The rare daily word game sweeping the globe. Find what's hidden in plain sight.
SEMAPHORE
Definition of SEMAPHORE
noun
Any equipment used for visual signalling by means of flags, lights, or mechanically moving arms, which are used to represent letters of the alphabet, or words.
Wiktionary · CC BY-SA
Where it comes from
The noun is borrowed from French sémaphore, from Ancient Greek σῆμα (sêma, “mark, sign, token”) + French -phore (from Ancient Greek -φόρος (-phóros, suffix indicating a bearer or carrier)). By surface analysis, sema- + -phore. The verb is derived from the noun.
Etymology via Wiktionary (CC BY-SA).
Word DNA
Line of descent
- Ancient Greek
- French
- English
2 recorded generations before English.
Deepest traced root
2nd
of 58 source languages in OUTLIER
12.6%
of traced words share this origin (3,702)
branch · 12.6% of traced words
How it is built
Same root, SEMAPHORE · 2 relatives in the game
OUTLIER scores every word on how unusual it is, and that number is not published. Working it out at the board is the game.
SEMAPHORE in OUTLIER
Players have found it on 43 boards so far. 232 players have found it across Outlier's history.
It first turned up on Day 26, 15 June 2026. The most recent board was Day 147, 14 October 2026. Nobody has seen it on a board for 1 day.
First ever to find it
on Day 36, 25 June 2026 - before anyone else in Outlier's history. See the Pioneers
Built from these letters
SEMAPHORE starts with S and ends with E. Sorted, its letters read AEEHMOPRS - the shape to hunt for when the grid is scrambled. E appears more than once.
Words that start SEMAPH
Its neighbours in the OUTLIER dictionary - shortest first.
Also seen on Day 26
Could you have found SEMAPHORE?
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 26 - and most players walked straight past it.
Play today's OUTLIER