About this puzzle
Memorial Day, on the last Monday in May, is set aside to remember the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. This list explains how that remembering is done. It follows the holiday from its start as Decoration Day after the Civil War, through General Logan and the town of Waterloo, New York, to the traditions families still keep: the Poppy, the Wreath, the bugle call Taps, and the flag flown at Half Staff.
Teachers use this Memorial Day word search in the last weeks of school to explain why the long weekend exists, and each note gives a short, accurate piece of history that suits elementary and middle school students. Families can solve it before visiting a cemetery or watching a local parade. It also helps kids see how Memorial Day differs from Veterans Day in November, which thanks everyone who has served.
The 32 words in this puzzle
Every word, with a short note. Handy for teaching the vocabulary before or after solving.
In every version (12)
- Army
- The US Army is the oldest branch of the military, founded on June 14, 1775, more than a year before the Declaration of Independence. Its soldiers serve mostly on land.
- Freedom
- Many Americans use Memorial Day to reflect on the service members who gave their lives to protect the country and the freedoms people enjoy today.
- Hero
- A hero is someone admired for courage or for helping others. Many towns list the names of local heroes on memorials in parks and town squares.
- Honor
- Communities honor the fallen with ceremonies, speeches, music, and by placing flags and flowers at graves.
- Memorial
- A memorial is something that helps people remember, such as a monument, a ceremony, or a special day. Memorial Day is held on the last Monday in May.
- Navy
- The US Navy serves at sea with ships, submarines, and aircraft. It traces its start to October 13, 1775, when the Continental Congress called for armed ships.
- Parade
- Memorial Day parades often include veterans, marching bands, scouts, and color guards carrying the flag, and many end with a ceremony at a local memorial.
- Poppy
- Red poppies became a symbol of remembrance after the World War I poem "In Flanders Fields." Many people wear a paper poppy on Memorial Day weekend.
- Remember
- Remembering is the heart of Memorial Day. The holiday honors service members who died while serving, so their names and stories are not forgotten.
- Salute
- A salute is a sign of respect. Service members salute the flag and each other, and at Memorial Day ceremonies many people place a hand over their heart during the anthem.
- Soldier
- Soldiers are members of an army. On Memorial Day, Americans remember soldiers and other service members who gave their lives while serving the country.
- Taps
- Taps is a short, slow bugle call of 24 notes played at military ceremonies. It was arranged in 1862 by Union General Daniel Butterfield and bugler Oliver Norton.
Added in Medium and Hard (8)
- Air Force
- The US Air Force became its own separate branch of the military in 1947. Before that, American military pilots and planes were part of the Army.
- Bugle
- A bugle is a simple brass horn with no valves. A bugler changes notes only by changing the shape of the lips, which is why bugle calls use just a few notes.
- Cemetery
- Many families visit cemeteries on Memorial Day to leave flowers or flags. Volunteers often decorate the graves of service members who have no family nearby.
- Coast Guard
- The US Coast Guard protects the nation's coasts and waterways and rescues people at sea. It traces its history back to 1790.
- Half Staff
- On Memorial Day the flag flies at half staff from sunrise until noon, to honor the fallen, and is then raised to the top of the pole until sunset.
- Marines
- The US Marine Corps was founded on November 10, 1775, in Philadelphia. Marines often work closely with the Navy and are trained to respond quickly wherever they are needed.
- Uniform
- Each branch of the military has its own uniforms, including formal dress uniforms worn at ceremonies such as the Memorial Day service at Arlington National Cemetery.
- Wreath
- A wreath is a ring of flowers or leaves. Each Memorial Day a wreath is laid at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.
Added in Hard (12)
- Arlington
- Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia hosted the first large Decoration Day ceremony in 1868. A national Memorial Day ceremony is held there every year.
- Decoration
- Memorial Day was first called Decoration Day, because people decorated soldiers' graves with flowers in the years after the Civil War.
- Flags In
- Before Memorial Day, soldiers of the Army's 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, known as The Old Guard, place a small American flag at graves in Arlington National Cemetery.
- Flanders
- Flanders is a region of Belgium where many World War I soldiers are buried. Canadian doctor John McCrae wrote "In Flanders Fields" there in 1915.
- Gold Star
- A Gold Star family is one that has lost a loved one in military service. Mothers of fallen service members are honored on Gold Star Mother's Day in September.
- Logan
- General John A. Logan, leader of a group of Union veterans, issued an order in 1868 calling for graves to be decorated with flowers on May 30.
