A revolution in France
The FRENCH REVOLUTION turned FRANCE upside down, and this word search gathers it. You'll be finding the angry PEASANT and CITIZEN who demanded change, the STORMING of the BASTILLE PRISON that lit the spark, the fall of the KING and QUEEN, and the new REPUBLIC raised in their place.
Each puzzle pulls a fresh selection from the list, so the grid changes every time you play — gentle on Easy, and a fuller challenge once the diagonals and backwards words appear on Hard.
Liberty, equality and upheaval
The revolution was driven by big ideas, and the words are here. Crowds in PARIS marched for LIBERTY, EQUALITY and FREEDOM, waving the red-white-and-blue TRICOLOR flag and demanding REFORM. The old NOBLES lost their PALACE and their power, the REVOLT and the RIOT spread, and the dreaded GUILLOTINE stood in the square. Thinkers like VOLTAIRE had inspired the change, and out of the chaos rose a young general named NAPOLEON.
When the people overthrew a king
By 1789 FRANCE was nearly bankrupt, harvests had failed, and ordinary people were starving while the KING, QUEEN and NOBLES lived in luxury at the PALACE of Versailles. On 14 July an angry Paris crowd attacked the BASTILLE, a royal PRISON and symbol of the king's power — and the STORMING of the Bastille is still celebrated as France's national day. The revolutionaries set out their goals in a famous declaration built on three words: LIBERTY, EQUALITY and fraternity (brotherhood), which remain France's motto to this day.
The revolution then turned dark. The KING and QUEEN, Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, were both executed on the GUILLOTINE, and during the 'Terror' that followed thousands more followed them. Out of the chaos a young general, NAPOLEON Bonaparte, seized power and crowned himself emperor — ending the REPUBLIC but spreading many revolutionary ideas across Europe through his conquests. Thinkers like VOLTAIRE had argued for reason, rights and questioning authority long before 1789, which is why the French Revolution is treated as a turning point into the modern world — and a rich modern-history topic.
Great for a modern-history topic
It pairs perfectly with a history topic on the French Revolution, revolution and the rise of Napoleon — Easy mode keeps the grid small with no diagonals or reverse words. Play online, print a PDF pack, or use our Make Your Own tool to build a grid from your own revolution words.
Frequently asked questions
What's in the French Revolution word search?
Key words from the French Revolution — the storming of the Bastille, liberty, equality and freedom, the king, queen and nobles, the republic and the tricolour, the guillotine, and figures like Voltaire and Napoleon. Each puzzle uses a fresh mix.
Does it cover the storming of the Bastille?
It does — the STORMING of the BASTILLE, the cries for LIBERTY, EQUALITY and FREEDOM, the fall of the KING, QUEEN and NOBLES, the new REPUBLIC and TRICOLOR, the GUILLOTINE, and figures like VOLTAIRE and NAPOLEON.
Is it good for a history topic?
Great fit — the French Revolution is a staple of modern-history study. Easy mode keeps the grid small with no diagonals or reverse words.