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 50,703 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANEARS | Thu Oct 12, 1995 | Draws nigh | Christopher Hurt |
| BETELNUTS | Fri Dec 23, 1994 | Tropical kernels | Frank A. Longo |
| BOYSCOUTS | Wed Dec 17, 2008 | Order of the Arrow members | John Farmer |
| CHOWED | Fri Aug 21, 2015 | Ate, with "down" | David Steinberg |
| CORPORATEGREED | Sat Dec 13, 2025 | Creator of some bubbles | Gene Louise De Vera |
| CROSSREACTIVITY | Sat Feb 14, 2004 | Factor in relationships between viruses | Frank Longo |
| DEEPSECRET | Fri Apr 1, 2005 | Skeleton in the closet, maybe | David Pringle |
| DONK | Sat May 22, 2021 | Hit on the head, in slang | Sid Sivakumar and Matthew Stock |
| DREAMIEST | Tue Jun 23, 1998 | Most marvelous | Rich Norris |
| EFOREFFORT | Mon May 6, 2013 | Grade meaning "Maybe you failed, but at least you tried" | Joel Fagliano |
| ELIHUS | Thu May 2, 1996 | Root and Yale | D. J. Kahn |
| EMMASAMMS | Fri Oct 11, 1996 | "Delirious" co-star, 1991 | F. Longo |
| EPICDRAMA | Sun Nov 2, 2025 | "Ben-Hur" or "Lawrence of Arabia" | Rafael Musa |
| FIGUREHEAD | Tue Feb 16, 2016 | Carved decoration on a ship's prow ... or a hint to the first word of 17-, 25-, 37- and 45-Across | Ron and Nancy Byron |
| FLIPPER | Sun May 28, 2000 | Old TV series set in Coral Key Park | Richard Silvestri |
| FOURDAY | Thu Aug 20, 2009 | Nice kind of workweek | Elizabeth C. Gorski |
| FUNSPONGE | Sat Jul 28, 2018 | One who sucks the joy out of the room | Natan Last, Andy Kravis and The J.A.S.A. Crossword Class |
| GETACHARGEOUTOF | Sat Nov 4, 2006 | Relish | Rich Norris |
| GIFTRECEIPTS | Wed Sep 1, 2021 | Priceless keepsakes? | Sean Yamada-Hunter |
| GOINGOUTONALIMB | Thu Dec 12, 2019 | Putting one's reputation at risk | Alex Eaton-Salners |
| GUARDEDOPTIMISM | Sun Jul 4, 2021 | Upbeat sentry's emotion? | Howard Barkin |
| GUNRACKS | Sat May 13, 2000 | They may hold your arms | William S. Cotter |
| HAVENOTS | Sat Apr 1, 2017 | The poor | Howard Barkin |
| INTHEHEIGHTS | Fri Apr 2, 2021 | Tony-winning musical written by Lin-Manuel Miranda during his second year of college | Kyra Wilson and Sophia Maymudes |
| IRREGULARS | Thu Nov 21, 1996 | Baker Street group | M. Ashwood-Smith |
| KEEPEROFTHEPEACE | Sun Jun 30, 1996 | Matt Dillon, e.g. | R. Norris |
| KROFT | Sun May 8, 2016 | Longtime "60 Minutes" reporter | David J. Kahn |
| LEMOKO | Sun Jun 24, 2001 | Classic French film "Pepe ___" | Randolph Ross |
| LONGUE | Sun Jun 13, 2004 | Chaise ___ | Richard Silvestri |
| LOSTCAT | Sat Sep 10, 2011 | Subject on a wanted poster | David Quarfoot |
| LUMBAGOS | Thu Sep 19, 1996 | Rheumatisms | W. S. Cotter |
| MASTEROFARTS | Sun Jun 3, 2007 | Leonardo da Vinci? | Kelsey Blakley |
| NOVISAD | Sat Jul 5, 2008 | Serbian provincial capital on the Danube | Karen M. Tracey |
| PREDATORDRONES | Wed Mar 18, 2015 | Aircraft in modern airstrikes | Timothy Polin |
| SADLOTS | Thu Jun 1, 2017 | Pitiful sorts | Derek Bowman and Sarah Keller |
| STILLATIT | Sun Jan 4, 2004 | Not yet done | Patrick Merrell |
| TASTINGS | Sat Jun 5, 2010 | Occasions to compare noses | Samuel A. Donaldson |
| UPTOWNDOWNBEAT | Thu Oct 18, 2001 | Title song of a Duke Ellington album | Elizabeth C. Gorski |
| VENDORS | Sat Dec 7, 2013 | Street fair lineup | James Mulhern |
| WATERBOYS | Wed Aug 19, 1998 | Team helpers | Alfio Micci |