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 50,746 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| APPETIZERS | Thu Feb 22, 2018 | Starters | Zhouqin Burnikel |
| BACKSWING | Thu Mar 9, 2023 | *Start of a golfer's action | Simeon Seigel |
| CONSTITUTE | Fri Dec 4, 2009 | Make up | Martin Ashwood-Smith |
| COUGHED | Sun Feb 17, 2019 | Gave reluctantly, with "up" | David Kwong |
| DOORBUSTERDEAL | Sun Nov 28, 2021 | Prop ax used in "The Shining," a valuable collectors' item, $200! | Jeff Kremer |
| DOTCOMCRASH | Thu Nov 24, 2022 | Turn-of-the-century financial crisis | Pao Roy |
| EATONPLACE | Sun Mar 5, 2000 | "Upstairs, Downstairs" setting | Nancy Nicholson Joline |
| ENTRANCEMUSIC | Sun Oct 13, 2019 | Bars that people walk into? | Erik Agard |
| ETCETERAETCETERA | Sun May 8, 2022 | "... you get the point" | Matthew Stock and Chandi Deitmer |
| EVANBAYH | Mon Mar 16, 2009 | *Second-generation senator from Indiana | Lynn Lempel |
| FLUIDVOLUME | Sun Dec 25, 2022 | "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea," e.g.? | John Martz |
| FRONTAL | Sun May 5, 1996 | Direct | D. J. Kahn |
| HELPWANTED | Sat Feb 6, 2010 | Heading for classified information? | Frederick J. Healy |
| HOUNDS | Mon Aug 10, 2020 | Hunting dogs | Lynn Lempel |
| LESHOW | Sun Jan 23, 2011 | Harry Shearer's program on public radio | Chris A. McGlothlin |
| LOUDON | Sun Mar 12, 1995 | Actress Dorothy | Charles M. Deber |
| MAXBEERBOHM | Sat Mar 13, 1999 | EDWARDIAN WIT WHO WROTE "THE HAPPY HYPOCRITE" | David J. Kahn |
| ONELIFETOLIVE | Mon Jan 24, 2005 | Longtime ABC daytime drama | Sarah Keller |
| OREOPIES | Sun Dec 28, 2025 | Black-and-white desserts | Alex Eaton-Salners |
| OREOTHINS | Fri Nov 2, 2018 | Spinoff Nabisco cookies | David Steinberg |
| OSIERED | Thu May 1, 1997 | Made of certain twigs | Martin Schneider |
| OUTOFOURHANDS | Thu Jun 1, 2023 | Not up to us | David and Karen and Paul Steinberg |
| PALMOFFAS | Sun Dec 21, 2025 | Fraudulently make seem like | David Kwong |
| PARKEDIT | Thu Dec 9, 2004 | Sat down, slangily | Paula Gamache |
| PIANODUET | Sun Feb 13, 2022 | Piece played with four hands | David Steinberg |
| PRERECORD | Sat Feb 6, 2010 | Get in the can early | Frederick J. Healy |
| PRETTYHARD | Sat Oct 8, 2005 | Not a walk in the park | Byron Walden |
| RACIALISM | Sat May 23, 2009 | Bunker mentality? | Dave Tuller |
| SARGASSOSEA | Fri Jun 20, 1997 | Spawning ground of Atlantic eels | Manny Nosowsky |
| SARRE | Sat Jan 7, 2006 | Moselle feeder, to Moselle natives | Jim Hyres |
| SOLARA | Wed Aug 8, 2007 | Toyota Camry model | Donna S. Levin |
| SOONISH | Sun Dec 3, 2017 | In the near future | David Steinberg |
| STARTINGQB | Mon Jan 24, 2022 | Key member of a football team, in brief ... or a feature of 16-, 29-, 35- and 42-Across? | John Guzzetta |
| STEVECANYON | Fri Sep 19, 1997 | Comics hero since 1947 | Rich Norris |
| STRESSEATER | Fri Dec 22, 2017 | One who copes by excessive snacking | Sam Trabucco |
| STYLESHEET | Sat Mar 17, 2001 | Writer's request | Rich Norris |
| THEBLOB | Thu Jan 17, 2008 | 1958 sci-fi classic starring Steve McQueen | Matt Ginsberg |
| THESHADOW | Mon Jan 8, 1996 | Lamont Cranston | N. Steinberg |
| WASISNORING | Sat Jun 20, 2009 | Response to being elbowed, maybe | Brad Wilber |
| WELLILLBEDAMNED | Wed Jul 10, 2013 | "Really!" | Ed Sessa |