The people who make us laugh
Comedy has given us some unforgettable performers, and this word search gathers many of them. You'll be finding stand-up legends like CARLIN, PRYOR, RIVERS and ROCK, the silent-era duo LAUREL and HARDY, and British favourites like CLEESE, ATKINSON and CONNOLLY.
Each puzzle pulls a fresh selection of surnames from the list, so the line-up changes every time you play — gentle on Easy, and a longer-word challenge once the diagonals and backwards words appear on Hard.
Stand-up, sketch and the silver screen
From the music hall to modern stand-up, the words are here. There are sketch stars like FRENCH, SAUNDERS, SYKES, MORECAMBE and WISE, screen comedians KEATON, MURPHY and MARTIN, and modern names GERVAIS, IZZARD, BRAND, SCHUMER and TOMLIN — alongside trailblazer Joan RIVERS and the comic actor Steve MARTIN.
The many ways to be funny
Comedy comes in lots of styles, and these names show them all. Buster KEATON made audiences roar in the silent-film era using only his body and a famously straight face, and LAUREL and HARDY turned clumsiness into an art form. Stand-up comedians like George CARLIN, Richard PRYOR and Chris ROCK work alone with just a microphone, while sketch performers like Britain's MORECAMBE and WISE or French and SAUNDERS play characters and act out funny scenes.
Being funny is harder than it looks. A good joke relies on clever timing, surprise and a sharp eye for the silly things in everyday life — and comedians often write all their own material. Rowan ATKINSON proved you barely need words at all with the near-silent Mr Bean, loved around the world; others, like Joan RIVERS, broke barriers as some of the first women to headline stand-up. That mix of writing, performing and split-second timing makes comedians a fun fit for a drama or comedy topic.
Great for a comedy topic
It's a great fit for a drama or comedy topic — we use surnames to keep words short, and Easy mode uses a small grid with no diagonals or reverse words (longer names like MORECAMBE appear on Medium and Hard). Play online, print a PDF pack, or use Make Your Own to build a grid from your own favourite comedians.