[cyano, nitro, (non)enolizable ketone, chloride, and amide moieties] are allowed on methoxyarenes. Moreover, an array of alkanenitriles with/without an aryl moiety at the nitrile α-position can be employed. The system also features no requirement of a stoichiometric base, MeOH (not salt waste) formation as a byproduct, and the production of congested quaternary carbon centers.