Hooking with -BACK words
Endings like -BACK let you tack a word onto a tile already on the board, often turning a small play into a big one. Look for the high-value entries above to maximise points.
What the numbers say
Inside this list: 83 words spanning 5–12 letters. The biggest cluster sits at 8 letters (32 words), 1 entries are Wordle-sized at five letters, and 14 run to seven — bingo length if you can empty the rack. For points, the ceiling is ANTIKICKBACK, worth 30.
The five biggest scorers on the page: ANTIKICKBACK (30), QUARTERBACK (28), ZWIEBACK (28), HUCKABACK (26), KICKBACK (26). ANTIKICKBACK (12 letters) stretches furthest, while the list-wide average score sits near 21 points. If you are fishing for these words, keep A (83 appearances), C (83) and B (83) on your rack.
Start with these three
- ABACK earns 13 points from just 5 tiles — and it is a word few opponents will bother to challenge.
- When the rack looks hopeless, TURTLEBACK (10 letters, 18 points) is the kind of quiet play that keeps a game moving.
- LEASEBACK is easy to keep in memory: 9 letters, 17 points, and no awkward tiles to hunt for.
Five more everyday options from the same list: ROLLBACK (16), ROORBACK (16), SLOTBACK (16), TAILBACK (16), GREENBACK (18).
Back-hooking with -BACK
Endings are Scrabble's cheapest points. A word finishing in -BACK can often be built backwards from a tile already on the board, so you pay for fewer letters than you score. Scan the high scorers above, then look for a spot where the final -BACK lands on a premium square — the multiplier applies to your whole word, not just the hook.
More endings
Narrow it down
Pair an ending with a length or starting letter in the Word Finder.