diff --git a/backends/com_backend.py b/backends/com_backend.py
index d111acb..a26a835 100644
--- a/backends/com_backend.py
+++ b/backends/com_backend.py
@@ -314,30 +314,66 @@ def _same_dimvar(old: Any, new: Any) -> bool:
     return str(old) == str(new)
 
 
-def _com_dimensions_using(doc, style_name: str) -> list[str]:
-    """Handles of every dimension, in every layout, whose StyleName is ``style_name``.
+#: ``SelectionSet.Select`` mode ``acSelectionSetAll`` (AcSelect enum): every
+#: entity in the database, in every layout — ``ssget "X"``.
+_AC_SELECTION_SET_ALL = 5
 
-    ``IAcadBlock.Item`` is declared ``IAcadEntity*`` (acax25enu.tlb), so with a
-    makepy cache present every member comes back narrowed to ``IAcadEntity``
-    and ``.StyleName`` — a member of the dimension classes, not of the entity
-    base — raises ``AttributeError``. Measured live (AutoCAD 2026): a rotated
-    dimension drawn with ``PROBE-ANSI`` answered ``[]`` because a blanket
-    ``except`` turned that AttributeError into "no dimension uses it". Each
-    item is therefore un-narrowed (``_com_unnarrow``), and nothing is
-    swallowed: a read that fails is an error the caller sees, not an empty
-    list reported as fact.
+#: Characters an ``ssget`` filter string treats as wildcards (AutoCAD's
+#: ``wcmatch`` grammar). Symbol names may carry most of them: a dimension
+#: style called ``A.B`` also matched ``A_B``, ``N#1`` matched ``N21``,
+#: ``P[1]`` matched ``P1`` and ``S@X`` matched ``SAX`` until the name was
+#: escaped (measured live, AutoCAD 2026).
+_WCMATCH_SPECIALS = frozenset("*?#@.~[]-,`")
+
+
+def _wcmatch_literal(text: str) -> str:
+    """``text`` spelled so an ``ssget`` filter matches it literally.
+
+    Every wildcard-significant character is escaped with a backtick, the
+    grammar's own escape. A symbol name can never contain a backtick itself
+    (AutoCAD refuses one), so the escaped form is unambiguous; the match stays
+    case-insensitive, as any symbol-table name comparison is.
     """
-    wanted = style_name.lower()
-    handles: list[str] = []
-    for index in range(doc.Layouts.Count):
-        block = doc.Layouts.Item(index).Block
-        for position in range(block.Count):
-            obj = _com_unnarrow(block.Item(position))
-            if "Dimension" not in str(obj.ObjectName):
-                continue
-            if str(obj.StyleName).lower() == wanted:
-                handles.append(str(obj.Handle))
-    return handles
+    return "".join("`" + char if char in _WCMATCH_SPECIALS else char for char in text)
+
+
+def _com_dimensions_using(doc, style_name: str) -> list[str]:
+    """Handles of every DIMENSION, in every layout, whose style is ``style_name``.
+
+    One filtered ``SelectionSet.Select(acSelectionSetAll)`` — the ``ssget "X"``
+    route with ``(0 . "DIMENSION") (3 . <style>)`` — answers from AutoCAD's own
+    index, so the cost does not grow with the drawing. The walk this replaced
+    read ``ObjectName`` on every entity of every layout through a dynamic
+    proxy (~8-10 ms each), which put ``dimstyle_modify`` past the 60 s
+    ``COM_CALL_TIMEOUT`` on a drawing of ~6k entities — after its write had
+    already landed. Measured live (AutoCAD 2026, 1000 LINEs + 14 dimensions
+    across model and paper space): walk 12.7-15.8 s, this 0.02-0.09 s, same
+    handles. The style name is escaped as a literal (``_wcmatch_literal``)
+    because the filter is a wildcard pattern; the ``DIMENSION`` group-0 name
+    keeps parity with the headless engine's ``query("DIMENSION")``.
+
+    Handles come back in ascending handle order (database order), whatever
+    order the selection set reports them in. Nothing is swallowed: a
+    selection that fails is an error the caller sees, not an empty list
+    reported as fact.
+    """
+    ss = doc.SelectionSets.Add(f"_DIMSTYLE_{uuid.uuid4().hex[:8]}")
+    try:
+        filter_types = _ai([0, 3])
+        filter_values = win32com.client.VARIANT(
+            pythoncom.VT_ARRAY | pythoncom.VT_VARIANT,
+            ["DIMENSION", _wcmatch_literal(style_name)],
+        )
+        ss.Select(_AC_SELECTION_SET_ALL, None, None, filter_types, filter_values)
+        # ``Handle`` is an IAcadObject member, so it answers on the narrowed
+        # ``IAcadEntity`` wrapper ``SelectionSet.Item`` hands back.
+        handles = [str(ss.Item(index).Handle) for index in range(ss.Count)]
+    finally:
+        try:
+            ss.Delete()
+        except Exception as exc:
+            log.debug("SelectionSet cleanup failed: %s", exc)
+    return sorted(handles, key=lambda handle: int(handle, 16))
 
