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 50,873 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ALLTHEBEST | Wed Jun 1, 2016 | Well-wisher's wish | Wren Schultz |
| ASC | Sun Sep 18, 2011 | Camera operator's org. | Josh Knapp |
| BACONBITS | Sat Dec 31, 2016 | Strips to pieces? | Jeff Chen |
| BEACHTOWEL | Thu Dec 6, 2018 | Sunbather's accessory | Sophia Maymudes |
| BLACKBIRD | Sun Aug 27, 2000 | Crow, e.g. | Dana Motley |
| BLACKOP | Sun Nov 2, 2025 | Covert mission, familiarly | Rafael Musa |
| BOUNCINGBALL | Tue Apr 16, 2002 | Something followed on a screen | Sarah Keller |
| COMPUTERCRASH | Tue Jun 7, 2022 | What the "spinning beach ball of death" might indicate | Carly Schuna |
| CORNERPOCKET | Sat Oct 28, 2000 | Shark's target, at times | Elizabeth C. Gorski |
| DARKTAN | Fri May 18, 2001 | Beach bum's acquisition | Joe DiPietro |
| DAYCARES | Sun May 14, 2023 | Toddler drop-off locales | Sid Sivakumar |
| DIRTIED | Sun Jun 1, 2003 | Dragged through the mud | Lee Glickstein and Nancy Salomon |
| DUBUQUE | Sat Feb 9, 2008 | Home of Clarke College | Shannon Burns |
| ENDOWEDCHAIR | Thu Nov 18, 2004 | Overstuffed furniture? | Charles Barasch |
| FIRSTDEGREE | Sun Dec 3, 2023 | Most serious, in law | Tracy Bennett |
| FLOWERGIRLS | Wed Jan 13, 2010 | Certain wedding participants ... or a hint to 17-, 28- and 46-Across? | Kevan Choset |
| GORIOT | Sun Oct 3, 1999 | Balzac's Père ___ | Fred Piscop |
| HANDSBACK | Tue Feb 11, 2025 | Returns, as graded papers | Paul Coulter |
| HOAXING | Sat May 30, 2009 | April Fools' Day activity | Matt Ginsberg |
| INTERNETDATING | Fri May 25, 2012 | Modern chemistry experiment? | Brendan Emmett Quigley |
| KAYHAGAN | Mon Dec 14, 2020 | North Carolina senator who unseated Elizabeth Dole | Jessie Bullock and Ross Trudeau |
| KOOKOO | Sun Mar 21, 2010 | Gold-certified debut album of Debbie Harry | Adam Fromm |
| MAKELESS | Sat Aug 14, 2004 | Decrease the production (of) | Joe DiPietro |
| MARCCHAGALL | Thu Aug 9, 2007 | He said "Great art picks up where nature ends" | Tyler Hinman |
| MICROBE | Thu Jan 23, 1997 | Germ | F. Hansen |
| MOLDER | Sat Jan 20, 2007 | Crumble | Harvey Estes |
| MRSPEEL | Wed Aug 10, 2011 | Emma of "The Avengers" | Elizabeth C. Gorski |
| NAGILA | Sun Nov 3, 2024 | "Hava ___" (hora song) | Sid Sivakumar |
| NITRITE | Fri Aug 13, 2010 | Meat curer | Manny Nosowsky |
| OPENBORDERS | Fri Jan 27, 2017 | Feature of the European Union | John Guzzetta |
| ORIGINATED | Fri Oct 2, 2015 | Came up with | Patrick Berry |
| PROVINGGROUND | Tue Dec 4, 2012 | Weapons-testing area | Elizabeth C. Gorski |
| PULLET | Sun Jul 31, 1994 | Coop youngster | Richard Silvestri |
| RITZES | Sat Nov 27, 2010 | Alternatives to Triscuits | Xan Vongsathorn |
| SCRAPESOFF | Sat Jul 11, 2009 | Removes, as paint | Karen M. Tracey |
| SEEDLESSRAISINS | Sat Jan 21, 2012 | Sultanas, say | Martin Ashwood-Smith |
| SHOWERFLOW | Sun Mar 24, 2002 | Thing that's adjustable in some bathrooms? | Con Pederson |
| SINGULAR | Tue Dec 22, 2015 | Atypical ... or like the first word in the answer to 18-, 24-, 51- or 62-Across | Tom McCoy |
| TRACTORTRAILER | Tue Apr 7, 2009 | Semi | Joon Pahk |
| VANILLIN | Sun Jul 30, 1995 | Bean flavoring | Charles M. Deber |