Anagram Indicators

Anagram indicators, or anagrinds as they've come to be called, give wide scope for play to the clue writer. Of all clue types that take indicators, setters seem to get most creative with anagrams. In essence, any word/phrase that suggests reordering of its adjacent letters can work as an anagrind.

The validity/fairness of indicators often leads to debate; that happens a lot with anagrinds (and I'm not talking about Nita Jaggi's anagrinds such as 'loud', 'large' in The Hindu – those are not okay by any yardstick). A classic point of contention is nounal anagrinds. One school of thought (which includes setters like Ximenes and Azed) is strictly against them, others setters/solvers find them acceptable in certain conditions. So an anagrind like 'different' (adjective) would be indisputable, but 'difference' (noun) tends to stir controversy.

Anagrinds By Letters Of The Alphabet

Here's a compilation of frequently seen anagram indicators. A huge set when compared to other indicators, and yet there are many more possibilities.

The indicators are placed in dictionary order. Click any letter for indicators that start with that letter.

Note: The list mentions one form of the word, consider its variants too. For example, BLEND => BLENDS, BLENDED, BLENDING and so on. Which grammatical form to use depends on the structure of the clue; note that the wordplay grammar must work for the cryptic reading as well as the surface. More on this here: Camouflaging Anagrams and Verbal Anagrammar.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Anagrinds Starting With 'A'

ABERRANT ABNORMAL ABOUT ABSURD ACCIDENTAL ADAPTED ADDLED ADJUSTED ADRIFT ADVERSELY AFFECTED AFFLICTED AFRESH AFTER A FASHION AGITATED AIMLESS ALL AT SEA

ALL OVER THE PLACE ALL WRONG ALTERED ALTERNATIVE ALTERNATIVELY AMALGAMATE AMBIGUOUS AMENDED AMISS AMOK ANEW ANOMALOUS ANOTHER ANOTHER WAY ANYHOW ANYWAY APPEARING AS

ARISING FROM AROUND ARRANGED ASKEW ASSEMBLED ASSORTED ASTRAY AT FAULT AT ODDS AT SEA AT SIXES AND SEVENS AT VARIANCE AWFUL AWKWARDLY AWRY

Anagrinds Starting With 'B'

BADLY BAFFLED BATTERED BEATEN UP BECOMES BEFUDDLED BENDS BENT BEWILDERED BIZARRE

BLEND BLUNDER BOTCHED BREAK DOWN BREAK OUT BREAK UP BREAKING BREWED BROADCAST BROKE

BROKEN DOWN BROKEN UP BUCKLES BUILT BUNGLED BUSTED BY ACCIDENT BY ARRANGEMENT BY MISTAKE

Anagrinds Starting With 'C'

CALAMITOUS CAN BE CAPRICIOUSLY CARELESSLY CATASTROPHIC CAUSES CAVORT CHANGE CHANGEABLE CHAOTIC CHEW UP CHOPPED UP CHURN CIRCLING CIRCULATED CLUMSY COCKTAIL COLLAPSE COMBINATION COME TO BE COME TO GRIEF COMES TO

COMIC COMICAL COMPLICATED COMPOSE COMPOSED COMPRISES CONCEALING CONCOCT CONFOUNDED CONFUSE CONSTITUENTS CONSTRUCT CONSTRUCTED CONTORT CONTORTED CONTRAPTION CONTRARIWISE CONTRARY CONTRIVANCE CONTRIVED CONVERSION CONVERT

CONVERTED CONVULSE COOK CORRECTED CORRUPT COULD BE CRACK UP CRACKED CRACKED UP CRASHED CRAZILY CREATE CROOKED CROSS CRUDE CRUMBLING CRUMPLED CRUSH CUNNING CURIOUSLY

Anagrinds Starting With 'D'

DAMAGE DANCE DEALT WITH DECOMPOSED DEFECTIVE DEFORMED DEMENTED DEMOLISHED DEPLORABLY DEPLOYED DERANGE DERIVED FROM DESIGN DESTROYED DEVASTATED DEVELOP DEVIANT DEVIATING DEVIOUSLY DEVISED DIFFERENT DIFFICULT DILAPIDATED

DISARRANGED DISARRAY DISASTROUS DISCLOSE DISCOMPOSED DISCONCERTED DISCORD DISCORDANT DISFIGURED DISGUISE DISHEVELLED DISINTEGRATED DISLOCATE DISMANTLED DISORDER DISORGANISED DISORIENTED DISPERSE DISPOSED DISQUIETED DISRUPTED DISSEMBLING DISSEMINATED

DISSIPATED DISSONANT DISTORTED DISTRACTED DISTRAUGHT DISTRESSED DISTRIBUTED DISTURB DITHERING DIVERGENT DIVERSIFIED DIVERT DIVERTED DIZZY DOCTOR DODDERY DOTTY DOUBTFULLY DREADFUL DRESSED DRUNKEN DUBIOUSLY

