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 50,417 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACARID | Sat Jun 14, 2008 | Tick, e.g. | Brendan Emmett Quigley |
| ACCEPTERS | Sun May 6, 2007 | Yes-men, maybe? | Charles M. Deber |
| ALEXANDERDARIUS | Wed Aug 3, 1994 | Foes at Gaugamela | Richard Thomas |
| BANJOPLAYER | Mon Jun 26, 2023 | Certain bluegrass musician | Taylor Johnson and Christina Iverson |
| CHARACTERSKETCHES | Sun Jul 9, 2023 | Christina Iverson | |
| CITRINES | Thu Oct 8, 2020 | Gemstones resembling topaz | Francesca Goldston and Jeff Chen |
| CRIMINALIZATION | Fri Nov 11, 2011 | Outlawing | Alex Vratsanos |
| CRYSTALGAZERS | Sun Feb 25, 2007 | Futurists? (1990-93, 1997-98, 2000, 2004) | David J. Kahn |
| DOSPASSOS | Fri Dec 1, 1995 | Lost Generation writer John | Manny Nosowsky |
| DYCE | Fri May 31, 1996 | Scottish painter William | J. S. Marrone |
| FRAMABLE | Sun Jul 21, 1996 | Like some canvases | D. Niles |
| FUZZBUSTER | Sat Aug 6, 2005 | You may slow down when it goes off | Frank Longo |
| HANDILY | Fri Dec 21, 2007 | Without apparent effort | Patrick Berry |
| HASITBOTHWAYS | Mon Sep 14, 2020 | Comes out ahead in either case ... as exemplified by 19-, 29-, 36- and 44-Across? | John Guzzetta |
| HOMECHEF | Mon Jun 28, 2021 | Popular meal kit company (or the mother of the food critic featured in this puzzle?) | Pamela F. Davis |
| ITAW | Wed Jan 9, 2008 | "___ a Putty Tat" (Friz Freleng short) | John Farmer |
| LASTTIME | Thu Oct 14, 2004 | "Previously ..." | Mike Sikowitz |
| MESSIAHCOMPLEX | Sun Feb 3, 2019 | Belief in one's role as a savior | Natan Last |
| MONOPLANE | Fri Sep 24, 2021 | Aircraft with low drag | Stella Zawistowski |
| MULTIMILLIONAIRES | Thu Dec 23, 2004 | Fat cats | Nancy Salomon |
| NOSTRINGSATTACHED | Sun Nov 28, 2021 | Guitar, never used, $15! | Jeff Kremer |
| OFFOF | Tue Oct 15, 2024 | No longer taking, as a medication | Lindsay Rosenblum |
| OUTHIRE | Sat Jul 5, 1997 | Add more staff than | Rich Norris |
| OVERSEEN | Sat Jan 17, 2004 | Directed | Patrick Berry |
| OVERTON | Sun Feb 6, 2005 | Tennessee county named for a jurist who co-founded Memphis | Joel Kaplow |
| PALEALES | Fri Mar 25, 2016 | Some blonds | Ian Livengood |
| POPI | Sat Dec 19, 2015 | 1969 Alan Arkin comedy/drama | Damon Gulczynski |
| PORKYS | Tue Oct 17, 2017 | Raunchy 1981 comedy with two sequels | Jeff Chen |
| PRENATALCARE | Sun Nov 27, 2016 | Pasty + vacation expense, maybe = hospital specialty | Matt Ginsberg |
| RAILPASS | Thu May 28, 2015 | Rends + word of regret = commuter's purchase | Jeff Chen |
| RAILROADTIE | Sun Aug 24, 1997 | Engineer's apparel? | Michael S. Maurer |
| RICKSPRINGFIELD | Sat Apr 22, 2017 | Singer with a recurring role on "General Hospital" | Adam Fromm |
| SIRKAY | Fri Aug 1, 2014 | Boorish member of King Arthur's Round Table | Ashton Anderson and James Mulhern |
| STOREADS | Thu Nov 16, 2023 | Some promotional material | Paolo Pasco |
| SUMMERRAIN | Wed Oct 1, 2025 | Seasonal precipitation from SURINAME | Neville Fogarty |
| SURENESS | Thu Jul 23, 1998 | Certainty | Randall J. Hartman |
| TECATES | Fri Oct 16, 2015 | Some Mexican beers | Joe Krozel |
| THATHURTS | Sun Dec 11, 2016 | "Oof!" | Tom McCoy |
| TRACTORBEAM | Fri Dec 23, 2016 | One may hold a ship in place | Robyn Weintraub |
| XTS | Sun Dec 31, 2006 | Old IBM PC's | Elizabeth C. Gorski |