The problem is due to the surrounding `<$tiddler tiddler="Dictionary Tiddler">... </$tiddler>` widget.
Because of this, the reference to `{!!searchText}` is looking in "Dictionary Tiddler" for the field contents.
One way around this is to remove the `$tiddler` widget and hard-code the "Dictionary Tiddler" title, like this:
```
<$list filter="[[Dictionary Tiddler]indexes[]search:title:literal{!!searchText}sort[]]" variable=item>
<$checkbox tiddler="Dictionary Tiddler" index=<<item>> checked="1" unchecked="0"/>
<<item>><br/>
</$list>
```
This allows the `{!!searchText}` reference to point to a field in the tiddler containing the `<$list>` widget, rather than the "Dictionary Tiddler" itself.
However... if the intention is to eventually enable lookups using different Dictionary Tiddlers, then the following code may be more useful:
```
<$edit-text field="searchText"/>
<$select field="dictionary">
<option>Dictionary Tiddler</option>
<option>Another Dictionary</option>
<option>Some Other Dictionary</option>
<option>etc...</option>
</$select>
<br>
<$let searchText={{!!searchText}}>
<$tiddler tiddler={{!!dictionary}}>
<$list filter="[all[current]indexes[]search:title:literal<searchText>sort[]]" variable=item>
</$let>
```
Basically, this sets a variable to the value of the searchText field before using `$tiddler` to change the current tiddler,
and then uses the value of that variable in the filter syntax. It also lets you select a dictionary tiddler title from a
droplist input, and then uses that title in the `$tiddler` widget, so that the lookup points to another dictionary while
still using the searchText input from the current tiddler.
enjoy,
-e