NYT Spelling Bee Answers for May 18, 2018

calendar May 18, 2018 · 12 min read · spelling bee  ·
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Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for May 18, 2018
Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for May 18, 2018

Game Summary

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for May 18, 2018
Center LetterA
Outer Lettersg, h, o, p, r, t
# of Pangrams1 (Perfect: none)
Total Words60 words
Total Points245 points
Genius Level172 points
Bingo?Yes

Table of Contents

As you scroll down this page, the clues get progressively more revealing. So scroll slowly!

  1. Spelling Bee Grid
  2. Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
  3. Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
  4. Extra Letter Hints (Incrementally Revealing) 🤯
  5. Today's Complete Solution
  6. Answer Definitions

If you're just here for a list of NYT Spelling Bee answers, Jump down to the answers ↓ (Spoiler Alert!).

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for May 18, 2018

Spelling Bee Grid

The following table shows the standard Spelling Bee summary grid, which lists word lengths across the top and letters down the left-hand side. The cell where the word lengths and letters intersect displays the number of words in today's puzzle with the corresponding first letter and word length.

4</th><th>5</th><th>6</th><th>7</th><th>8</th><th>9</th><th>10Σ
A37-1---11
G23-----5
H5-1----6
O2-1----3
P5121-2213
R2-34---9
T7231---13
Σ2613107-2260

Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints

The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.

A
AA×1
AG×3
AO×1
AP×3
AR×1
AT×2
G
GA×2
GO×2
GR×1
H
HA×3
HO×3
O
OA×1
OP×1
OR×1
P
PA×6
PH×3
PO×2
PR×2
R
RA×7
RO×2
T
TA×8
TH×2
TO×2
TR×1

Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints

The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.

A
AAR×1
AGA×1
AGO×2
AOR×1
APA×1
APO×1
APP×1
ARH×1
ATO×1
ATT×1
G
GAG×1
GAT×1
GOA×1
GOT×1
GRA×1
H
HAR×2
HAT×1
HOA×1
HOO×1
HOR×1
O
OAT×1
OPA×1
ORA×1
P
PAP×1
PAR×4
PAT×1
PHA×2
PHO×1
POP×1
POT×1
PRA×1
PRO×1
R
RAG×2
RAP×3
RAT×2
ROA×1
ROT×1
T
TAP×2
TAR×5
TAT×1
THA×1
THR×1
TOG×1
TOR×1
TRA×1

Extra Letter Hints (Incrementally Revealing)

The table below lists all of the solutions to today's puzzle, but they're concealed. You can click the plus button (+) to reveal additional letters, one-by-one.

Concealed definitions are provided as additional clues. You can toggle concealment of the definitions by clicking on the concealer bar or the text that appears when the definition is visible.

Pangrams are marked with a dagger symbol (†).

