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 50,970 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| AFTERTHESUNSET | Tue Jun 26, 2007 | Final showing (2004) | Ray Fontenot |
| BURKINAFASO | Sat May 1, 2004 | 56-Across's land | Byron Walden |
| CALAMITOUS | Sun Jun 13, 2010 | Devastating | Francis Heaney |
| CHEESESLICER | Sun Jun 16, 2019 | Deli machine | Joel Fagliano |
| CLEANHOUSE | Fri Oct 7, 2005 | Completely replace the staff | Manny Nosowsky |
| CROTON | Sun Feb 16, 2003 | New York's ___ Falls | Charles M. Deber |
| DIAPERED | Fri Feb 10, 2017 | Tended to, as a baby | Kyle Mahowald |
| DOGROSES | Fri Jun 16, 2006 | Pink-flowered plants often used as grafting stock | Alan Olschwang |
| EARLYLEAD | Sun Jun 7, 2015 | "And they're off! Ace Detective has the ___!" | Samuel A. Donaldson |
| EARTHORBIT | Mon Jun 2, 2008 | Revolutionary pattern of the moon | Barry Boone |
| EATLUNCH | Sun Apr 5, 2020 | Nosh at noon, say | Jim Peredo |
| FEELINGNUMB | Sun Nov 24, 2024 | In a state of shock, say | Alex Eaton-Salners |
| GOODDAYSUNSHINE | Mon Nov 16, 1998 | 1966 Beatles song | Nancy Salomon and Bob Frank |
| GRANDCENTRAL | Wed Feb 6, 2002 | Famous place with a hint to this puzzle's theme | Joe DiPietro |
| HALFTRUTH | Wed Jan 12, 2011 | Deceptive remark | Jim Hilger |
| HEALTHYGLOW | Wed Dec 30, 2015 | Ruddiness | Mary Lou Guizzo and Jeff Chen |
| HIGHDAY | Mon Mar 12, 2007 | Religious time | Kevin Der |
| KOREANWAR | Sat Sep 18, 2021 | Subject of the 2018 best-selling account "On Desperate Ground" | Ryan McCarty |
| LADYFERN | Wed Feb 14, 2024 | Feathery perennial | Ella Dershowitz |
| LETSNOTGOTHERE | Mon Jan 26, 2009 | "Bad idea!" | Timothy Powell and Nancy Salomon |
| LIBERALISM | Fri Jul 1, 2011 | What's not right? | Chris A. McGlothlin |
| MIXONESMETAPHORS | Sun May 28, 2017 | Step 2: Make some literary gaffes | Andrew Zhou |
| MOBILIZE | Wed Jul 25, 2007 | Put into action | Ed Early |
| NADU | Fri Mar 22, 2024 | Tamil ___, India | Mansi Kothari and Erik Agard |
| NATIONALDEFENSE | Fri Mar 20, 1998 | Big slice of a budget | Martin Ashwood-Smith |
| NEWSANGLE | Thu Jul 13, 2006 | See circles | Manny Nosowsky |
| OUTDUEL | Sat Jun 20, 2009 | Best in a one-on-one | Brad Wilber |
| RECLEAGUES | Sat Feb 10, 2024 | Some local sports associations, informally | Zhouqin Burnikel |
| RIKSHA | Sun Mar 31, 1996 | Old Oriental vehicle: Var. | J. Savage |
| RUNSDEEP | Sun Dec 7, 2025 | Is felt strongly | Kate Jensen |
| RUSHTHEPASSER | Tue Sep 17, 2002 | Gridiron order | Steven Dorfman |
| SHOREUP | Fri Jun 30, 2006 | Buttress | Manny Nosowsky |
| SIBLING | Sun Jan 12, 2020 | Brother or sister | Evan Mahnken and David Steinberg |
| SILTUP | Wed Sep 8, 2021 | Clog with sediment | Lee Taylor |
| TARBOOSH | Fri Mar 13, 2015 | Tasseled topper | Victor Fleming |
| TEDDERS | Sun Nov 12, 1995 | Hay drying machines | Randolph Ross |
| THERANGE | Sun Jul 7, 2019 | "Home" in a classic song | Jack Reuter |
| UNAIDEDEYE | Sat Dec 8, 2007 | Some planets may be seen with it | Barry C. Silk |
| WALDSTEIN | Wed Mar 6, 1996 | #21 | N. S. Ross |
| WARMEDOVER | Fri Apr 8, 2005 | Ostensibly fresh, but not really | Manny Nosowsky |