Enter a clue or pattern or both:

The Clue

Surprise hits (8 letter answer)

The Answer

SLEEPERS

Tags


Notes

The answer SLEEPERS is rarely seen, appearing only about once every 2100 puzzles.

Related Clues

Unexpected winners
Unheralded successes
Pullman and Van Winkle
They're not up
Some yo-yo tricks

Definition

SLEEPER as a noun:

1. (sleeper, slumberer) = a rester who is sleeping
2. a spy or saboteur or terrorist planted in an enemy country who lives there as a law-abiding citizen until activated by a prearranged signal
3. an unexpected achiever of success; "the winner was a true sleeper--no one expected him to get it"
4. (tie, railroad tie, crosstie, sleeper) = one of the cross braces that support the rails on a railway track; "the British call a railroad tie a sleeper"
5. (sleeping car, sleeper, wagon-lit) = a passenger car that has berths for sleeping
6. pajamas with feet; worn by children
7. a piece of furniture that can be opened up into a bed
8. (sleeper, sleeper goby) = tropical fish that resembles a goby and rests quietly on the bottom in shallow water
9. an unexpected hit; "that movie was the sleeper of the summer"