7-letter words with X as the 3rd letter and O as the 5th letter

The pattern fixes two positions but leaves the other five open, producing a short, unusual group. ANXIOUS and NOXIOUS are familiar examples; WAXWORK and COXCOMB stand out for their tile scores. Dictionary coverage differs: Collins includes all 14 matches, while ENABLE includes 11; only one qualifies as common by the frequency cutoff, so expect many specialized or less familiar entries.

At a glance: the X/O pattern

• Collins contains 14 words matching the seven-letter X-third, O-fifth pattern.
• NWL2023 includes 12 matches, and ENABLE includes 11.
• WAXWORK leads the listed Scrabble scores at 24 points.
• Only one match falls within the common-word frequency group.
• Five matches begin with S, more than with any other starting letter.

What words fit the fixed X and O positions?

Read the pattern as _ _ X _ O _ _: the third tile must be X, and the fifth must be O. ANXIOUS and NOXIOUS show how those fixed letters can sit inside recognizable words, while BOXWOOD and FOXHOLE offer another clear pair to scan for.

The first-letter split is unusually concentrated: five entries start with S, while B and W each account for two. The endings spread out more; S appears four times, and D, M, and N each appear twice. Those clusters are useful when a crossing letter narrows your options.

Which matching words score highest?

WAXWORK scores 24 points, ahead of COXCOMB and WAXWORM at 22 each. BOXWOOD, FOXHOLE, and MIXDOWN each score 20. The X and other high-value tiles drive these totals, making WAXWORK the standout when you can place it without sacrificing a strong board square.

For 7-letter words with X as the 3rd letter and O as the 5th letter, the score leaders are not necessarily the easiest words to remember. SIXFOLD and BOXROOM score 18, but the group is overwhelmingly uncommon: just one entry meets the common-word cutoff. Check your game's word list before playing an unfamiliar entry, since dictionary coverage varies.