Veterans Day Word Search Free Printable for November 11
Press Print or save as PDF, or first pick a list under the puzzle: branches, Army ranks or November 11.
Name Date
Veterans Day Word Search
Find every word hidden in the grid. Words go across and down.
0 of 16 words found
SAILORRUHFARWDY
TLBIAHNSUESHGRV
TELDGWHANDSHAKE
IZDNYPELIYEPEGT
NHAAESDUFLMJREE
TAFTEAPTOOBKFVR
ENHEQCCERPLHAAA
ROJQEOOWMEYELBN
VVEMSOUTHANKSPA
IEIDOARMYCAVOIV
EMGTLRAQCEEMOHY
WBMYDEGRDBANYEN
SERVICETXLLWFGA
ARDMERSHIANTHEM
WASERDRAORRESRX
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.
NOVEMBER
PEACE
ARMY
NAVY
SOLDIER
SAILOR
VETERAN
SERVICE
SALUTE
THANKS
COURAGE
HANDSHAKE
INTERVIEW
ANTHEM
UNIFORM
ASSEMBLY
16 of 24 words from the Veterans Day Favorites list.
Tap or click the first letter of a word, then its last letter. Or drag across the word. On a touch screen, hold the first letter for a moment before you drag. On a keyboard, the arrow keys move, Enter marks the first and the last letter, and Escape clears a first letter.
AlabamaThe state where Raymond Weeks led the first national celebration for all veterans, in 1947.
AnniversaryA date that marks the same event every year. November 11 marks the cease-fire of 1918.
ApostropheA punctuation mark. Veterans Day has none, because the day honors veterans and does not belong to them.
ArmisticeAn agreement to stop fighting. The one of 1918 gave this holiday its first name.
BirthdayThe Marine Corps has one the day before Veterans Day. It was founded on November 10, 1775.
CongressIn 1954 it swapped the word Armistice for the word Veterans in the law.
ElevenThe fighting of World War I stopped at this hour, on the day and in the month with the same number.
FederalThe kind of holiday this is: national offices close for the day.
FranceThe country where the cease-fire of 1918 was signed, in a forest near the town of Compiegne.
KansasHome state of Ed Rees, who brought the 1954 bill, and of the president who signed it.
MailNone is delivered on Veterans Day.
NovemberThe month of Veterans Day. The holiday is on its 11th, whatever day of the week that is.
OctoberFrom 1971 to 1977 the holiday sat on the fourth Monday of this month. In 1978 it went back to its old date.
PeaceThe 1938 law set November 11 aside for the cause of this, all over the world.
RailwayThe 1918 cease-fire was signed aboard a carriage of this kind, parked on a siding among the trees.
SilenceTwo minutes of it are recommended by law on Veterans Day.
WorldA word in the name of the war that stopped on November 11, 1918.
Show all 100 words (83 more)
Armed Forces 24
AirmanA member of the Air Force, which became its own branch on September 18, 1947.
ArmyThe oldest and largest branch, founded on June 14, 1775. Its members are soldiers.
BarracksThe building where soldiers sleep.
BranchOne of the six parts of the armed forces.
CivilianAnyone who is not in the armed forces. A veteran becomes one again when service ends.
CoastThe Guard named for it rescues boaters and patrols the shore. It dates from August 4, 1790.
CommanderA person in charge. The president is this, in chief, of all the armed forces.
DeploymentBeing sent away from home to serve, often for months at a time.
ForceIt follows Air and Space in the names of two branches.
GuardianA member of the Space Force.
HelicopterAn aircraft lifted by spinning blades. It carries troops and rescues the wounded.
MarinesMembers of the Corps founded on November 10, 1775.
MedicA service member trained to give first aid in the field.
MilitaryA word for all the armed forces together.
NavyThe branch that serves at sea, founded on October 13, 1775.
OverseasAcross the ocean, where many service members are sent.
PentagonThe five-sided military headquarters in Virginia. It has five floors above ground and five rings.
PilotThe person at the controls of a plane or helicopter.
ReservePart-time service members who train regularly and can be called up when needed.
SailorA member of the Navy.
SoldierA member of the Army.
SpaceThe newest branch, founded on December 20, 2019, works here, far above the sky.
SubmarineA Navy vessel that travels under the water.
TroopsSoldiers, spoken of as a group.
Ranks and Units 21
AdmiralA top officer of the Navy, in command of a fleet.
BattalionAn Army group made up of several companies.
CadetA student at a military academy, training to lead.
CaptainAn Army officer who wears two silver bars. In the Navy, the officer in command of a ship.
ChevronA V-shaped stripe on a sleeve. The Army has used them to show who is who since 1821.
