NYT Spelling Bee Answers for July 20, 2018
Game Summary
| Center Letter | L |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | b, i, m, o, t, y |
| # of Pangrams | 2 (Perfect: none) |
| Total Words | 38 words |
| Total Points | 109 points |
| Genius Level | 76 points |
| Bingo? | No |
Table of Contents
As you scroll down this page, the clues get progressively more revealing. So scroll slowly!
- Spelling Bee Grid
- Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
- Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
- Extra Letter Hints (Incrementally Revealing) 🤯
- Today's Complete Solution
- Answer Definitions
If you're just here for a list of NYT Spelling Bee answers, Jump down to the answers ↓ (Spoiler Alert!).
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>10 | Σ | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B | 7 | 2 | 2 | - | - | - | - | 11 |
| I | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 2 |
| L | 8 | 4 | - | - | 1 | - | - | 13 |
| M | 4 | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | 5 |
| O | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 |
| T | 5 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 5 |
| Y | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Σ | 27 | 6 | 2 | - | 2 | - | 1 | 38 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| B | BI×2 BL×5 BO×4 |
|---|---|
| I | IL×1 IM×1 |
| L | LI×6 LO×7 |
| M | MI×1 MO×4 |
| O | OI×1 OL×1 |
| T | TI×2 TO×3 |
| Y |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| B | BIL×2 BLO×5 BOI×1 BOL×3 |
|---|---|
| I | ILL×1 IMM×1 |
| L | LIL×2 LIM×4 LOB×3 LOL×1 LOO×2 LOT×1 |
| M | MIL×1 MOB×1 MOI×1 MOL×2 |
| O | OIL×1 OLI×1 |
| T | TIL×2 TOI×1 TOL×1 TOO×1 |
| Y |
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 (†).
| Word | 2L Ref | Definition (click to reveal) |
|---|---|---|
| bi.. | BI4 | Any of various bladed or pointed hand weapons, originally designating an Anglo-Saxon sword, and later a weapon of infantry, especially in the 14th and 15th centuries, commonly consisting of a broad, heavy, double-edged, hook-shaped blade, with a short pike at the back and another at the top, attached to the end of a long staff. |
| bi... | BI5 | A billy club. |
| bl.. | BL4 | A shapeless or amorphous mass; a vague shape or amount, especially of a liquid or semisolid substance; a clump, group or collection that lacks definite shape. |
| bl.... | BL6 | Similar in shape to blobs; amorphous in appearance; partially irregular in appearance like bubbles. |
| bl... | BL5 | A blossom; the flower of a plant; an expanded bud. |
| bl.. | BL4 | A blemish, spot or stain made by a coloured substance. |
| bl.... | BL6 | (Very) drunk or intoxicated. |
| bo.. | BO4 | A localized accumulation of pus in the skin, resulting from infection. |
| bo.. | BO4 | The rounded seed-bearing capsule of a cotton or flax plant. |
| bo.. | BO4 | A long, heavy, single-edged machete. |
| bo.. | BO4 | A (usually) metal fastener consisting of a cylindrical body that is threaded, with a larger head on one end. It can be inserted into an unthreaded hole up to the head, with a nut then threaded on the other end; a heavy machine screw. |
| il.. | IL4 | Badly; poorly. |
| im........ † | IM10 | The quality of not moving. |
| li.. | LI4 | To do something rhythmically, with animation and quickness, usually of music. |
| li.. | LI4 | Any of several flowers in the genus Lilium of the family Liliaceae, which includes a great many ornamental species. |
| li.. | LI4 | A major appendage of human or animal, used for locomotion (such as an arm, leg or wing). |
| li... | LI5 | The place where innocent souls exist temporarily until they can enter heaven, notably those of the saints who died before the advent of Christ (limbus patruum) and those of unbaptized but innocent children (limbus infantum). |
| li... | LI5 | A restriction; a bound beyond which one may not go. |
| li.. | LI4 | Clipping of limousine. |
| lo... | LO5 | An entryway or reception area; vestibule; passageway; corridor. |
| lo.. | LO4 | A wolf. |
| lo...... | LO8 | A surgical operation on the frontal lobe of the brain intent on treating certain mental illnesses. |
| lo.. | LO4 | To act lazily or indolently while reclining; to lean; to lie at ease. |
| lo.. | LO4 | A utensil; tool; a weapon; an article in general. |
| lo.. | LO4 | A scoop used to remove scum from brine pans in saltworks. |
| lo... | LO5 | a game of chance similar to bingo |
| mi.. | MI4 | A grinding apparatus for substances such as grains, seeds, etc. |
| mo...... † | MO8 | The ability to move; capacity for movement. |
| mo.. | MO4 | To toil, to work hard. |
| mo.. | MO4 | A female companion of a gangster, especially a former or current prostitute. |
| mo.. | MO4 | US standard spelling of moult. |
| oi.. | OI4 | Relating to or resembling oil. |
| ol.. | OL4 | A rich, thick, Spanish stew consisting of meat and vegetables. |
| ti.. | TI4 | Until; to, up to; as late as (a given time). |
| ti.. | TI4 | To slope or incline (something); to slant. |
| to.. | TO4 | Labour, work, especially of a grueling nature. |
| to.. | TO4 | Loss or damage incurred through a disaster. |
| to.. | TO4 | A mechanical device intended to make a task easier. |
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.
