Words starting with D, then E, then C, then V, ending in E
24 words fit this spine. They're all listed below. They start with D, end with E, and contain E then C then V in that order in between — not necessarily side by side.
Near misses
- dabbled doesn't fit: it starts with D but ends with D, not E.
- dabble doesn't fit: it has the right ends but no E in the middle.
- device doesn't fit: it has every letter of DECVE but they don't appear in order inside it.
7-letter words
deceive, decurve
8-letter words
decisive
9-letter words
deceptive, decretive, deductive, defective, detective, directive
10-letter words
deactivate, deceivable, decorative, deflective, detractive
11-letter words
decemvirate, declarative, descriptive, desiccative, destructive
12-letter words
decongestive, denunciative, depreciative
13-letter words
detectivelike
14-letter words
deconstructive
Where this pattern came from
Try today's puzzle
Every word above follows this rule — see if you can find them under a clock.
How the rule works