ColonelAn Army officer who wears a silver eagle. The word sounds like kernel.
CorporalAn Army leader who wears two chevrons, one step below a sergeant.
EnlistTo sign up to join the armed forces. Since 1973 everyone who joins has chosen to.
FleetA large group of Navy ships under one commander.
GeneralThe highest level in the Army, marked with silver stars since 1780.
InsigniaThe bars, leaves, eagles and stars that show how senior a service member is.
LieutenantThe first officer level in the Army. A second one wears a single gold bar.
MajorAn Army officer who wears a gold oak leaf.
OathA solemn promise. Everyone who joins swears one to support and defend the Constitution.
OfficerA leader in the armed forces, from lieutenant to general.
PlatoonA small Army group led by a lieutenant.
PrivateThe lowest level in the Army. It wears no insignia at all.
RankA service member's level, from the newest recruit up to a four-star officer.
RecruitA brand-new member of the armed forces, still in basic training.
SergeantAn Army leader who wears three chevrons. Hard to spell: it begins with serge.
SquadronA group of aircraft together with the people who fly and fix them.
Honor and Thanks 21
CitizenA member of a nation. Veterans are ones who once wore its uniform.
CountryThe land you belong to. Veterans served theirs.
CourageDoing what is needed even when you are afraid.
DutyA job you are bound to do. Service members put it before comfort.
FreedomThe power to speak, worship and live as you choose. Veterans served to protect it.
HandshakeA clasp of right hands, a simple way to thank a veteran in person.
HeroA person admired for courage and good deeds.
HonorTo show great respect. It is what this holiday does for everyone who served.
InterviewAsking a veteran questions about where they served, and writing down the answers.
LivingAlive today. Most of the people Veterans Day thanks are this. Memorial Day is for those who died in service.
LoyaltyStaying true to your homeland, your unit and your friends.
PatriotA person who loves and stands up for their homeland.
ProudHow a family feels about a relative who served.
RememberTo keep someone in mind. The holiday asks everyone to do this.
RespectTreating someone as worthy and important. Standing when veterans enter the room shows it.
SacrificeGiving up something you value, such as time with family, for the good of others.
SaluteA flat right hand raised to the brow, the military sign of respect.
ServiceTime spent in the armed forces. People say: thank you for yours.
SupportHelp and encouragement. Care packages give it to troops far from home.
ThanksWhat November 11 is for giving. A card or a handshake will do.
VeteranAnyone who served in the armed forces and has gone back to civilian life.
Parades and Ceremonies 17
AnthemA national song. The American one asks if a star-spangled banner still waves.
ApplauseClapping. At a school assembly, veterans are often asked to stand for a round of it.
AssemblyWhen the whole school gathers in one room.
AttentionThe command to stand straight and still, heels together, eyes forward.
BreakfastSome schools invite local veterans in for this meal on the morning of November 11.
CeremonyA formal event with set words and actions, such as laying a wreath.
FlagRed, white and blue, with 13 stripes and 50 stars.
GuestA veteran invited into class to talk and answer questions is one.
HelmetHard headgear that protects a soldier.
HomecomingThe day a service member returns from deployment to a family waiting with signs.
MarchingWalking in step, in rows, to a beat.
MedalA metal award on a ribbon. The highest in the US armed forces is the one of Honor, created in the Civil War.
ParadeMany towns hold one on November 11, with veterans riding or marching at the front.
PledgeA promise. The one of Allegiance is said facing the flag, hand on heart.
PosterWhat a class paints for the hallway to thank local veterans.
RibbonA strip of cloth. Small colored bars of it on a uniform stand for awards earned.
UniformThe clothing that shows which branch a person serves in.
