The short version
- Join the letters, count them and forget the original words: BEER HAT is just B, E, E, R, H, A, T.
- Then solve it like any scramble: split vowels from consonants, join letter pairs, pull out the ending.
- In a crossword clue, find the word that means "rearrange" (stirred, broken, wild). The letters next to it are the anagram, and the definition sits at one end of the clue.
Three phrases, one answer
A phrase anagram rearranges the letters of a phrase into a new word or phrase. Three of the five phrase anagrams people searched for most on Unscramble ME this summer and fall have the same answer:
"Times shown" is how many times Google showed Unscramble ME to people in the US searching for that phrase with the word "anagram", between July 18 and October 14, 2026: 2,489 for these three alone.
A method for any phrase
- Join and count. BEERHAT has 7 letters, so the answer has 7. In a crossword, the number in brackets tells you the same.
- Forget the words. BEER and HAT pull your eye toward words that are not the answer. Write the letters in a circle, or in alphabetical order, to break their hold: A, B, E, E, H, R, T.
- Split vowels and consonants. E, E, A and B, R, H, T: three vowels and four consonants, a normal mix for one word.
- Join pairs and pull out endings. TH and BR both work, and -ATHE is a familiar ending (as in BATHE and LATHE). BR, then E, then ATHE: BREATHE.
- Check every letter. B, R, E, A, T, H, E: seven letters, each used once.
- Look for a second answer. GREEN TEA is GENERATE or TEENAGER, and I THREW is WITHER, WHITER or WRITHE. The clue or the puzzle's theme decides.
More phrases people searched for, solved
Anagram clues in crosswords
Cryptic crosswords hide anagrams inside clues. An anagram clue has three parts:
- The fodder: the letters to rearrange, written as ordinary words.
- The indicator: a word telling you to rearrange them, such as stirred, broken or wild.
- The definition: a plain meaning of the answer, at the start or the end of the clue.
In a plain anagram clue, the number in brackets equals the number of letters in the fodder. That is the quickest way to find the fodder: look for words next to the indicator whose letters add up to that number.
Four clues we wrote, solved
Cold air stirred to make a friendly drink (7)
Indicator: stirred. Fodder: COLD AIR, 7 letters. Definition: friendly drink. Answer: CORDIAL, a sweet drink, and a word for friendly.
No cigar smoked, all natural (7)
Indicator: smoked. Fodder: NO CIGAR, 7 letters. Definition: all natural. Answer: ORGANIC.
Herb tea brewed? Take a deep breath (7)
Indicator: brewed. Fodder: HERB TEA, 7 letters. Definition: take a deep breath. Answer: BREATHE.
Pigs so wild: talk of the town (6)
Indicator: wild. Fodder: PIGS SO, 6 letters. Definition: talk of the town. Answer: GOSSIP.
Words that signal an anagram
Any word that suggests movement, damage, change or disorder can be an indicator. Some common ones:
| Idea | Indicators |
|---|---|
| Movement | stirred, shaken, dancing, moving, wandering, running |
| Damage | broken, smashed, ruined, wrecked, battered |
| Change | changed, converted, reformed, altered, new, novel |
| Disorder | mixed, confused, scrambled, wild, crazy, messy, upset |
| Cooking | cooked, baked, brewed, stewed, fried |
Solving a phrase on Unscramble ME
Type the letters without spaces: COLDAIR for COLD AIR. The page lists every word the letters make, longest first, so a one-word answer is at the top. Try it on the home page.
Practice
Five more phrases people searched for. Open one to see the answer.
RED LANE (7)Hint: well read
LEARNED. Shown 41 times.
HOT CRUSTS (9)Hint: quicker ways
SHORTCUTS. Shown 30 times.
CAVED AND (8)Hint: past the beginner stage
ADVANCED. Shown 27 times.
PATS TRIO (8)Hint: they wave the flag
PATRIOTS. Shown 27 times.
THE LEAST (8)Hint: they compete
ATHLETES. Shown 23 times.
Where the examples come from
The phrases on this page are real searches. People in the US searched Google for "[phrase] anagram" between July 18 and October 14, 2026, and Google showed them Unscramble ME (Google Search Console). The four crossword clues are our own. Every answer is checked against the three word lists we use (see How It Works).
More guides
- How to Solve the NYT Spelling Bee: Rules, Points and 8 TipsWhy there is never an S, what a pangram is worth, and eight tips drawn from 34 real puzzles.
- Anagram Hall of Fame: The Longest Anagrams and Other RecordsEARTH is searched for in 89 countries, CONVERSATION hides CONSERVATION, and seven tiles make 365 Scrabble words.
- How to Unscramble Words: 9 Techniques That WorkPull out the ending, pair up letters, find the small word inside: nine tricks, each shown on a real scramble.
- Is It a Word? How Scrabble, Words With Friends and Word Apps DecideMost words people ask us about are scrambles of real ones. Which list your game uses, and why the lists disagree.