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 50,666 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUDITIONED | Sat Nov 11, 1995 | Tried out | Nancy Nicholson Joline |
| BENJAMINFRANKLIN | Sun Jul 2, 2006 | Image that appears with the 20-Across on an old half dollar | Elizabeth C. Gorski |
| BROADCASTER | Wed Jul 31, 2024 | Television pro | Jackson Matz and Ben Matz |
| CHOWDER | Sun Jul 8, 2007 | Cape Cod course | Elayne Cantor and Nancy Salomon |
| CIGARBOX | Wed May 22, 2002 | Container with a lid that flips | Sherry O. Blackard |
| CLOUDATLAS | Wed Aug 13, 2025 | Acclaimed 2004 science fiction work by David Mitchell made into a 2012 film | Jared Cappel |
| CONCENTRATION | Sat Aug 26, 2006 | Long-running TV show featuring match-makers | Henry Hook |
| DELICASES | Mon Jan 12, 2026 | Where meats and cheeses are often displayed | Carolyn Davies Lynch and Christina Iverson |
| DISHWATER | Sat Feb 10, 1996 | Epitome of dullness | John R. Conrad |
| DOGGEDIT | Fri Aug 7, 2020 | Underperformed, colloquially | Tom Pepper |
| DRESSTO | Sun Dec 19, 1993 | ___ kill (doll up) | John M. Samson |
| EXCISING | Mon Oct 31, 2016 | Removing surgically | Peter A. Collins |
| INTELLECTS | Fri Nov 8, 1996 | Brains | M. Gaffney |
| ITSASTART | Fri Apr 17, 2020 | "Some progress is better than none" | Robyn Weintraub |
| KARST | Fri Jun 6, 2014 | Land formation known for its caves | Kameron Austin Collins |
| KIASEDONA | Sun Oct 23, 2022 | Popular Korean minivan | Daniel Bodily and Jeff Chen |
| LACKINGSYMMETRY | Wed Jun 27, 2012 | Descriptive of this puzzle's grid | Mike Buckley |
| LEOCHERNE | Sun Dec 18, 1994 | Author of the quote | Manny Nosowsky & Bob Klahn |
| MAKEUPGAMES | Sat Jun 10, 2023 | Rain check events | John Hawksley |
| MEATLESSMONDAY | Mon Aug 14, 2017 | Weekly occurrence when 20-, 31- and 38-Across might be consumed | Rich Proulx |
| MEMBERSOFTHEBAR | Fri Dec 28, 2007 | Some licensed practitioners | John Farmer |
| MIDMORN | Fri Jan 7, 2005 | A few hours after dawn, in verse | Stella Daily and Bruce Venzke |
| MILITARYPENSION | Sat Jun 10, 2017 | Income for general expenses? | Mark Diehl |
| MISSMOLLY | Tue Apr 6, 2021 | See 35-Down | Amanda Chung and Karl Ni |
| OPENEDDOORS | Fri Oct 31, 2025 | Provided entrees | Juliana Tringali Golden |
| PUFFPIECES | Sun Jun 2, 2019 | Stoner movies? | Erik Agard |
| PWNS | Sun Nov 5, 2017 | Destroys, in gamer-speak | Natan Last |
| SAVEABLE | Sun Aug 13, 1995 | Not yet completely lost | Nancy Salomon |
| SIGNSOFTHETIMES | Wed Feb 18, 2026 | 🕘⏳⏰ | Victor Schmitt |
| SIMPLECIPHER | Thu Jul 21, 2005 | 38-Across is one | Patrick Blindauer |
| SPAREROOMS | Sat Feb 5, 2011 | Potential offices | Mark Diehl |
| SPEECHTHERAPIST | Fri Mar 1, 2024 | One who has ways of making you talk ... | Julian Xiao |
| TAUDELTAPHI | Sun Aug 2, 2009 | Group formed at C.C.N.Y. in 1910 | Patrick Berry |
| TEACADDIES | Fri Nov 25, 2016 | Gunpowder containers | Patrick Berry |
| THEBLACKKEYS | Thu Feb 16, 2017 | Five-time Grammy-winning duo from the 2010s | Keith Redwine |
| THETALK | Fri May 19, 2023 | Something parents might give a teenager, colloquially | David Distenfeld |
| TITLER | Sat Jan 22, 2011 | Name provider | Victor Fleming |
| TOUCHEDON | Thu Jan 7, 2016 | Mentioned | Andrew J. Ries |
| WHETHER | Wed Mar 9, 1994 | If | Norma Steinberg |
| YESED | Sun Dec 20, 2009 | Was sycophantic to | Alan Arbesfeld |