System Design: Crossword / Puzzle Word Game Solver

System DesignOpenAILast reported August 2026Medium Frequency
Reported
9× across candidate reports
First seen
November 2025
Last reported
August 2026
Reported outcome
mixed

Problem Overview

Design a service/system that solves crossword puzzles. Input: (1) a board with pre-marked word-slot start positions and directions (Across / Down), and (2) a dictionary of words (with or without clue definitions). Example dictionary: {TIRE: 'A wheel on a car', RATS: 'Small rodents', BATH: 'A tub to clean', BE: 'To,…

  • 7 candidate-reported follow-ups — the exact probes interviewers asked, with the trigger for each
  • The rest of the problem statement — full requirements, constraints, and edge cases
  • Approach and trade-offs — what passing candidates did, and the mistakes that sink people
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Verified Source
Every question is reconstructed from multiple independent candidate reports. Verbatim follow-ups, not invented ones.
Codex Fact-Checked
Technical claims, formulas, and scale numbers are reviewed against primary sources.
Interviewer Follow-ups
The exact follow-ups reported by candidates, with the trigger that prompts each one — plus the mistakes that sink people.
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