- Moina Michael
- Moina Michael, a teacher from Georgia, started the American tradition of wearing red poppies for fallen service members after reading the poem In Flanders Fields in 1918.
- Old Glory
- Old Glory is a nickname for the American flag. It comes from a sea captain named William Driver, who gave his flag that name in the early 1800s.
- Sacrifice
- A sacrifice is giving up something important for others. Memorial Day honors those who gave their lives in service to their country.
- Silence
- Since 2000, the National Moment of Remembrance has asked Americans to pause wherever they are at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day for a moment of silence.
- Tribute
- A tribute is something said or done to show respect and thanks. Speeches, songs, and the reading of names are common Memorial Day tributes.
- Waterloo
- In 1966, Congress and President Lyndon Johnson recognized Waterloo, New York, as the birthplace of Memorial Day. The town held a community-wide observance in May 1866.
A few facts to share while you solve
- The name Memorial Day slowly replaced Decoration Day over many decades, and it became the official name under federal law in 1967.
- Memorial Day was traditionally held on May 30 until a 1968 law moved it to the last Monday in May, starting in 1971, creating a three-day weekend.
- Moina Michael, a teacher from Georgia, started the custom of wearing red poppies in memory of the fallen. The U.S. Postal Service honored her with a stamp in 1948.
Four versions of this puzzle
Pick a version with the buttons above the grid. Each one has its own grid and answer key, and your progress on each is saved separately in this browser.
| Version | Words | Grid | Directions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy | 12 | 11 × 11 | The 12 most familiar words, reading forward across and down. |
| Medium | 20 | 14 × 14 | Twenty words across, down and diagonally. No backwards words. |
| Hard | 32 | 17 × 17 | Every word, in all eight directions including backwards, with look-alike filler letters. |
| Large print | 12 | 10 × 10 | The 12 most familiar words on a small grid with big letters. No backwards words. |
Hard and large print versions
Hard memorial day word search: all 32 words on a 17 × 17 grid, hidden forward, backward, up, down and along both diagonals, with filler letters borrowed from the word list. Print it without the word list for an extra challenge. Play the hard version, or see all hard word searches.
Large print memorial day word search: the 12 most familiar words on a 10 × 10 grid, printed with big letters and a big word list, and no backwards words. Play the large print version, or see all large print word searches.
Printing this word search
Press Print / PDF above the puzzle. You get a clean one-page sheet with the title, the grid, a word list with tick boxes, and optional name and date lines. The answer key prints on a second page. Prefer a file? Download it as a PDF or an image to print later or drop into a worksheet. Whatever version is showing on screen is the one that prints, and the large print version prints with bigger letters.
How to play online
- Find a word from the list in the grid. Scanning for its first letter is the quickest way.
- Drag across the word from its first letter to its last. On a phone, you can also tap the first letter, then the last.
- Found words get highlighted and crossed off. Stuck? Hint circles the first letter of a word you haven’t found.
Read the full guide to solving word searches, with tips that make big grids much faster.
Questions and answers
How is Memorial Day different from Veterans Day?
Memorial Day, on the last Monday in May, remembers the service members who died while serving in the military. Veterans Day, on November 11, thanks everyone who has served, including living veterans. A simple way to explain it to kids: Memorial Day is for remembering, and Veterans Day is for thanking.
Is this Memorial Day word search appropriate for elementary students?
Yes. The words focus on how people remember and show respect, such as Poppy, Wreath, Taps, and Half Staff, rather than on battles. The notes are short and factual. Kids around 7 and up can try the easy level, and older students can take on medium or hard.
How many words are in the Memorial Day puzzle?
Easy and large print use 12 core words, medium uses 20, and hard uses all 32. Some cover the history of the holiday, like Decoration, Logan, and Waterloo, and others cover traditions that families and towns still keep, like Flags In, the Parade, and the moment of Silence at 3 p.m.
Is there an answer key for this memorial day word search?
Yes. Choose Print / PDF above the puzzle and keep “Add an answer key page” ticked. The key prints on its own page, with every word highlighted. While playing online, Show answers outlines any words you haven’t found yet.
Can I print copies for my class or group?
Yes. Every puzzle on BetterWordSearch is free to print for personal, classroom, library and homeschool use. Print as many copies as you need. To change the words or make several different versions of the grid, use the word search maker.
What changes between Easy, Medium, Hard and Large print?
Easy hides the 12 most familiar words, reading left to right and top to bottom. Medium uses 20 words and adds diagonals. Hard hides all 32 words in every direction, including backwards, with look-alike filler letters. Large print uses the same words as Easy on a small grid and prints with big letters.