How this list was compiled: 100 Veterans Day words chosen and defined for this site, in five themed lists (the history of the holiday, the armed forces, ranks and units, honor and thanks, parades and ceremonies) plus three cross-cutting lists: 24 favorites that open the page, the 22 short words of 3 to 5 letters and the 33 long words of 8 to 11 letters. The list is built around living veterans and the six branches, because Veterans Day honors all who served, while Memorial Day honors those who died in service: words such as cemetery, grave, fallen, taps, wreath and poppy are left to that page, and the two lists were compared. Every entry is a single word of 3 to 12 letters with no spaces, hyphens or apostrophes. No clue contains its own word, because the clue replaces the word in clue mode. No person's name, brand or unit nickname is an entry. Definitions are our own wording for readers of about 6 to 12. Facts with a date, a place or a number in them were checked on 2026-09-19 against these English Wikipedia articles: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veterans_Day (observed annually on November 11; 11 a.m. on November 11, 1918; legal holiday from 1938, dedicated to the cause of world peace, as Armistice Day; Raymond Weeks organized the first national celebration, in Alabama in 1947; Ed Rees of Kansas presented the bill that President Eisenhower, also from Kansas, signed in 1954, and Congress replaced Armistice with Veterans; moved to the fourth Monday of October from 1971 and back to November 11 in 1978; no apostrophe since the day is not one owned by veterans; two minutes of silence recommended by law; federal offices closed and no mail delivered; the Marine Corps birthday on November 10; Memorial Day honors those who died in service), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armistice_of_11_November_1918 (signed in a railway carriage on a siding in the Forest of Compiegne, France; in force at 11:00 a.m. Paris time), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Armed_Forces (six branches; Army 14 June 1775, the largest and oldest service; Navy 13 October 1775; Marine Corps 10 November 1775; Coast Guard 4 August 1790 as the Revenue Cutter Service; Air Force 18 September 1947; Space Force 20 December 2019; the president as commander-in-chief), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Space_Force (members are called Guardians, the counterpart to Soldier and Airman), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Army_enlisted_rank_insignia (private is the lowest rank and has no insignia; chevrons since 1821; corporals two chevrons, sergeants three), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Army_officer_rank_insignia (second lieutenant gold bar, captain two silver bars, major gold oak leaf, colonel silver eagle, generals silver stars since 1780), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conscription_in_the_United_States (active conscription ended in January 1973), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Armed_Forces_oath_of_enlistment (support and defend the Constitution of the United States), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pentagon (headquarters of the Department of Defense in Arlington County, Virginia; five sides, five floors above ground, five ring corridors per floor), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medal_of_Honor (the top military decoration in the United States Armed Forces; introduced in 1861 for the Navy and 1862 for the Army), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_the_United_States (thirteen stripes and fifty stars), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pledge_of_Allegiance (the Flag Code: stand at attention, face the flag and put the right hand over the heart) and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Star-Spangled_Banner (the first stanza ends by asking whether the banner still waves; national anthem since 1931). The page's "updated" date is the launch date of the run, 2026-09-18. Rechecked 2026-09-20 after the truth review: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pentagon (Arlington County, Virginia; five sides; five floors above ground and two basement levels; five ring corridors on each floor). The Pentagon clue no longer names the department (the truth review found a change of its name before Congress) and says five floors above ground. Review fix 2026-09-20 (round 3): in the favorites list Honor and Freedom gave their places to Handshake and Interview, the words for meeting a veteran in person, because the opening puzzle shared four words with the Memorial Day page. Round 3, second pass 2026-09-20: Hero and Parade also left the favorites list for Anthem and Assembly, the words of a school ceremony, so the opening puzzle shares two words with the Memorial Day page (Soldier, Salute) and not four. Both words stay in the bank and in their themed lists. Licence: own work
How it works
Veterans Day thanks everyone who served, and most of them are alive to hear it. This Veterans Day word search free printable follows that idea with 100 words. The first grid holds 16, Salute and Sailor included.
Read the full guide
A different list from Memorial Day
Memorial Day, in May, mourns service members who died. November 11 is for all who served, so this bank has Handshake, Interview, Guest and Breakfast, words for meeting a veteran in person. Graveside words are left to the Memorial Day word search, and only about a quarter of the 100 appear in both.
Branches, ranks and the story of November 11
Armed Forces (24 words) covers the six branches, Ranks and Units has 21, and Veterans Day History has 17. Find all three in the Start from a list row. By reading level, Easy Veterans Day has 22 words of 4 or 5 letters, Army, Navy, Flag and Hero among them. Hard Veterans Day has 33 of 8 to 11, such as Lieutenant and Deployment.
Veterans Day has no apostrophe. The Apostrophe clue says why: the day honors veterans and does not belong to them.
Veteran visiting? Pupils trace Thank you for your service in the handwriting worksheet generator and sign it as a card.
In Ranks and Units, the Colonel clue is an insignia quiz: the Army officer who wears a silver eagle.
Questions and answers
Is this Veterans Day word search free, and how do I get a PDF?
Yes. Nothing counts your copies, so one teacher can print for every class before the assembly. For a Veterans Day word search PDF, press Print or save as PDF and change the printer to Save as PDF. Puzzle on page 1, key on page 2.
Why is Veterans Day on November 11?
World War I fighting stopped at 11 a.m. on November 11, 1918, and the date became Armistice Day. From 1971 to 1977 it sat on the fourth Monday of October. In 1978 it went back to November 11.
Who started Veterans Day?
Raymond Weeks led the first national celebration for all veterans in Alabama in 1947. Ed Rees of Kansas brought the 1954 bill that swapped the word Armistice for Veterans in the law. Both states are in Veterans Day History.