diff --git src/wp-includes/rest-api/endpoints/class-wp-rest-posts-controller.php src/wp-includes/rest-api/endpoints/class-wp-rest-posts-controller.php
index 2c9bf40f19..65d410d5ec 100644
--- src/wp-includes/rest-api/endpoints/class-wp-rest-posts-controller.php
+++ src/wp-includes/rest-api/endpoints/class-wp-rest-posts-controller.php
@@ -251,6 +251,7 @@ class WP_REST_Posts_Controller extends WP_REST_Controller {
 			'search'         => 's',
 			'slug'           => 'post_name__in',
 			'status'         => 'post_status',
+			'exact_search'   => 'exact',
 		);
 
 		/*
@@ -2834,6 +2835,11 @@ class WP_REST_Posts_Controller extends WP_REST_Controller {
 			);
 		}
 
+		$query_params['exact_search'] = array(
+			'description' => __( 'Use exact search instead of full search.' ),
+			'type'        => 'boolean',
+		);
+
 		$query_params['offset'] = array(
 			'description' => __( 'Offset the result set by a specific number of items.' ),
 			'type'        => 'integer',
diff --git tests/phpunit/tests/rest-api/rest-posts-controller.php tests/phpunit/tests/rest-api/rest-posts-controller.php
index 6ff1edae3e..22e9dd218c 100644
--- tests/phpunit/tests/rest-api/rest-posts-controller.php
+++ tests/phpunit/tests/rest-api/rest-posts-controller.php
@@ -738,6 +738,40 @@ class WP_Test_REST_Posts_Controller extends WP_Test_REST_Post_Type_Controller_Te
 		}
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * @ticket 56350
+	 */
+	public function test_get_items_exact_search() {
+
+		$this->factory->post->create(
+			array(
+				'post_title'  => 'Rye Bread',
+				'post_status' => 'publish',
+				'post_content' => 'Rye Bread is a type of bread',
+			)
+		);
+
+		$this->factory->post->create(
+			array(
+				'post_title'  => 'Types of Bread',
+				'post_status' => 'publish',
+				'post_content' => 'White and Rye are types of Bread',
+			)
+		);
+
+		$request = new WP_REST_Request( 'GET', '/wp/v2/posts' );
+		$request->set_param( 'search', 'rye bread' );
+
+		$response = rest_get_server()->dispatch( $request );
+		$data     = $response->get_data();
+		$this->assertCount( 2, $data );
+
+		$request->set_param( 'exact_search', true );
+		$response = rest_get_server()->dispatch( $request );
+		$data     = $response->get_data();
+		$this->assertCount( 0, $data );
+	}
+
 	public function test_get_items_order_and_orderby() {
 		$this->factory->post->create(
 			array(