The rare daily word game sweeping the globe. Find what's hidden in plain sight.
SYCOPHANT
Definition of SYCOPHANT
noun
One who uses obsequious compliments to gain self-serving favour or advantage from another; a servile flatterer.
Wiktionary · CC BY-SA
Where it comes from
First attested in 1537. From Latin sȳcophanta (“informer, trickster”), from Ancient Greek συκοφάντης (sukophántēs), itself from σῦκον (sûkon, “fig”) + φαίνω (phaínō, “to show, demonstrate”). The gesture of "showing the fig" was a vulgar one, which was made by sticking the thumb between two fingers, a display which vaguely resembles a fig, which is itself symbolic of a σῦκον (sûkon), which also meant vulva. The story behind this etymology is that politicians in ancient Greece steered clear of displaying that vulgar gesture, but secretly urged their followers to taunt their opponents by using it. Cognate with Italian sicofante, Spanish sicofanta.
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.
SYCOPHANT in OUTLIER
Players have found it on 44 boards so far. 232 players have found it across Outlier's history.
It first turned up on Day 14, 3 June 2026. The most recent board was Day 102, 30 August 2026. It was on the latest finished board.
First ever to find it
on Day 14, 3 June 2026 - before anyone else in Outlier's history. See the Pioneers
Built from these letters
SYCOPHANT starts with S and ends with T. Sorted, its letters read ACHNOPSTY - the shape to hunt for when the grid is scrambled. No letter is used twice, which makes it an isogram.
Words that start SYCOPH
Its neighbours in the OUTLIER dictionary - shortest first.
Also seen on Day 14
Could you have found SYCOPHANT?
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 14 - and most players walked straight past it.
Play today's OUTLIER