Anagrinds Starting With 'E'

ECCENTRIC EFFECT EMBODIES EMBROIL EMEND ENGENDERING

ENGINEERED ENSEMBLE ENTANGLED EQUIVOCAL ERRATICALLY ERRING

ERRONEOUS ERUPTING EXCEPTIONAL EXCITED EXOTIC EXPLODED EXTRAORDINARILY

Anagrinds Starting With 'F'

FABRICATE FAILING FALLACIOUS FALSE FALTERING FANCIFUL FANTASTIC FASHION FAULTY FERMENTED FICKLE FIDDLE FIGURING IN FIXED

FLAWED FLOUNDER FLUCTUATING FLUMMOXED FLURRIED FLUSTER FOOLISHLY FOR A CHANGE FORCED FORGED FORM OF FORMS FORMULATING FRACAS

FRACTURED FRAGMENT FREAKISH FREE FRENZIED FRESH FRISKY FROLICKING <soln> FROM <fodder> FUDGE FUNCTION FUNNILY FUNNY FUSED

Anagrinds Starting With 'G'

GARBLED GENERATING GET-UP GETS FACE-LIFT GIVES GIVES RISE TO GO AMOK

GO ASTRAY GO BAD GO BERSERK GO OFF GO STRAIGHT GO TO PIECES GO TO POT

GO TO THE DOGS GO WRONG GONE OFF GROTESQUE GROUND GYRATES

Anagrinds Starting With 'H'

HAPHAZARD HAPLESS HARASSED HASH HAVOC

HAYWIRE HELTER-SKELTER HIDDEN HIDE HIGGLEDY-PIGGLEDY

HORRIBLE HOTCHPOTCH HYBRID

Anagrinds Starting With 'I'

IDLY ILL ILL-DISPOSED ILL-FORMED ILL-MADE ILL-TREATED ILL-USED IMPAIRED IMPERFECT IMPROPER IN A BAD WAY IN A FASHION IN A FERMENT IN A FRENZY IN A HEAP IN A JUMBLE IN A KNOT IN A MESS IN A MUDDLE

IN A RIOT IN A TANGLE IN A TIZZY IN A TUMULT IN A TURMOIL IN A WHIRL IN CHAOS IN COMMOTION IN CONFUSION IN DISARRAY IN DISGUISE IN DISORDER IN ERROR IN KNOTS IN ORDER IN OTHER WORDS IN PIECES IN REBELLION IN REVOLT

IN RUINS IN SHREDS IN TROUBLE IN UPROAR INACCURATE INCOHERENT INCONSTANT INCORRECT INDUCE INFIRM INJURED INORDINATELY INSANELY INTERFERED WITH <fodder> INTO <soln> INTRICATE INVOLVED IRREGULAR IRRITATED

Anagrinds Starting With 'J'

JERKY JITTERY

JOGGLE JUGGLED

JUMBLED

Anagrinds Starting With 'K'

KIND OF

KINKY

KNOTTED

Anagrinds Starting With 'L'

LAWLESS LET LOOSE LIQUID

LOOSELY LOUSILY LOUSY

LUDICROUS LUNATIC

Anagrinds Starting With 'M'

MAD MADDENING MADE MADE FROM MADE OF MADE UP MAKE MAKE A BUNGLE OF MAKE A HASH OF MAKE A MESS OF MAKE-UP MALADJUSTED MALADROIT MALFORMATION MALFORMED MALFUNCTION MALTREATED MANAGED MANGLED MANIFEST MANIPULATE MANOEUVRE MARRED MASHED MATERIAL FOR

MAULED MAYBE MAYHEM MEANDERING MEDLEY MELT MELTED MENDED MERCURIAL MESS MESSED MESSILY MESSY METAMORPHOSIS MINCED MINGLED MISAPPLIED MISBEHAVED MISCONSTRUED MISERABLE MISHANDLED MISHAP MISREPRESENTED MISSHAPEN MISTAKE

MISTREATED MISUSED MIX MIX-UP MIXED MIXTURE MOBILE MODEL MODELLED MODIFICATION MODIFIED MODIFY MOLESTED MONGREL MOULD MOULDED MOVING MUDDIED MUDDLE MUDDLY MUTABLE MUTATIVE MUTILATED MUTINOUS MYSTERIOUS

Anagrinds Starting With 'N'

NASTY NAUGHTY NEGOTIATED NEW NEW FORM OF NEW ORDER

NEW STYLE NEWLY FORMED NEWLY MADE NOT EXACTLY NOT IN ORDER NOT PROPERLY

NOT RIGHT NOT STRAIGHT NOVEL NUTTY

Anagrinds Starting With 'O'