 
 #: File suffixes AutoCAD hands to the Windows font system rather than its
diff --git a/tests/test_styles.py b/tests/test_styles.py
index aebf085..c81be91 100644
--- a/tests/test_styles.py
+++ b/tests/test_styles.py
@@ -621,15 +621,91 @@ class _FakeBlock:
 
     def __init__(self, *entities):
         self.entities = list(entities)
+        self.item_reads = 0
 
     @property
     def Count(self):
         return len(self.entities)
 
     def Item(self, index):
+        self.item_reads += 1
         return _NarrowedToIAcadEntity(self.entities[index])
 
 
+class _FakeSelectionSet:
+    """An ``AcadSelectionSet`` filled by ``Select(acSelectionSetAll, ..., filter)``
+    — ``ssget "X"`` over every layout's block — with the two filter groups
+    the backend sends: 0 (DXF name, ``DIMENSION`` for every dimension class)
+    and 3 (dimension style, a *wildcard pattern*, so the backend must hand it
+    over backtick-escaped; the fake unescapes and compares literally,
+    case-insensitively, the way AutoCAD does — measured live). ``Item`` is
+    declared ``IAcadEntity*`` and comes back narrowed, like ``IAcadBlock.Item``."""
+
+    def __init__(self, name, document):
+        self.Name = name
+        self._document = document
+        self._members: list = []
+        self.deleted = False
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def _unescape(pattern: str) -> str:
+        out, escaped = [], False
+        for char in pattern:
+            if escaped:
+                out.append(char)
+                escaped = False
+            elif char == "`":
+                escaped = True
+            elif char in "*?#@.~[],":
+                raise AssertionError(
+                    f"unescaped wildcard {char!r} in filter {pattern!r}: a style named "
+                    "A.B would also select the dimensions of A_B"
+                )
+            else:
+                out.append(char)
+        return "".join(out)
+
+    def Select(self, mode, point1, point2, filter_types, filter_values):
+        assert mode == 5, "acSelectionSetAll — every layout, not the current space"
+        assert point1 is None and point2 is None
+        types_ = list(filter_types.value)
+        values = list(filter_values.value)
+        assert types_ == [0, 3], types_
+        assert values[0] == "DIMENSION"
+        wanted = self._unescape(values[1]).lower()
+        self._document.SelectionSets.selects.append((self.Name, values[1]))
+        self._members = [
+            entity
+            for layout_index in range(self._document.Layouts.Count)
+            for entity in self._document.Layouts.Item(layout_index).Block.entities
+            if "Dimension" in entity.ObjectName and str(entity.StyleName).lower() == wanted
+        ]
+
+    @property
+    def Count(self):
+        return len(self._members)
+
+    def Item(self, index):
+        return _NarrowedToIAcadEntity(self._members[index])
+
+    def Delete(self):
+        self.deleted = True
+        self._document.SelectionSets.entries.remove(self)
+
+
+class _FakeSelectionSets:
+    def __init__(self, document):
+        self._document = document
+        self.entries: list[_FakeSelectionSet] = []
+        self.selects: list[tuple[str, str]] = []  # (set name, group-3 filter value)
+
+    def Add(self, name):
+        assert all(ss.Name != name for ss in self.entries), f"selection set {name!r} exists"
+        ss = _FakeSelectionSet(name, self._document)
+        self.entries.append(ss)
+        return ss
+
+
 class _FakeLayouts:
     def __init__(self, *blocks):
         self.layouts = [types.SimpleNamespace(Block=block) for block in blocks]
@@ -847,7 +923,16 @@ class _FakeDocument:
         sheet_dim = types.SimpleNamespace(
             ObjectName="AcDbAlignedDimension", StyleName="Standard", Handle="2C"
         )
-        self.Layouts = _FakeLayouts(_FakeBlock(dim, line), _FakeBlock(sheet_dim))
+        dotted = types.SimpleNamespace(
+            ObjectName="AcDbRadialDimension", StyleName="A.B", Handle="2E"
+        )
+        underscored = types.SimpleNamespace(
+            ObjectName="AcDbRadialDimension", StyleName="A_B", Handle="2F"
+        )
+        self.Layouts = _FakeLayouts(
+            _FakeBlock(dim, line, dotted), _FakeBlock(sheet_dim, underscored)
+        )
+        self.SelectionSets = _FakeSelectionSets(self)
         self.Blocks = _FakeBlocks("*Model_Space", "*Paper_Space", "MyArrow")
         self.Dictionaries = _FakeDictionaries(
             self.calls,
@@ -1455,33 +1540,66 @@ async def test_com_dimstyle_modify_refuses_a_missing_arrowhead_and_restores_on_f
     )
 
