Wildcard searches allow asterisks (*) to represent multiple unknown characters and question marks (?) to represent a single unknown character within a search term. This technique differs from exact phrase searches by enabling flexible pattern matching rather than requiring a precise match. When you use these symbols, the search system returns results fitting the defined pattern, expanding beyond what exact words would capture. It's a fundamental feature in many search tools designed for retrieving incomplete or variant information.

Practically, wildcards are widely used in file systems, databases, and search engines. In a file explorer, searching for report*.docx finds documents like report1.docx and report_final.docx. Database systems like SQL employ wildcards in LIKE operators; cust?mer might match customer or customar records, useful for data retrieval despite minor spelling inconsistencies in customer names or product codes across tables.

While powerful for broad retrieval, using wildcards, especially leading asterisks (*term), can significantly slow down complex searches over large datasets as they require full scans. Efficient use requires knowing the approximate term structure. Modern search technologies increasingly augment wildcards with natural language processing for smarter matching. The core functionality remains vital for structured data exploration where precise terms aren't known.