- bill (BI4)
- billy (BI5)
- blob (BL4)
- blobby (BL6)
- bloom (BL5)
- blot (BL4)
- blotto (BL6)
- boil (BO4)
- boll (BO4)
- bolo (BO4)
- bolt (BO4)
- illy (IL4)
- immobility† (IM10)
- lilt (LI4)
- lily (LI4)
- limb (LI4)
- limbo (LI5)
- limit (LI5)
- limo (LI4)
- lobby (LO5)
- lobo (LO4)
- lobotomy (LO8)
- loll (LO4)
- loom (LO4)
- loot (LO4)
- lotto (LO5)
- mill (MI4)
- mobility† (MO8)
- moil (MO4)
- moll (MO4)
- molt (MO4)
- oily (OI4)
- olio (OL4)
- till (TI4)
- tilt (TI4)
- toil (TO4)
- toll (TO4)
- tool (TO4)
Answer Definitions
- bill (noun): Any of various bladed or pointed hand weapons, originally designating an Anglo-Saxon sword, and later a weapon of infantry, especially in the 14th and 15th centuries, commonly consisting of a broad, heavy, double-edged, hook-shaped blade, with a short pike at the back and another at the top, attached to the end of a long staff.
- billy (noun): A billy club.
- blob (noun): A shapeless or amorphous mass; a vague shape or amount, especially of a liquid or semisolid substance; a clump, group or collection that lacks definite shape.
- blobby (adjective): Similar in shape to blobs; amorphous in appearance; partially irregular in appearance like bubbles.
- bloom (noun): A blossom; the flower of a plant; an expanded bud.
- blot (noun): A blemish, spot or stain made by a coloured substance.
- blotto (adjective): (Very) drunk or intoxicated.
- boil (noun): A localized accumulation of pus in the skin, resulting from infection.
- boll (noun): The rounded seed-bearing capsule of a cotton or flax plant.
- bolo (noun): A long, heavy, single-edged machete.
- bolt (noun): A (usually) metal fastener consisting of a cylindrical body that is threaded, with a larger head on one end. It can be inserted into an unthreaded hole up to the head, with a nut then threaded on the other end; a heavy machine screw.
- illy (adverb): Badly; poorly.
- immobility† (noun): The quality of not moving.
- lilt (verb): To do something rhythmically, with animation and quickness, usually of music.
- lily (noun): Any of several flowers in the genus Lilium of the family Liliaceae, which includes a great many ornamental species.
- limb (noun): A major appendage of human or animal, used for locomotion (such as an arm, leg or wing).
- limbo (noun): The place where innocent souls exist temporarily until they can enter heaven, notably those of the saints who died before the advent of Christ (limbus patruum) and those of unbaptized but innocent children (limbus infantum).
- limit (noun): A restriction; a bound beyond which one may not go.
- limo (noun): Clipping of limousine.
- lobby (noun): An entryway or reception area; vestibule; passageway; corridor.
- lobo (noun): A wolf.
- lobotomy (noun): A surgical operation on the frontal lobe of the brain intent on treating certain mental illnesses.
- loll (verb): To act lazily or indolently while reclining; to lean; to lie at ease.
- loom (noun): A utensil; tool; a weapon; an article in general.
- loot (noun): A scoop used to remove scum from brine pans in saltworks.
- lotto (noun): a game of chance similar to bingo
- mill (noun): A grinding apparatus for substances such as grains, seeds, etc.
- mobility† (noun): The ability to move; capacity for movement.
- moil (verb): To toil, to work hard.
- moll (noun): A female companion of a gangster, especially a former or current prostitute.
- molt (verb): US standard spelling of moult.
- oily (adjective): Relating to or resembling oil.
- olio (noun): A rich, thick, Spanish stew consisting of meat and vegetables.
- till (preposition): Until; to, up to; as late as (a given time).
- tilt (verb): To slope or incline (something); to slant.
- toil (noun): Labour, work, especially of a grueling nature.
- toll (noun): Loss or damage incurred through a disaster.
- tool (noun): A mechanical device intended to make a task easier.