Random unique answer words

40 answers which have never been reused

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 47,662 unique Shortz-era answer words in the database.

Click any word to see it in the context of its puzzle. Click here to see a new list. Words in this color did appear in pre-Shortz crosswords.

WordDateClueAuthor
ACHES&PAINS Sun 3/18/2007Basic infirmitiesCraig Kasper
AURORAE Sun 5/15/1994Night sky marvelsCharles M. Deber
BOWLINGALLEY Sun 11/12/2006In a ___, many a ___ is rolledPatrick Berry
CLAIMJUMPER Sun 8/24/1997Miner's apparel?Michael S. Maurer
COMMONCENTS Wed 1/12/2000Pennies made in the 1990's?Greg Staples
ENACTORS Wed 12/14/1994LawmakersWayne Robert Williams
FLEAMARKETERS Mon 2/10/2003Sellers in stallsNancy Salomon and Harvey Estes
FLIPFLOPS Sat 10/27/2007About-facesBrendan Emmett Quigley
GENEWILDER Tue 2/10/1998Twins player in "Start the Revolution Without Me"John Greenman
GOHAYWIRE Mon 2/6/2012MalfunctionTom Pepper
HEADFLUSHERS Sun 11/28/2004Ones using "the facilities"?Elizabeth C. Gorski
HEADSTONE Wed 12/10/2003Epitaph holder ... or Mick Jagger?Nancy Salomon and Harvey Estes
HUSBANDTOBE Sun 2/17/2008*FiancéHenry Hook
KEEPUPTHEJONESES Sun 1/8/2012Disturb one's neighbors at night?Tony Orbach
LINCOLNCENTER Thu 5/30/2002Home to the Juilliard SchoolPeter Gordon
LOSTIN Sun 12/5/1993Old TV's "_____ Space"Manny Nosowsky
MANOFIRON Thu 6/17/20041980 Andrzej Wajda film in which Lech Walesa appearsRobert H. Wolfe
MISCUES Mon 6/21/2004ErrorsCraig Kasper
MYLITTLEBIRDADEE Sun 1/9/1994Fields-West filmMel Rosen
ONONESGUARD Thu 1/6/2005VigilantRobert H. Wolfe
PASSTIME Sun 4/16/1995Twiddle one's thumbsMatt Gaffney
PENTUP Sat 6/6/2009Kept insideDoug Peterson
PEROU Sat 2/16/2002Lima's land, to the FrenchFrank Longo
PLOUGH Sun 5/3/2009Accompanier of a harrow, in HarrowCaleb Madison
PLUGOLA Sun 3/15/2009Kickback for good publicityPatrick Berry
POLARSEA Thu 2/21/2013One is named for the explorer James RossPaul Hunsberger
REDZONE Sun 7/17/2005Gridiron area near the goal lineDavid J. Kahn
SCAUPS Mon 12/26/1994Diving ducksGregory E. Paul
SECTIONHEAD Sun 8/4/2002Middle management titleRobert Malinow
SHORTOF Sun 1/18/1998ExcludingEd Early and Bob Klahn
SKINPEEL Sun 4/9/2000Part of some facialsJoe DiPietro
SLIPSOFYEW Wed 10/31/201264-Across ingredientStu Ockman
SOFIRM Wed 6/14/1995Like Lucky Strike, per old adsRichard Hughes
SOTRUE Tue 3/11/2008"I agree completely"Eugene W. Sard
STARJONES Fri 4/26/2013Onetime co-host of "The View"Michael Ashley
STATURES Thu 12/11/1997HeightsTrip Payne
THEGREATSEALOFENGLAND Sun 12/1/1996See 83-AcrossD. J. Kahn
TOASKDINERSIFTHEYWANT Sun 3/28/2004Definition, part 6David J. Kahn
TOTALRECALL Thu 9/23/20041990 sci-fi rerun?Jerry E. Rosman
VACANCY Mon 1/14/2008Good sign at a motelRobert Dillman