This page is just for fun. It's a random collection of rare crossword answers; so rare that each appears only in a single Modern Era puzzle. Bogus entries (thematic words that make sense only in that crossword) are excluded.
There are 49,945 unique Modern Era answer words in the database.
Click any word to see it in the context of its puzzle. Words in this color did appear in pre-Shortz crosswords.
| Word | Date | Clue | Author |
|---|---|---|---|
| ABANDONALLHOPE | Tue Mar 9, 2010 | With 23-Across, famous "opening" line | Jeffrey Wechsler |
| AGRON | Sun Dec 13, 1998 | Soil sci. | Richard Silvestri |
| ARCTURUS | Fri Feb 7, 2014 | Fourth-brightest star in the sky | Ned White |
| AWAFT | Wed Nov 8, 1995 | Floating | Glenn E. Sykes |
| BASEONBALLS | Tue Apr 15, 2014 | Batter's reward after pitches like those described at the starts of 17-, 24-, 39- and 51-Across | Gary Cee |
| BLAXPLOITATION | Sat Sep 12, 2015 | Genre of the 1970s movies "Foxy Brown" and "Three the Hard Way" | Damon Gulczynski |
| BOOKOFCHANGES | Thu Jan 15, 1998 | "I Ching" | Arthur S. Verdesca |
| COWORKER | Thu Mar 22, 2007 | Colleague | Karen M. Tracey |
| DANCEORCHESTRA | Sun May 26, 2002 | Ballroom players | Elizabeth C. Gorski |
| DENIMOVERALLS | Wed Mar 24, 2021 | *Minions or Mario? | Amanda Rafkin and Ross Trudeau |
| DIVINEMOTHER | Sun Aug 21, 2011 | Part of the Hindu Godhead | Alan Arbesfeld |
| ELPAIS | Sun Sep 18, 2011 | Spanish newspaper whose name means "The Country" | Josh Knapp |
| EPICUREANS | Tue Jun 19, 2007 | Devotees of fine dining | John Underwood |
| GILDING | Sun Dec 16, 2007 | Embellishment | David J. Kahn and Steve Kahn |
| HEELKICKS | Tue Dec 10, 2024 | Taekwondo moves done with an outstretched leg | Brian Callahan and Geoffrey Schorkopf |
| HENRIMATISSE | Sun Nov 23, 2008 | Leader of the Fauvist movement | David J. Kahn |
| HIREADJ | Sun Jun 19, 2022 | Book some wedding entertainment | Jeremy Newton |
| HUMANCOMEDY | Tue Oct 23, 2007 | Saroyan novel, with "The" | Alan Arbesfeld |
| LAWANDORDER | Sun Mar 20, 2005 | Religious ___ (two, please) | Patrick Berry |
| LAYTOWASTE | Mon May 29, 2023 | Completely destroy | Katie Hale and Zachary David Levy |
| LUDO | Thu Apr 20, 1995 | Form of pachisi | Raymond Hamel |
| MARINEECOLOGIST | Fri Jun 11, 2010 | 31-Across, for one | John Dunn |
| NOMISTAKES | Sun Mar 20, 1994 | Solver's dream | Joel Davajan |
| PAPERTRAINED | Mon Dec 19, 2022 | Like a puppy who's learned where to "go" | Jennifer Nutt |
| PHONEDITIN | Sat Dec 28, 2019 | Gave much less than 100% | Robyn Weintraub |
| PITBOSSES | Sun Apr 10, 2005 | Table watchers | Elizabeth C. Gorski |
| PLATYPUSES | Thu Oct 15, 2020 | Web-footed mammals | Lindsey Hobbs |
| POSSECUT | Sun Nov 26, 2017 | Song with verses by four or more rappers | Jeff Chen |
| PROUDEST | Fri May 7, 2021 | ___ moment (crowning achievement) | Brooke Husic |
| RAISEDTHEBAR | Thu May 21, 2015 | Elevated expectations ... or what this puzzle's maker did to five answers in this puzzle? | Peter A. Collins |
| REDLINES | Sun May 3, 2015 | Strikes | Dan Schoenholz |
| RESEAU | Sun Nov 16, 2008 | Meshed foundation in lace | Merl Reagle |
| ROUNDHOUSE | Sun Aug 12, 2018 | Wide-swinging blow | Ross Trudeau |
| SLOWBOATTOCHINA | Mon Nov 7, 1994 | Interminable ride | Randall J. Hartman |
| THELIKE | Mon Sep 2, 2024 | Others similar | Sala Wanetick and Emily Biegas |
| THINONTOP | Sat May 6, 2017 | Balding | Joe DiPietro |
| TONGUEINCHEEK | Thu Sep 7, 1995 | Not serious | Rich Norris |
| TREATYPORT | Sun Oct 5, 2008 | *Onetime regal status of Shanghai or Canton | Byron Walden |
| UNSADDLES | Fri Oct 8, 1999 | Takes a load off the back | Nancy Salomon |
| WASHCYCLE | Thu Jul 12, 2007 | Ten minutes in a laundry, maybe | Michael Shteyman |