diff --git a/src/dropdownListModel.ts b/src/dropdownListModel.ts
index 60f54402ae..3be103af52 100644
--- a/src/dropdownListModel.ts
+++ b/src/dropdownListModel.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { ListModel } from "./list";
 import { PopupModel } from "./popup";
 import { Question } from "./question";
 import { QuestionDropdownModel } from "./question_dropdown";
+import { settings } from "./settings";
 import { SurveyModel } from "./survey";
 import { CssClassBuilder } from "./utils/cssClassBuilder";
 import { IsTouch } from "./utils/devices";
@@ -17,6 +18,7 @@ export class DropdownListModel extends Base {
 
   private _markdownMode = false;
   private _popupModel: PopupModel;
+  private filteredItems: Array<ItemValue> = undefined;
   @property({ defaultValue: false }) focused: boolean;
   private get focusFirstInputSelector(): string {
     return this.getFocusFirstInputSelector();
@@ -159,6 +161,13 @@ export class DropdownListModel extends Base {
       };
     }
     const res = new ListModel<ItemValue>(visibleItems, _onSelectionChanged, false, undefined, this.question.choicesLazyLoadEnabled ? this.listModelFilterStringChanged : undefined, this.listElementId);
+    res.setOnTextSearchCallback((item: ItemValue, textToSearch: string) => {
+      if (this.filteredItems) return this.filteredItems.indexOf(item) >= 0;
+      let textInLow = item.text.toLocaleLowerCase();
+      textInLow = settings.comparator.normalizeTextCallback(textInLow, "filter");
+      const index = textInLow.indexOf(textToSearch.toLocaleLowerCase());
+      return this.question.searchMode == "startsWith" ? index == 0 : index > -1;
+    });
     res.renderElements = false;
     res.forceShowFilter = true;
     res.areSameItemsCallback = (item1: IAction, item2: IAction): boolean => {
@@ -191,7 +200,12 @@ export class DropdownListModel extends Base {
     this.resetFilterString();
   }
   protected onSetFilterString(): void {
+    this.filteredItems = undefined;
     if (!this.filterString && !this.popupModel.isVisible) return;
+    const options = { question: this.question, choices: this.getAvailableItems(), filter: this.filterString, filteredChoices: undefined as Array<ItemValue> };
+    (this.question.survey as SurveyModel).onChoicesSearch.fire(this.question.survey as SurveyModel, options);
+    this.filteredItems = options.filteredChoices;
+
     if (!!this.filterString && !this.popupModel.isVisible) {
       this.popupModel.isVisible = true;
     }
diff --git a/src/list.ts b/src/list.ts
index 0473f9dd72..223754eb48 100644
--- a/src/list.ts
+++ b/src/list.ts
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ export interface IListModel {
   allowSelection?: boolean;
   selectedItem?: IAction;
   onFilterStringChangedCallback?: (text: string) => void;
+  onTextSearchCallback?: (text: string, textToSearch: string) => boolean;
 }
 export class ListModel<T extends BaseAction = Action> extends ActionContainer<T> {
   private listContainerHtmlElement: HTMLElement;
@@ -65,7 +66,9 @@ export class ListModel<T extends BaseAction = Action> extends ActionContainer<T>
 
   private hasText(item: T, filterStringInLow: string): boolean {
     if (!filterStringInLow) return true;
-    let textInLow = (item.title || "").toLocaleLowerCase();
+    const text = item.title || "";
+    if (this.onTextSearchCallback) return this.onTextSearchCallback(item, filterStringInLow);
+    let textInLow = text.toLocaleLowerCase();
     textInLow = settings.comparator.normalizeTextCallback(textInLow, "filter");
     return textInLow.indexOf(filterStringInLow.toLocaleLowerCase()) > -1;
   }
@@ -109,10 +112,13 @@ export class ListModel<T extends BaseAction = Action> extends ActionContainer<T>
     this.setItems(items);
     this.selectedItem = selectedItem;
   }
-
+  private onTextSearchCallback: (item: T, textToSearch: string) => boolean;
   public setOnFilterStringChangedCallback(callback: (text: string) => void) {
     this.onFilterStringChangedCallback = callback;
   }
+  public setOnTextSearchCallback(callback: (item: T, textToSearch: string) => boolean) {
+    this.onTextSearchCallback = callback;
+  }
   public setItems(items: Array<IAction>, sortByVisibleIndex = true): void {
     super.setItems(items, sortByVisibleIndex);
     if(this.elementId) {
diff --git a/src/question_dropdown.ts b/src/question_dropdown.ts
index 10af4b528a..fa93fa56a1 100644
--- a/src/question_dropdown.ts
+++ b/src/question_dropdown.ts
@@ -194,6 +194,10 @@ export class QuestionDropdownModel extends QuestionSelectBase {
   @property() allowClear: boolean;
   /**
    * Specifies whether users can enter a value into the input field to filter the drop-down list.