 
-async def test_com_dimensions_using_style_reads_through_the_iacadentity_narrowing(com_backend):
-    """Finding 4: `IAcadBlock.Item` is declared `IAcadEntity*`, so with a
-    makepy cache `.StyleName` on a dimension raises AttributeError, and the
-    old blanket `except` reported `[]` for a style a dimension used. The fake
-    narrows the same way; the walker un-narrows and swallows nothing."""
+async def test_com_dimensions_using_style_is_one_filtered_selection_not_a_walk(com_backend):
+    """One ``SelectionSet.Select(acSelectionSetAll, (0 . "DIMENSION") (3 . style))``
+    answers from AutoCAD's index, whatever the drawing size. The walk it
+    replaced un-narrowed every entity of every layout (~8-10 ms each) and put
+    `dimstyle_modify` past COM_CALL_TIMEOUT on a ~6k-entity drawing after its
+    write had landed. The fake narrows ``SelectionSet.Item`` to IAcadEntity,
+    as pywin32 does; ``Handle`` is an IAcadObject member and answers."""
     from backends.com_backend import _com_dimensions_using
 
     backend, document = com_backend
-    narrowed = document.Layouts.Item(0).Block.Item(0)
-    assert narrowed.ObjectName == "AcDbRotatedDimension" and narrowed.Handle == "2A"
-    with pytest.raises(AttributeError, match="'IAcadEntity' object has no attribute 'StyleName'"):
-        getattr(narrowed, "StyleName")  # noqa: B009 — the read itself is what raises
-    assert _com_dimensions_using(document, "iso-25") == ["2A"]
-    assert _com_dimensions_using(document, "Standard") == ["2C"]
+    assert _com_dimensions_using(document, "iso-25") == ["2A"], "case-insensitive"
+    assert _com_dimensions_using(document, "Standard") == ["2C"], "paper space too"
     assert _com_dimensions_using(document, "NOPE") == []
+    blocks = [document.Layouts.Item(i).Block for i in range(document.Layouts.Count)]
+    assert [block.item_reads for block in blocks] == [0, 0], "no per-entity COM read"
+    assert document.SelectionSets.entries == [], "every selection set is deleted again"
+    assert len(document.SelectionSets.selects) == 3 and document.calls == [], (
+        "one Select per lookup, nothing else on the document"
+    )
 
-    class _BrokenDimension:
-        ObjectName = "AcDbAlignedDimension"
-        Handle = "2D"
+    more = types.SimpleNamespace(ObjectName="AcDbAlignedDimension", StyleName="ISO-25", Handle="A")
+    document.Layouts.Item(1).Block.entities.insert(0, more)
+    assert _com_dimensions_using(document, "ISO-25") == ["A", "2A"], (
+        "ascending handle order, not the selection set's report order"
+    )
 
-        @property
-        def StyleName(self):
-            raise RuntimeError("RPC_E_CALL_REJECTED")
 
-    document.Layouts.Item(1).Block.entities.append(_BrokenDimension())
-    with pytest.raises(RuntimeError, match="RPC_E_CALL_REJECTED"):
-        _com_dimensions_using(document, "Standard")
+async def test_com_dimensions_using_style_escapes_wildcards_in_the_style_name(com_backend):
+    """The group-3 filter value is a wcmatch pattern: measured live, ``A.B``
+    selected the dimensions of ``A_B`` too, ``N#1`` those of ``N21``,
+    ``P[1]`` those of ``P1``, ``S@X`` those of ``SAX``. Backtick-escaping
+    the name makes the match literal (and the fake refuses a raw wildcard)."""
+    from backends.com_backend import _com_dimensions_using, _wcmatch_literal
+
+    backend, document = com_backend
+    assert _wcmatch_literal("ISO-25") == "ISO`-25"
+    assert _wcmatch_literal("A.B") == "A`.B"
+    assert _wcmatch_literal("N#1 P[1] S@X T~ *?,") == "N`#1 P`[1`] S`@X T`~ `*`?`,"
+    assert _wcmatch_literal("Plain_Name 2") == "Plain_Name 2"
+    assert _com_dimensions_using(document, "A.B") == ["2E"], "not A_B's dimension"
+    assert _com_dimensions_using(document, "a_b") == ["2F"]
+    assert [value for _, value in document.SelectionSets.selects[-2:]] == ["A`.B", "a_b"]
+
+
+async def test_com_dimensions_using_style_swallows_nothing_and_still_cleans_up(com_backend):
+    from backends.com_backend import _com_dimensions_using
+
+    backend, document = com_backend
+
+    def rejected(self, *args):
+        raise RuntimeError("RPC_E_CALL_REJECTED")
+
+    original = _FakeSelectionSet.Select
+    _FakeSelectionSet.Select = rejected
+    try:
+        with pytest.raises(RuntimeError, match="RPC_E_CALL_REJECTED"):
+            _com_dimensions_using(document, "Standard")
+    finally:
+        _FakeSelectionSet.Select = original
+    assert document.SelectionSets.entries == [], "the selection set is deleted on failure too"
 
 
 async def test_truetype_face_reads_family_and_subfamily(tmp_path):