Enter a clue or pattern or both:
The Clue
Some have been checkered (5 letter answer)
The Answer
PASTS
Tags
Notes
The answer PASTS is rarely seen, appearing only about once every 1300 puzzles.
Related Clues
Backgrounds
Histories
Former times
Some tenses
They may be checkered
They may be sordid
They might be checkered
Definition
PAST as a noun:
1. (past, past times, yesteryear, yore) = the time that has elapsed; "forget the past"
2. a earlier period in someone's life (especially one that they have reason to keep secret); "reporters dug into the candidate's past"
3. (past, past tense) = a verb tense that expresses actions or states in the past