diff --git a/milli/src/search/new/words.rs b/milli/src/search/new/words.rs
index dc798e55d..263e9220c 100644
--- a/milli/src/search/new/words.rs
+++ b/milli/src/search/new/words.rs
@@ -1,18 +1,16 @@
-use std::collections::BTreeSet;
-
-use roaring::RoaringBitmap;
-
 use super::logger::SearchLogger;
-use super::query_graph::QueryNodeData;
+use super::query_graph::QueryNode;
 use super::resolve_query_graph::compute_query_graph_docids;
+use super::small_bitmap::SmallBitmap;
 use super::{QueryGraph, RankingRule, RankingRuleOutput, SearchContext};
 use crate::{Result, TermsMatchingStrategy};
+use roaring::RoaringBitmap;
 
 pub struct Words {
     exhausted: bool, // TODO: remove
     query_graph: Option<QueryGraph>,
     iterating: bool, // TODO: remove
-    positions_to_remove: Vec<i8>,
+    nodes_to_remove: Vec<SmallBitmap<QueryNode>>,
     terms_matching_strategy: TermsMatchingStrategy,
 }
 impl Words {
@@ -21,7 +19,7 @@ impl Words {
             exhausted: true,
             query_graph: None,
             iterating: false,
-            positions_to_remove: vec![],
+            nodes_to_remove: vec![],
             terms_matching_strategy,
         }
     }
@@ -40,26 +38,14 @@ impl<'ctx> RankingRule<'ctx, QueryGraph> for Words {
     ) -> Result<()> {
         self.exhausted = false;
         self.query_graph = Some(parent_query_graph.clone());
-
-        let positions_to_remove = match self.terms_matching_strategy {
+        self.nodes_to_remove = match self.terms_matching_strategy {
             TermsMatchingStrategy::Last => {
-                let mut all_positions = BTreeSet::new();
-                for (_, n) in parent_query_graph.nodes.iter() {
-                    match &n.data {
-                        QueryNodeData::Term(term) => {
-                            all_positions.extend(term.positions.clone());
-                        }
-                        QueryNodeData::Deleted | QueryNodeData::Start | QueryNodeData::End => {}
-                    }
-                }
-                let mut r: Vec<i8> = all_positions.into_iter().collect();
-                // don't remove the first term
-                r.remove(0);
-                r
+                parent_query_graph.removal_order_for_terms_matching_strategy_last()
+            }
+            TermsMatchingStrategy::All => {
+                vec![]
             }
-            TermsMatchingStrategy::All => vec![],
         };
-        self.positions_to_remove = positions_to_remove;
         self.iterating = true;
         Ok(())
     }
@@ -83,18 +69,12 @@ impl<'ctx> RankingRule<'ctx, QueryGraph> for Words {
         let this_bucket = compute_query_graph_docids(ctx, query_graph, universe)?;
 
         let child_query_graph = query_graph.clone();
-        loop {
-            if self.positions_to_remove.is_empty() {
-                self.exhausted = true;
-                break;
-            } else {
-                let position_to_remove = self.positions_to_remove.pop().unwrap();
-                let did_delete_any_node =
-                    query_graph.remove_words_starting_at_position(position_to_remove);
-                if did_delete_any_node {
-                    break;
-                }
-            }
+
+        if self.nodes_to_remove.is_empty() {
+            self.exhausted = true;
+        } else {
+            let nodes_to_remove = self.nodes_to_remove.pop().unwrap();
+            query_graph.remove_nodes(&nodes_to_remove.iter().collect::<Vec<_>>());
         }
 
         Ok(Some(RankingRuleOutput { query: child_query_graph, candidates: this_bucket }))
@@ -107,7 +87,7 @@ impl<'ctx> RankingRule<'ctx, QueryGraph> for Words {
     ) {
         self.iterating = false;
         self.exhausted = true;
-        self.positions_to_remove = vec![];
+        self.nodes_to_remove = vec![];
         self.query_graph = None;
     }
 }