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 50,381 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| APPALLS | Sat Sep 6, 1997 | Causes consternation | Rich Norris |
| BACKWARDLOOKING | Wed Mar 1, 2023 | Give heed! And listen to my tale of the mad tyrant who decreed that all toilets in his realm be installed the wrong way, for he was the … | Aaron M. Rosenberg |
| BEETHOVIAN | Wed Apr 12, 2006 | In the style of the "Moonlight Sonata" | Elizabeth C. Gorski |
| BLOOMBERG | Sat Nov 8, 2014 | Notable switcher from Democrat to Republican to Independent | Barry C. Silk |
| CHALLENGER | Wed Nov 24, 2010 | #3 | Allan E. Parrish |
| DASTARDS | Sun Jul 14, 2002 | Contemptible sneaks | Patrick Berry |
| DENARY | Thu Aug 17, 1995 | Tenfold | Rand H. Burns |
| EWBANK | Wed Sep 15, 2010 | Only coach to win both N.F.L. and A.F.L. championships | Zoe Wheeler, Brown University '12 |
| GEEIDONTKNOW | Wed Sep 13, 2023 | Paradoxical answer to "What is 'Golf' in the NATO alphabet?" | Guilherme Gilioli |
| HOPELESSTASK | Tue Nov 3, 1998 | It's a waste of time | Ed Early |
| JORJAFOX | Sat May 27, 2006 | Sara Sidle's player on "CSI" | Will Nediger |
| KOMODODRAGON | Tue Dec 29, 2020 | Largest lizard on earth (up to 10 feet long) | Matthew Trout |
| LOMS | Fri Sep 7, 2001 | Actor Herbert and others | Manny Nosowsky |
| MENOFSTRAW | Sat Aug 14, 2004 | Puppets | Joe DiPietro |
| NAVELGAZERS | Fri Nov 6, 2020 | More familiar term for omphaloskeptics | Aimee Lucido |
| NEPHROLOGIST | Thu Feb 7, 2013 | Kidney doctor | David Levinson Wilk |
| PLEATHER | Thu Aug 2, 2012 | Non-deluxe sofa covering | Xan Vongsathorn |
| POSESNUDE | Sun Jan 1, 2023 | Barely sits still? | Adam Wagner, Michael Lieberman and Rafael Musa |
| RAGIN | Fri Apr 16, 2004 | Louisiana's ___ Cajuns | Ed Early |
| RAISABLE | Thu Sep 8, 2011 | Like ruckuses or roadster roofs | Matt Ginsberg and Pete Muller |
| REFOCUSES | Sat Feb 14, 2009 | Shakes off new distractions | Joe Krozel |
| REWAX | Wed Feb 13, 2002 | Add luster to | Steven Picus |
| ROUGHNECK | Wed Mar 31, 2004 | Rowdy sort | Randy Sowell |
| ROUNDOFAPPLAUSE | Thu Nov 13, 2025 | Props for one's performance | Kyle Perkins |
| RUSSELLBAKER | Sun Dec 3, 1995 | Penning pastry chef | Martin Schneider |
| SEWARDSFOLLY | Tue Jul 10, 2001 | Alaska | Patrick Merrell |
| SHIRTFRONT | Fri Feb 17, 2023 | Place subject to food stains | Jem Burch |
| SILENCES | Tue Sep 5, 1995 | Muzzles | Jonathan Schmatzbach |
| SINGLIKEACANARY | Mon Jan 9, 2012 | Tell everything to the coppers | Michael Dewey |
| SIPCHAMPAGNE | Sun Dec 30, 2001 | What a celebrant may do at 16-Down | Elizabeth C. Gorski |
| STALECEREAL | Wed Apr 17, 2019 | Menu item #1: A bowlful of Cap'n Crunch that's been on top of the fridge for four years | Alison Ohringer and Erik Agard |
| TABLATURES | Fri Jul 1, 2011 | Sheet music notations | Chris A. McGlothlin |
| THEGRANITESTATE | Sun Aug 27, 2017 | New Hampshire | Jeff Chen |
| TOETAPPER | Fri Mar 28, 2003 | Extra-lively tune | Cathy Millhauser |
| TOMPOSTON | Thu May 22, 2008 | *"Newhart" actor | Richard Silvestri |
| TRUMPUP | Sun Mar 26, 2006 | Fabricate | Patrick Berry |
| TWOLANEBLACKTOP | Thu Feb 15, 2001 | 1971 James Taylor/Warren Oates cult film | David Ainslie Macleod |
| VERBALISE | Thu Jan 25, 2018 | *Poetry | Alex Eaton-Salners |
| VINORDINAIRE | Wed May 12, 2021 | Inexpensive table wine | Tracy Gray |
| YARDBIRD | Sun Jan 15, 2023 | Convict, in old slang | Michael Schlossberg |