Word2L RefDefinition (click to reveal)
aa...AA5In imitation of a (pirate-like) cry.
ag..AG4A gelatinous material obtained from red algae, especially Gracilaria species, used as a bacterial culture medium, in electrophoresis and as a food additive.
ag..AG4In eager desire, eager, astir.
ag...AG5A place for gathering.
ao...AO5The great artery which carries the blood from the heart to all parts of the body except the lungs; the main trunk of the arterial system.
ap...AP5Placed separately (in regard to space or time).
ap...AP5on the left side of the boat
ap.....AP7The Soviet machinery of state bureaucratic administration, or a similar communistic structure.
ar...AR5One who has attained enlightenment; a Buddhist saint.
at..AT4On the top of.
at...AT5An essential oil extracted from flowers.
ga..GA4Mentally senile.
ga...GA5Alligator.
go..GO4A mammal, Capra aegagrus hircus, and similar species of the genus Capra. The meat of the aforementioned animal.
go...GO5Contraction of have got to (“have to; must”).
gr...GR5A data chart (graphical representation of data) intended to illustrate the relationship between a set (or sets) of numbers (quantities, measurements or indicative numbers) and a reference set, whose elements are indexed to those of the former set(s) and may or may not be numbers.
ha..HA4A musical instrument consisting of a body and a curved neck, strung with strings of varying length that are stroked or plucked with the fingers and are vertical to the soundboard when viewed from the end of the body Any instrument of the same musicological type.
ha..HA4A male deer, especially the male of the red deer after his fifth year.
ha..HA4third-person singular simple present indicative form of have
ho..HO4A white or greyish-white colour.
ho....HO6Alternative form of hurrah
ho..HO4A circle dance popular in the Balkans, Israel and Yiddish culture worldwide.
oa..OA4A solemn pledge or promise that invokes a deity, a ruler, or another entity (not necessarily present) to attest the truth of a statement or sincerity of one's desire to fulfill a contract or promise.
op..OP4Any of various large, colourful, deep-bodied pelagic fish of the family Lamprididae.
or....OR6Someone who orates or delivers an oration.
pa..PA4Dad, daddy, father; a familiar or old-fashioned term of address to one’s father.
pa.......PA9A passage in text that starts on a new line, the first line sometimes being indented, and usually marks a change of topic.
pa.......PA9A company of paratroopers.
pa....PA6A kind of bird, many species of which are colourful and able to mimic human speech, of the order Psittaciformes or (narrowly) of the family Psittacidae.
pa..PA4A portion; a component. A fraction of a whole.
pa..PA4A trail for the use of, or worn by, pedestrians.
ph.....PH7The supreme ruler of Ancient Egypt; a formal address for the sovereign seat of power as personified by the "king" in an institutional role of Horus son of Osiris; often used by metonymy for Ancient Egyptian sovereignty
ph..PH4Excellent; cool; very good.
ph........ †PH10A picture created by projecting an image onto a photosensitive surface such as a chemically treated plate or film, CCD receptor, etc.
po...PO5father, papa.
po....PO6The tuber of a plant, Solanum tuberosum, eaten as a starchy vegetable, particularly in the Americas and Europe; this plant.
pr..PR4A cunning or mischievous trick; a prank, a joke.
pr........PR10A person who disseminates news or rumour
ra....RA6Unkempt, shabby, or in a state of disrepair.
ra....RA6A convertible automobile.
ra.....RA7A relationship of mutual trust and respect. A close and harmonious relationship in which the people or groups concerned understand each other's feelings or ideas and communicate well.
ra..RA4Snatched, taken away; abducted.
ra....RA6A bird of prey.
ra.....RA7A swiftly repeated knocking sound.
ra.....RA7A device (trap) used to catch rats.
ro..RO4To make a loud, deep cry, especially from pain, anger, or other strong emotion.
ro.....RO7One who or that which rotates.
ta..TA4A kind of cloth prepared by the Polynesians from the inner bark of the paper mulberry.
ta.....TA7A long, tapering root possessed by many plants (such as carrots and dandelions).
ta..TA4Colocasia esculenta, raised as a food primarily for its corm, which distantly resembles potato.
ta...TA5A card game played in various different variations.
ta..TA4A tarpaulin.
ta..TA4Sharp to the taste; acid; sour.
ta....TA6A red compound deposited during wine making; mostly potassium hydrogen tartrate — a source of cream of tartar.
ta....TA6An image made in the skin with ink and a needle.
th..TH4Introducing a clause which is the subject or object of a verb (such as one involving reported speech), or which is a complement to a previous statement.
th....TH6The front part of the neck.
to..TO4A loose outer garment worn by the citizens of Ancient Rome.
to...TO5the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible
tr..TR4A machine or other device designed to catch (and sometimes kill) animals, either by holding them in a container, or by catching hold of part of the body.

Today's Complete Solution

The words that follow are a complete listing of all acceptable words in today's New York Time Spelling Bee puzzle.

Next to the answer word you'll see the two-letter reference (2L Ref) in parentheses. We added that 2L Ref for easier translation of the spoiler-avoidant language you see on the Spelling Bee Forum and Twitter. The 2L Ref signifies a word's two start letters followed by the total number of letters in the word.

  • aargh  (AA5)
  • agar  (AG4)
  • agog  (AG4)
  • agora  (AG5)
  • aorta  (AO5)
  • apart  (AP5)
  • aport  (AP5)
  • apparat  (AP7)
  • arhat  (AR5)
  • atop  (AT4)
  • attar  (AT5)
  • gaga  (GA4)
  • gator  (GA5)
  • goat  (GO4)
  • gotta  (GO5)
  • graph  (GR5)
  • harp  (HA4)
  • hart  (HA4)
  • hath  (HA4)
  • hoar  (HO4)
  • hoorah  (HO6)
  • hora  (HO4)
  • oath  (OA4)
  • opah  (OP4)
  • orator  (OR6)
  • papa  (PA4)
  • paragraph  (PA9)
  • paratroop  (PA9)
  • parrot  (PA6)
  • part  (PA4)
  • path  (PA4)
  • pharaoh  (PH7)
  • phat  (PH4)
  • photograph†  (PH10)
  • poppa  (PO5)
  • potato  (PO6)
  • prat  (PR4)
  • propagator  (PR10)
  • ragtag  (RA6)
  • ragtop  (RA6)
  • rapport  (RA7)
  • rapt  (RA4)
  • raptor  (RA6)
  • ratatat  (RA7)
  • rattrap  (RA7)
  • roar  (RO4)
  • rotator  (RO7)
  • tapa  (TA4)
  • taproot  (TA7)
  • taro  (TA4)
  • tarot  (TA5)
  • tarp  (TA4)
  • tart  (TA4)
  • tartar  (TA6)
  • tattoo  (TA6)
  • that  (TH4)
  • throat  (TH6)
  • toga  (TO4)
  • torah  (TO5)
  • trap  (TR4)

