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 50,670 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANIMALINSTINCTS | Tue Sep 27, 2011 | *Elemental parts of human nature | Peter A. Collins |
| APTITUDES | Fri Feb 7, 1997 | Talents | R. Norris |
| BABYDOLLS | Fri Aug 18, 2017 | Toys that may open and close their eyes | Brendan Emmett Quigley |
| BAREITALL | Sat Mar 5, 2016 | Get down to nothing? | Roland Huget |
| BEASTAR | Sat Dec 19, 2009 | Make it | Tyler Hinman and Byron Walden |
| BEDSPRING | Tue Jun 14, 2022 | Coil in a mattress | Robert Won |
| BINGHAM | Sat Apr 12, 2014 | "Fur Traders Descending the Missouri" painter, 1845 | Mel Rosen |
| BUYOUTS | Fri May 24, 2024 | Some corporate takeovers | Carolyn Davies Lynch |
| CHRISTMASINDIXIE | Sun Jun 29, 2014 | 1982 holiday country hit by Alabama | Byron Walden |
| DELACROIX | Sat Oct 22, 2011 | "Death of Sardanapalus" painter Eugène | Patrick Berry |
| DESNA | Fri Jun 21, 2002 | Dnieper tributary | Bob Peoples |
| DOUBLERUN | Thu Aug 3, 2000 | Pinochle dream | Bob Sefick |
| ENSTATE | Wed Jul 16, 2008 | Put into office: Var. | Joe Krozel |
| ESPYAWARDS | Sat Feb 9, 2019 | Best Play and Best Moment | Ryan McCarty |
| FIRSTTHINGSFIRST | Tue Mar 3, 2026 | "Before we discuss other matters ..." or a hint to the starts of 18-, 26-, 47- and 60-Across | Drew Schmenner |
| INAHEARTBEAT | Tue Dec 6, 2005 | Pronto | Nancy Salomon |
| INATTENTIVEPUPILS | Sun Jul 29, 2001 | Schoolteacher's condition? | Michael Ashley |
| INKSTAINS | Sun Sep 26, 1999 | Printers' problems | Randolph Ross |
| LASCAR | Sun Oct 16, 1994 | East Indian sailor | Raymond Hamel |
| LETSTAKEITSLOW | Tue Mar 31, 2020 | "We shouldn't rush this" | Christina Iverson and Ross Trudeau |
| LIKEHELLITIS | Sun Mar 20, 2022 | "You're so wrong about that!" | Brad Wiegmann |
| LOWFATSPREADS | Wed Mar 24, 1999 | Dieters' lands? | Nancy Salomon |
| LUGNUTS | Mon Sep 22, 2008 | Tire irons loosen them | Peter A. Collins |
| MAPONTO | Fri Jul 27, 2012 | Mark atop, as graph points | Joe Krozel |
| MEMED | Thu Feb 5, 2026 | Sent up on social media, say | Dario Salvucci |
| MONIQUE | Sun Mar 4, 2012 | Winner of 2009's Best Supporting Actress Oscar for "Precious" | David J. Kahn |
| NYCE | Fri Jan 6, 2006 | Inits. on many A.T.M.'s | David Levinson Wilk |
| OLFACTORY | Fri Nov 25, 1994 | Kind of nerve | Daniel R. Stark |
| SCOTERS | Fri Dec 20, 2002 | Diving ducks | Manny Nosowsky |
| SEETV | Thu Mar 25, 1999 | "Must-___" (NBC slogan) | David J. Kahn |
| STFRANCIS | Wed Dec 27, 2023 | Friar known for his patronage of animals | Kareem Ayas |
| STUBBORNBEAST | Sun Oct 22, 2000 | Change a letter in 46-Across to spell... | Henry Hook |
| TRIUMPH | Tue Feb 23, 2016 | Come out on top | Elizabeth C. Gorski |
| TWOLITERS | Mon May 13, 2002 | Common soda bottle capacity | Patrick Merrell |
| UNLIMITEDBUDGET | Thu Jun 10, 2010 | 9-Across + 26-Down | Mike Nothnagel |
| VEN | Wed Apr 25, 2007 | Title for one on the way to sainthood: Abbr. | John Farmer |
| WOMANIZE | Tue Mar 29, 2011 | Philander | Peter A. Collins |
| WORKINPROGRESS | Mon Sep 4, 2000 | Piece of unfinished business | Elizabeth C. Gorski |
| YANKEEDOODLEDANDY | Sun Apr 1, 2018 | Patriotic song lyric before "Mind the music and the step" | Sam Ezersky |
| ZINCITE | Sun Dec 25, 2011 | Mineral in healing crystals | Elizabeth C. Gorski |