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 51,140 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIRDSOFPARADISE | Fri Jul 3, 2026 | Tropical specimens that can be either flora or fauna | Barbara Lin |
| BRIDOON | Sun Nov 5, 1995 | Snaffle bit | Dean Niles |
| CANTORS | Tue Dec 20, 2016 | Synagogue singers | Timothy Polin |
| CETACEAN | Sat Sep 1, 2012 | Air-breathing swimmer | Tim Croce |
| COLORCOPYING | Mon Nov 3, 2014 | Service at Staples or FedEx Office | Janet R. Bender |
| CRIMEFIGHTERS | Sun Aug 8, 2010 | ... in 1-Across | Pam Klawitter |
| DONTLEAVEMEHANGING | Sun Jun 19, 2011 | "I'd be miserable without you, tapestry!" | Patrick Berry |
| DRAWSEVEN | Sat Apr 25, 1998 | Catches up | Jim Page |
| EPEEISTS | Tue Aug 4, 2020 | Certain Olympic athletes since 1900 | Jacob Stulberg |
| FACIALS | Wed Sep 19, 2007 | Spa offerings | Stella Daily and Bruce Venzke |
| GARYIN | Sun May 30, 2021 | City about 25 miles SE of Chicago, IL | Adam Wagner |
| GETSINTHEHUNT | Sat Oct 15, 2005 | Becomes competitive | Paula Gamache |
| GUARDEDOPTIMISM | Sun Jul 4, 2021 | Upbeat sentry's emotion? | Howard Barkin |
| HEATLESS | Sat Dec 20, 2003 | Like some dryers | Myles Callum |
| HOWARDSTERNSHOW | Sun Nov 4, 2007 | Broadcast with Baba Booey, with "The" | Bob Klahn |
| JENNERS | Sun Jun 14, 2015 | Longtime reality TV family on the E! channel | Randolph Ross |
| JETTISON | Sun Nov 22, 1998 | Deep-six | Nelson Hardy |
| JUDGEWAPNER | Sat Feb 13, 2016 | Arbiter of 1980s TV | Peter Wentz |
| KILLIAN | Sun May 2, 2004 | Classic name in Irish ales | Derrick Niederman |
| MEETTHEBEATLES | Fri Feb 8, 2013 | 1964 album that was #1 for 11 weeks | Barry C. Silk |
| MYELO | Sat Jul 15, 1995 | Spinal cord: Prefix | Rand H. Burns |
| NOODLECASSEROLE | Tue Jan 18, 2000 | Potluck dinner dish | Nancy Salomon |
| PENNYPINCH | Sun Aug 23, 2026 | Demonstrate frugality, in a way | Jill Singer |
| POETRYREADING | Sun Feb 12, 2017 | Suggestion to a bored short story writer? | Lynn Lempel |
| PROMDRESS | Fri Feb 22, 2019 | Wear for a queen | Daniel Nierenberg |
| RETROROCKET | Sat Jun 29, 2002 | It's used in a lunar landing | Dana Motley |
| ROSEMADDER | Thu Jul 15, 1999 | Stephen King novel | Zack Butler |
| SANDSTORM | Thu May 23, 1996 | Desert worry | M. E. Brindamour |
| SAURY | Fri Sep 4, 1998 | Cousin of the needlefish | Hugh Davis |
| SORRYWERECLOSED | Sat Aug 16, 1997 | Flip side of 33-Across | Matt Gaffney |
| STAYCURRENT | Sun Apr 6, 2025 | Be up on the latest news | Kareem Ayas |
| SUBBOOKKEEPER | Sun Sep 27, 2015 | Assistant number cruncher | Tom McCoy |
| TELECASTER | Sat Dec 11, 1999 | One who puts on a show | William S. Cotter |
| THROGSNECK | Sat Jan 27, 2007 | Neighborhood in the Bronx | Karen M. Tracey |
| TMINUS | Sat Jan 15, 2011 | Countdown term | Barry C. Silk |
| TOBEGINWITH | Thu Jul 16, 1998 | End of the query | Kelly Clark |
| WASNTCLEAR | Tue May 3, 2022 | Needed further explanation | Julian Lim |
| WEIGHSTATION | Thu Sep 14, 2000 | Truck stop | Joe DiPietro |
| WHEEDLED | Tue Dec 13, 2016 | Coaxed | David Alfred Bywaters |
| WHOREALLYKNOWS | Tue Nov 11, 2025 | "It's hard to say" | Christina Iverson and Scott Hogan |