OBSCURE OBSTREPEROUS ODD ODD LOOKING ODDLY OFF OPERATE ORDERED

ORGANISE ORIGINALLY OTHERWISE OUT OUT OF OUT OF GEAR OUT OF JOINT OUT OF HAND

OUT OF ORDER OUT OF SORTS OUTCOME OF OUTED OUTLANDISH OVERTHROW OVERTURN

Anagrinds Starting With 'P'

PECULIAR PECULIAR LOOKING PECULIARLY PERFIDIOUS PERHAPS PERMUTATION PERPLEXED PERVERSELY PERVERTED PHONEY

PLACED PLAGUED PLASTIC PLAYED POORLY POSITIONED POSSIBLY POTENTIALLY POWDERED PREPARED

PROBLEMATIC PROCESSING PROPERLY PULVERISED PUT ANOTHER WAY PUT OUT PUT RIGHT PUT STRAIGHT

Anagrinds Starting With 'Q'

QUARRIED

QUEER

QUESTIONABLE

Anagrinds Starting With 'R'

RABID RAGGED RAMBLING RAN AMOK RAVAGE RAVELLED RE-ORDERED READJUSTED REARRANGED REARRANGEMENT REASSEMBLED REBEL REBELLIOUS REBUILT RECALCITRANT RECAST RECOLLECTED RECONSTRUCTED RECREATE RECTIFIED REDESIGNED REFINE REFORM REFRACTORY

REGENERATE REGULATED REMADE REMODELLED RENDERING RENOVATED REORGANISED REPACK REPAIR REPLACED REPRESENT REPRODUCE RESETTLE RESHAPE RESHAPED RESHUFFLED RESOLVED RESORT RESULTING FROM RESULTING IN REVEAL REVIEWED REVISE REVISED

REVOLTING REVOLUTIONARY REVOLVING REWORD REWRITE RICKETY RIDICULOUS RIGGED RIOTOUS ROCKY ROTTEN ROUGH ROVING RUDE RUFFLED RUINED RUINOUS RUINS RUM RUMPLED RUN AMOK RUNNING WILD RUPTURED

Anagrinds Starting With 'S'

SADLY SCATTER SCRAMBLED SCRUFFY SEQUENCED SERVED UP SET SET DIFFERENTLY SET OFF SET OUT SETTING SHAKEN SHAKY SHAMBLES SHAPED SHATTERED SHIFT SHILLY-SHALLY SHUFFLE SHUFFLED

SILLY SINGULAR SKITTISH SLIPPING SLIPSHOD SLOPPY SLOVENLY SMASH SOMEHOW SORRY SORT SORT OF SORTED SPINNING SPLIT SPOILT SPORTING SPURIOUS SQUIGGLY

STAGGERED STEWED STIR STIRRED STORMY STRAIGHT STRANGE STRANGELY STRAYING STRICKEN STUMBLING STUPID SUBSTITUTE SUBTLE SUBVERT SURPRISINGLY SWAPPED SWIRLING SWITCHED

Anagrinds Starting With 'T'

TAMPERED WITH TANGLED TATTERED TEMPER TEMPESTUOUS TENTATIVE TERRIBLY THE RESULT OF THROWN TIDIED TIPPED TIPSY

TOPSY-TURVY TORN TORTUOUS TOSSED TOUSLE TRANSFORM TRANSLATED TRANSMUTED TRANSPORT TRANSPOSED TREACHEROUS TREATED

TRICK TROUBLED TUMBLE-DOWN TUMBLING TUMULTUOUS TURBULENT TURNED TURNED OUT TWIST

Anagrinds Starting With 'U'

UNCERTAIN UNCLEAR UNCOMMON UNDECIDED UNDISCIPLINED UNDOING UNDONE UNEASY UNFAMILIAR UNHAPPY UNNATURAL UNORTHODOX

UNRAVELLED UNRELIABLE UNREST UNRESTRAINED UNRULY UNSETTLED UNSETTLING UNSOUND UNSTABLE UNSTEADY

UNTIDY UNTIE UNUSUAL UNWONTED UPHEAVAL UPSET USAGE USE <fodder> FOR <soln>

Anagrinds Starting With 'V'

VACILLATING VAGUE VANDALISE VARIABLE

VARIABLE VARIED VARIETY VARIOUSLY

VARY VERSION VIOLENTLY VOLATILE

Anagrinds Starting With 'W'

WANDERING WARPED WARRING WAVERING WAY OUT WAYWARD WEAVE WEIRDLY WELL-FORMED

WELL-ORDERED WELL-ORGANISED WELL-VARIED WENT OFF WENT TO PIECES WHIRLING WILD WILTS WOBBLY

WOOLLY WORK OUT WORRIED WOVEN WRECK WRITHING WRONGLY

Thanks to Ganesh for his inputs in compiling this list.

Related Posts:

• Anagram Clue Type
• Index Of All Clue Types
• Reverse Anagrams

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