This page is just for fun. It's a random collection of rare crossword answers; so rare that each appears only in a single Shortz Era puzzle.
Not all these words make sense. Some of them are unique because they're part of some wacky theme. Some are errors that don't fit the standard Across Lite format. There are 51,550 unique Shortz 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIGDIPPER | Sun 1/7/1996 | It's depicted by parts of today's puzzle | Eric Albert |
| BOXOUT | Wed 8/8/2012 | Block from rebounding, in basketball | Peter A. Collins |
| BRADPITT | Thu 3/14/2002 | "Spy Game" star | Alan Arbesfeld |
| CANDELA | Fri 9/13/2002 | Unit of luminous intensity | Mel Rosen |
| CASTLEINTHEAIR | Sun 10/16/1994 | Impossible dream | Raymond Hamel |
| DEADMANWAKING | Sun 12/16/2007 | Prison movie about a medical miracle? | David J. Kahn and Steve Kahn |
| DEATHANDTAXIS | Thu 8/22/1996 | The inevitable, to a cabby? | R. Norris |
| DELIVERTHEGOODBOOKS | Sun 2/12/2012 | Send over some Bibles? | Kurt Mueller |
| DRILLRIG | Tue 4/27/2004 | Oil company structure | Janet R. Bender |
| DRIPDRIES | Thu 2/16/2006 | Leaves hanging | Levi Denham and Nancy Salomon |
| DUNGEONMASTER | Fri 6/20/2008 | Underground movement leader? | Mike Nothnagel |
| EASYONTHEEYES | Wed 3/1/2000 | Good-looking | M. Francis Vuolo |
| FILTHYRITCHIE | Sun 8/3/2014 | Guy who's covered in mud? | Ian Livengood |
| FIVEGOLDENRINGS | Wed 12/25/2013 | One set of gifts in "The 12 Days of Christmas" ... as suggested by the shaded squares? | Jacob Stulberg |
| FORESTOFARDEN | Sun 9/23/2012 | *Petrified wood? | Matt Ginsberg |
| GABARDINE | Sat 4/12/1997 | Worsted twill | Bob Klahn |
| GAMESETMATCH | Mon 4/18/2011 | Tennis winner's declaration | James Tuttle |
| GOESRIGHTAHEAD | Thu 7/27/2000 | Proceeds boldly | Joe DiPietro |
| GOITER | Tue 7/8/2008 | Possible result of iodine deficiency | Andrea Carla Michaels |
| INTHEBEGINNING | Thu 1/12/2006 | Biblical opening | Kyle Mahowald |
| LAKEBASS | Thu 10/19/2006 | Freshwater catch | Raymond C. Young |
| LIGURES | Sat 2/10/1996 | Biblical gemstones | John R. Conrad |
| MACANDCHEESE | Wed 9/7/2016 | [Boil contents for 8-10 minutes; drain; add butter; stir in bright orange powder] | Kary Haddad |
| NIGGLED | Sun 4/17/2005 | Was too fussy | Manny Nosowsky |
| NIKOLAS | Sat 7/21/2012 | Greek prince ___ Cassadine, longtime "General Hospital" character | Joe DiPietro |
| NITAS | Tue 2/6/1996 | Actress Talbot et al. | Randy Sowell |
| NOSMOKINGAREA | Sun 9/15/1996 | Certain designated section | A. K. Justin |
| OVERHAND | Sun 1/24/2010 | Like tennis serves | David Kwong and Kevan Choset |
| RAMENTOUGH | Sun 6/15/2014 | Tarzan's response when asked if the noodles are cooked? | Tony Orbach |
| REACHERS | Sat 4/18/1998 | Rude ones, at the dinner table | Frank Longo |
| REKINDLE | Sun 5/24/1998 | Arouse again | Harvey Estes and Nancy Salomon |
| RETURNFIRE | Thu 11/7/2013 | Fight back | Alan Derkazarian |
| SCROUNGY | Wed 8/2/1995 | Disheveled | James Neal |
| SILKSCREENPRINT | Sun 6/10/2007 | Serigraph | Bob Klahn |
| SOFTSHOULDERS | Sun 7/29/2001 | Road paver's condition? | Michael Ashley |
| SPHERED | Sat 6/22/1996 | Made round | B. White |
| SQUINTS | Tue 1/16/1996 | Looks into the sun, e.g. | R. Hartman |
| TENGO | Sun 11/1/2015 | Indie rock band Yo La ___ | Zhouqin Burnikel |
| TRIALBIKES | Wed 2/22/2006 | Sample cycles? | Nancy Salomon |
| UPBAROUNDTHEBEND | Sun 9/4/1994 | 1970 Creedence Clearwater Revival hit | Wayne Robert Williams |