7-letter words with X as the 2nd letter and S as the 5th letter

EX is forced by the X clue: the complete set runs from exposed and exposes to excusal and exposit. Four of the 11 count as common; the remaining forms include less routine nouns and verb forms such as exposal and excusal.

The pattern at a glance

• Every one of the 11 tournament-dictionary entries opens with EX.
• EXPOSED, EXCUSED and EXCISED reach the pattern's highest score: 17 points.
• Collins lists all 11; ENABLE and NWL2023 each list 10.
• D and S are tied as the most frequent final letters, with three words apiece.
• Every match carries the 8-point X, which is why even the lowest-scoring entries here reach 16 points.

Which words fit X second and S fifth?

The EXPOSE family contributes EXPOSED, EXPOSES, EXPOSER and EXPOSAL. EXCUSED, EXCUSES, EXCUSER and EXCUSAL make another four; EXCISED, EXCISES and EXPOSIT complete the set.

Use the final letter as a second filter: D and S each occur three times, L and R twice, and T once. Those five endings cover all 11 matches, so a crossing letter elsewhere immediately narrows the options.

Other X frames are far bigger. With S fifth, E second has 174 matches and R second has 155, against 11 here. The five-letter X-second, S-fifth version has 15, so two extra letters barely change the size of this pattern.

How do scores and dictionary lists compare?

Three words reach 17 points: EXPOSED, EXCUSED and EXCISED. The next group scores 16: EXCUSES, EXPOSES, EXCISES, EXPOSER, EXCUSER, EXPOSAL, EXPOSIT and EXCUSAL. The average is 16.3 points, putting the leaders slightly above the group as a whole.

Collins has one more match than either ENABLE or NWL2023. This is a narrow clue set rather than a broad store of everyday vocabulary; check your game's word list before playing a word whose acceptance matters.