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 50,727 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACROPHOBE | Fri Jul 5, 2019 | One who hates heights | Freddie Cheng |
| ADVISORS | Tue Sep 29, 2020 | Cabinet members, to the president | Ricky Cruz |
| BULGUR | Fri Dec 26, 2025 | Cracked wheat used in tabbouleh | Andrew Spooner |
| CLAWMACHINEGAME | Wed Jul 24, 2024 | Joystick-controlled contraption depicted in this puzzle | Shaun Phillips |
| COAXIAL | Fri Sep 6, 1996 | Kind of cable | R. Norris |
| DISGORGE | Sun Mar 6, 2022 | Eject forcefully | Matthew Stock and Will Nediger |
| ENCOMIUM | Sat May 7, 2011 | Lofty praise | Tim Croce |
| ENERGYVAMPIRE | Mon Aug 7, 2023 | "Monster" who drains people emotionally | Chloe Revery and Alissa Revness |
| FINALCUTS | Fri Apr 16, 2010 | Demands of some directors | Eric Berlin |
| FLINTMI | Sun Jan 15, 2017 | Part of a postal address for a G.M. plant | Joel Fagliano |
| HOLLEREDAT | Fri Jul 11, 1997 | Upbraided in no uncertain terms | Bob Klahn |
| ICEDOUT | Fri Dec 27, 2019 | Completely shunned | Sam Trabucco |
| IDYLIST | Sun Sep 10, 2017 | Pastoral poet | Brendan Emmett Quigley |
| INDENTURES | Wed May 3, 2006 | Binds to service | Lisa Wiseman |
| ITSADELIGHT | Tue Sep 30, 2025 | "I love this!" ... or, phonetically, remark about the answer to each of the starred clues | Justin Werfel |
| LIEGEMAN | Fri Jan 27, 2017 | Vassal | John Guzzetta |
| MARSHALLMCLUHAN | Fri Feb 22, 2013 | Coiner of the phrase "global village" | Martin Ashwood-Smith |
| METAPHORIC | Sat Apr 15, 2000 | Like "chariot of fire" for the sun | Raymond Hamel |
| NECKRUBS | Sat Dec 7, 2024 | Parts of some massages | Luke K. Schreiber |
| NEWSHOUND | Sun May 27, 2012 | Eager reporter | Byron Walden |
| ONTHECLOCK | Fri Sep 7, 2018 | Getting paid, say | Josh Knapp |
| PASSINGINTEREST | Sat Jul 18, 2015 | Attention holder for a time | Joe Krozel |
| PASTERNAK | Sat Nov 19, 1994 | 1958 Literature Nobelist | Brett Blaylock |
| PENNYMARSHALL | Mon Apr 21, 2003 | "Big" director, 1988 | Randall J. Hartman |
| PUNSTER | Tue Feb 27, 2007 | Ogden Nash, notably | Allan E. Parrish |
| PUSHIEST | Wed Sep 10, 2003 | Most insistent | Patrick Berry |
| RASPERS | Sat Nov 11, 2006 | Some laryngitis sufferers | Brendan Emmett Quigley |
| ROCKSLIDE | Fri Feb 24, 2012 | Danger for a climber | Patrick Berry |
| SEMISOFTCHEESES | Sat Jul 12, 2014 | Gouda and Muenster | Tim Croce and Alex Vratsanos |
| SKINDIVER | Sat Oct 20, 2012 | One might go after pearls | Ned White |
| SKOWRON | Fri Nov 11, 1994 | Baseball great with the nickname "Moose" | Randolph Ross |
| SOLARIZE | Sun Dec 30, 2007 | Shed some light on? | Elizabeth C. Gorski |
| STARDATES | Wed Nov 19, 2025 | Times noted in Captain Kirk's logs | Jeremy Newton |
| STEENBOK | Sun Oct 27, 2024 | Horned antelope of southern Africa | Jeffrey Martinovic and Jeff Chen |
| STICKYSITUATION | Sat Nov 14, 2020 | Predicament | Emily Carroll and Erik Agard |
| STOLEUP | Sun Dec 14, 1997 | Caught by surprise, with "on" | Nancy Salomon |
| SWATTEAMS | Mon Jul 28, 1997 | Specialized police units | Patrick Jordan |
| TAKING | Wed Apr 22, 2009 | Pirating | Daniel A. Finan |
| TENSIONAL | Tue Jul 2, 2002 | Pertaining to tautness | John R. Conrad |
| THERAPYDOG | Tue May 18, 2021 | Certain emotional support animal | Margaret Seikel |