+   *
+   * [View Demo](https://surveyjs.io/form-library/examples/create-dropdown-menu-in-javascript/ (linkStyle))
+   * @see searchMode
+   * @see [SurveyModel.onChoicesSearch](https://surveyjs.io/form-library/documentation/api-reference/survey-data-model#onChoicesSearch)
    */
   @property({
     onSet: (newValue: boolean, target: QuestionDropdownModel) => {
@@ -203,6 +207,17 @@ export class QuestionDropdownModel extends QuestionSelectBase {
     }
   }) searchEnabled: boolean;
 
+  /**
+   * Specifies a comparison operation used to filter the drop-down list. Applies only if [`searchEnabled`](#searchEnabled) is `true`.
+   *
+   * Possible values:
+   *
+   * - `"contains"` (default)
+   * - `"startsWith"`
+   * @see [SurveyModel.onChoicesSearch](https://surveyjs.io/form-library/documentation/api-reference/survey-data-model#onChoicesSearch)
+   */
+  @property() searchMode: "contains" | "startsWith";
+
   @property({ defaultValue: false }) inputHasValue: boolean;
   @property({ defaultValue: "" }) readOnlyText: string;
   /**
@@ -343,6 +358,7 @@ Serializer.addClass(
     { name: "autocomplete", alternativeName: "autoComplete", choices: settings.questions.dataList, },
     { name: "renderAs", default: "default", visible: false },
     { name: "searchEnabled:boolean", default: true, visible: false },
+    { name: "searchMode", default: "contains", choices: ["contains", "startsWith"], },
     { name: "choicesLazyLoadEnabled:boolean", default: false, visible: false },
     { name: "choicesLazyLoadPageSize:number", default: 25, visible: false },
     { name: "inputFieldComponent", visible: false },
diff --git a/src/survey-events-api.ts b/src/survey-events-api.ts
index c69117eac1..5549c12cbe 100644
--- a/src/survey-events-api.ts
+++ b/src/survey-events-api.ts
@@ -610,6 +610,22 @@ export interface ChoicesLazyLoadEvent extends QuestionEventMixin {
    */
   skip: number;
 }
+
+export interface ChoicesSearchEvent extends QuestionEventMixin {
+  /**
+   * A search string used to filter choice options.
+   */
+  filter: string;
+  /**
+   * An array of all choice options.
+   */
+  choices: Array<ItemValue>;
+  /**
+   * A filtered array of choice options. Apply `options.filter` to the `options.choices` array and assign the result to this parameter.
+   */
+  filteredChoices: Array<ItemValue>;
+}
+
 export interface GetChoiceDisplayValueEvent extends QuestionEventMixin {
   /**
    * A method that you should call to assign display texts to the question.
diff --git a/src/survey.ts b/src/survey.ts
index bed299c52d..4285ddd33f 100644
--- a/src/survey.ts
+++ b/src/survey.ts
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ import {
   MatrixCellValidateEvent, DynamicPanelModifiedEvent, DynamicPanelRemovingEvent, TimerPanelInfoTextEvent, DynamicPanelItemValueChangedEvent, DynamicPanelGetTabTitleEvent,
   DynamicPanelCurrentIndexChangedEvent, IsAnswerCorrectEvent, DragDropAllowEvent, ScrollingElementToTopEvent, GetQuestionTitleActionsEvent, GetPanelTitleActionsEvent,
   GetPageTitleActionsEvent, GetPanelFooterActionsEvent, GetMatrixRowActionsEvent, ElementContentVisibilityChangedEvent, GetExpressionDisplayValueEvent,
-  ServerValidateQuestionsEvent, MultipleTextItemAddedEvent, MatrixColumnAddedEvent, GetQuestionDisplayValueEvent, PopupVisibleChangedEvent
+  ServerValidateQuestionsEvent, MultipleTextItemAddedEvent, MatrixColumnAddedEvent, GetQuestionDisplayValueEvent, PopupVisibleChangedEvent, ChoicesSearchEvent
 } from "./survey-events-api";
 import { QuestionMatrixDropdownModelBase } from "./question_matrixdropdownbase";
 import { QuestionMatrixDynamicModel } from "./question_matrixdynamic";
@@ -611,6 +611,13 @@ export class SurveyModel extends SurveyElementCore
    */
   public onChoicesLazyLoad: EventBase<SurveyModel, ChoicesLazyLoadEvent> = this.addEvent<SurveyModel, ChoicesLazyLoadEvent>();
 
+  /**
+   * An event that is raised each time a search string in a [Dropdown](https://surveyjs.io/form-library/documentation/api-reference/dropdown-menu-model) or [Tag Box](https://surveyjs.io/form-library/documentation/api-reference/dropdown-tag-box-model) question changes. Use this event to implement custom filtering of choice options.
