start from Texas History: Alamo, San Jacinto, Goliad and Gonzales sit beside Caddo, Comanche and Karankawa.
Second graders can start from Easy Texas, where no word is longer than five letters: Waco, Okra, Pecan, Lasso.

Questions and answers

Can I print a different Texas word search for each table?

Yes. Press New puzzle and 16 of the 26 favorites are drawn again and laid out afresh. Print or save as PDF then gives that puzzle with a name and date line, and its answer key on a page of its own.

Is the state flower of Texas in the puzzle?

Yes. Bluebonnet is in the opening grid and in Texas State Symbols, with Mockingbird (state bird), Pecan (state tree), Longhorn and Armadillo (the large and small state mammals), Monarch (state insect) and Lone Star, from the flag and the nickname.

Does it have Texas rivers as well as cities?

Texas Rivers and Regions has the Rio Grande, Red River, Brazos, Colorado River, Pecos, Trinity, Sabine and Nueces, with regions from the Panhandle to the Piney Woods. Texas Cities has 30 places, from Austin and Houston to Marfa and Terlingua.

Why is Friendship a word in a Texas puzzle?

Friendship is the state motto. The name Texas comes from a Caddo word for friends or allies, and Amistad, the reservoir on the Rio Grande, is Spanish for friendship. Friendship, Caddo and Amistad are all in the lists.

All 219 words

Texas Cities 30

Texas Cities, continued

Texas Rivers and Regions 33

Texas State Symbols 35

Texas Wildlife and Plants 32

Texas History 21

Texas Ranch and Oil 28

Texas Food 23

Texas Landmarks and Parks 17

How it works

Spanish names that the clues translate

A state hat, state footwear and a state vehicle

Questions and answers

More tools