The rare daily word game sweeping the globe. Find what's hidden in plain sight.
NETSUKE
Definition of NETSUKE
noun
A small, often collectible, artistic carving characterized by an opening or two small holes (紐通し (himotōshi)), most commonly made of wood or ivory, used as a fob at the end of a cord attached to a suspended pouch containing pens, medicines, or tobacco. Netsuke originated in feudal Japan in the late 16th and 17th centuries.
Wiktionary · CC BY-SA
Where it comes from
From Japanese 根付 (netsuke). Literally 根 (ne, “root”) + 付け (tsuke, “attach”).
Etymology via Wiktionary (CC BY-SA).
OUTLIER scores every word on how unusual it is, and that number is not published. Working it out at the board is the game.
NETSUKE in OUTLIER
Players have found it on 10 boards so far.
It first turned up on Day 19, 8 June 2026. The most recent board was Day 113, 10 September 2026. Nobody has seen it on a board for 7 days.
First ever to find it
on Day 19, 8 June 2026 - before anyone else in Outlier's history. See the Pioneers
Built from these letters
NETSUKE starts with N and ends with E. Sorted, its letters read EEKNSTU - the shape to hunt for when the grid is scrambled. E appears more than once.
Words that start NETSUK
Its neighbours in the OUTLIER dictionary - shortest first.
Also seen on Day 19
Could you have found NETSUKE?
OUTLIER is a daily word game. One grid, the same grid for everybody, and the words nobody else spots are the ones that pay. This word was on Day 19 - and most players walked straight past it.
Play today's OUTLIER