+   * @see [QuestionDropdownModel.searchEnabled](https://surveyjs.io/form-library/documentation/api-reference/dropdown-menu-model#searchEnabled)
+   * @see [QuestionDropdownModel.searchMode](https://surveyjs.io/form-library/documentation/api-reference/dropdown-menu-model#searchMode)
+   */
+  public onChoicesSearch: EventBase<SurveyModel, ChoicesSearchEvent> = this.addEvent<SurveyModel, ChoicesSearchEvent>();
+
   /**
    * Use this event to load a display text for the [default choice item](https://surveyjs.io/form-library/documentation/questiondropdownmodel#defaultValue) in [Dropdown](https://surveyjs.io/form-library/documentation/questiondropdownmodel) and [Tag Box](https://surveyjs.io/form-library/documentation/questiontagboxmodel) questions.
    *
diff --git a/tests/dropdown_list_model_test.ts b/tests/dropdown_list_model_test.ts
index cb8a244358..ce3f907b24 100644
--- a/tests/dropdown_list_model_test.ts
+++ b/tests/dropdown_list_model_test.ts
@@ -916,4 +916,66 @@ QUnit.test("DropdownListModel in panel filterString change callback", (assert) =
   const dropdownListModel = (question.panels[0].elements[0] as QuestionDropdownModel).dropdownListModel;
   dropdownListModel["listModel"].filterString = "abc";
   assert.equal(dropdownListModel.filterString, "abc");
-});
\ No newline at end of file
+});
+QUnit.test("DropdownListModel filter options", (assert) => {
+  const survey = new SurveyModel({
+    questions: [{
+      type: "dropdown",
+      name: "question1",
+      searchEnabled: true,
+      choices: [
+        "abc",
+        "abd",
+        "cab",
+        "efg"
+      ]
+    }]
+  });
+  const question = <QuestionDropdownModel>survey.getAllQuestions()[0];
+  const dropdownListModel = question.dropdownListModel;
+  const list: ListModel = dropdownListModel.popupModel.contentComponentData.model as ListModel;
+
+  dropdownListModel.filterString = "ab";
+  const getfilteredItems = () => list.renderedActions.filter(item => list.isItemVisible(item));
+
+  assert.equal(list.renderedActions.length, 4);
+  assert.equal(getfilteredItems().length, 3);
+
+  question.searchMode = "startsWith";
+  assert.equal(list.renderedActions.length, 4);
+  assert.equal(getfilteredItems().length, 2);
+});
+
+QUnit.test("DropdownListModel filter event", (assert) => {
+  const survey = new SurveyModel({
+    questions: [{
+      type: "dropdown",
+      name: "question1",
+      searchEnabled: true,
+      choices: [
+        "abcd",
+        "abdd",
+        "cabd",
+        "efab"
+      ]
+    }]
+  });
+
+  survey.onChoicesSearch.add((sender, options) => {
+    options.filteredChoices = options.choices.filter(item => item.text.indexOf(options.filter) + options.filter.length == item.text.length);
+  });
+
+  const question = <QuestionDropdownModel>survey.getAllQuestions()[0];
+  const dropdownListModel = question.dropdownListModel;
+  const list: ListModel = dropdownListModel.popupModel.contentComponentData.model as ListModel;
+
+  dropdownListModel.filterString = "ab";
+  const getfilteredItems = () => list.renderedActions.filter(item => list.isItemVisible(item));
+
+  assert.equal(list.renderedActions.length, 4);
+  assert.equal(getfilteredItems().length, 1);
+
+  question.searchMode = "startsWith";
+  assert.equal(list.renderedActions.length, 4);
+  assert.equal(getfilteredItems().length, 1);
+});