Answer Definitions

  • aargh (interjection): In imitation of a (pirate-like) cry.
  • agar (noun): A gelatinous material obtained from red algae, especially Gracilaria species, used as a bacterial culture medium, in electrophoresis and as a food additive.
  • agog (adjective): In eager desire, eager, astir.
  • agora (noun): A place for gathering.
  • aorta (noun): The great artery which carries the blood from the heart to all parts of the body except the lungs; the main trunk of the arterial system.
  • apart (adverb): Placed separately (in regard to space or time).
  • aport (adverb): on the left side of the boat
  • apparat (noun): The Soviet machinery of state bureaucratic administration, or a similar communistic structure.
  • arhat (noun): One who has attained enlightenment; a Buddhist saint.
  • atop (preposition): On the top of.
  • attar (noun): An essential oil extracted from flowers.
  • gaga (adjective): Mentally senile.
  • gator (noun): Alligator.
  • goat (noun): A mammal, Capra aegagrus hircus, and similar species of the genus Capra. The meat of the aforementioned animal.
  • gotta (contraction): Contraction of have got to (“have to; must”).
  • graph (noun): A data chart (graphical representation of data) intended to illustrate the relationship between a set (or sets) of numbers (quantities, measurements or indicative numbers) and a reference set, whose elements are indexed to those of the former set(s) and may or may not be numbers.
  • harp (noun): A musical instrument consisting of a body and a curved neck, strung with strings of varying length that are stroked or plucked with the fingers and are vertical to the soundboard when viewed from the end of the body Any instrument of the same musicological type.
  • hart (noun): A male deer, especially the male of the red deer after his fifth year.
  • hath (verb): third-person singular simple present indicative form of have
  • hoar (noun): A white or greyish-white colour.
  • hoorah (interjection): Alternative form of hurrah
  • hora (noun): A circle dance popular in the Balkans, Israel and Yiddish culture worldwide.
  • oath (noun): A solemn pledge or promise that invokes a deity, a ruler, or another entity (not necessarily present) to attest the truth of a statement or sincerity of one's desire to fulfill a contract or promise.
  • opah (noun): Any of various large, colourful, deep-bodied pelagic fish of the family Lamprididae.
  • orator (noun): Someone who orates or delivers an oration.
  • papa (noun): Dad, daddy, father; a familiar or old-fashioned term of address to one’s father.
  • paragraph (noun): A passage in text that starts on a new line, the first line sometimes being indented, and usually marks a change of topic.
  • paratroop (noun): A company of paratroopers.
  • parrot (noun): A kind of bird, many species of which are colourful and able to mimic human speech, of the order Psittaciformes or (narrowly) of the family Psittacidae.
  • part (noun): A portion; a component. A fraction of a whole.
  • path (noun): A trail for the use of, or worn by, pedestrians.
  • pharaoh (noun): The supreme ruler of Ancient Egypt; a formal address for the sovereign seat of power as personified by the "king" in an institutional role of Horus son of Osiris; often used by metonymy for Ancient Egyptian sovereignty
  • phat (adjective): Excellent; cool; very good.
  • photograph† (noun): A picture created by projecting an image onto a photosensitive surface such as a chemically treated plate or film, CCD receptor, etc.
  • poppa (noun): father, papa.
  • potato (noun): The tuber of a plant, Solanum tuberosum, eaten as a starchy vegetable, particularly in the Americas and Europe; this plant.
  • prat (noun): A cunning or mischievous trick; a prank, a joke.
  • propagator (noun): A person who disseminates news or rumour
  • ragtag (adjective): Unkempt, shabby, or in a state of disrepair.
  • ragtop (noun): A convertible automobile.
  • rapport (noun): A relationship of mutual trust and respect. A close and harmonious relationship in which the people or groups concerned understand each other's feelings or ideas and communicate well.
  • rapt (adjective): Snatched, taken away; abducted.
  • raptor (noun): A bird of prey.
  • ratatat (noun): A swiftly repeated knocking sound.
  • rattrap (noun): A device (trap) used to catch rats.
  • roar (verb): To make a loud, deep cry, especially from pain, anger, or other strong emotion.
  • rotator (noun): One who or that which rotates.
  • tapa (noun): A kind of cloth prepared by the Polynesians from the inner bark of the paper mulberry.
  • taproot (noun): A long, tapering root possessed by many plants (such as carrots and dandelions).
  • taro (noun): Colocasia esculenta, raised as a food primarily for its corm, which distantly resembles potato.
  • tarot (noun): A card game played in various different variations.
  • tarp (noun): A tarpaulin.
  • tart (adjective): Sharp to the taste; acid; sour.
  • tartar (noun): A red compound deposited during wine making; mostly potassium hydrogen tartrate — a source of cream of tartar.
  • tattoo (noun): An image made in the skin with ink and a needle.
  • that (conjunction): Introducing a clause which is the subject or object of a verb (such as one involving reported speech), or which is a complement to a previous statement.
  • throat (noun): The front part of the neck.
  • toga (noun): A loose outer garment worn by the citizens of Ancient Rome.
  • torah (noun): the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible
  • trap (noun): A machine or other device designed to catch (and sometimes kill) animals, either by holding them in a container, or by catching hold of part of the body.