NYT Spelling Bee Answers for September 12, 2018
Game Summary
| Center Letter | B |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | a, h, m, o, r, t |
| # of Pangrams | 1 (Perfect: none) |
| Total Words | 42 words |
| Total Points | 167 points |
| Genius Level | 117 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 | Σ | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | - | 4 | 1 | - | - | - | 5 |
| B | 15 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 1 | - | 26 |
| H | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 2 |
| M | - | 2 | - | - | - | 1 | 3 |
| O | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| R | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | 2 |
| T | 1 | 3 | - | - | - | - | 4 | Σ | 17 | 14 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 42 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AB×3 AR×1 AT×1 |
|---|---|
| B | BA×9 BO×14 BR×3 |
| H | HA×1 HO×1 |
| M | MA×2 MO×1 |
| O | |
| R | RH×1 RO×1 |
| T | TA×2 TH×1 TO×1 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | ABB×1 ABH×1 ABO×1 ARB×1 ATH×1 |
|---|---|
| B | BAB×1 BAH×1 BAM×1 BAO×1 BAR×2 BAT×3 BOA×2 BOB×1 BOH×1 BOM×1 BOO×7 BOT×2 BRA×1 BRO×2 |
| H | HAR×1 HOB×1 |
| M | MAM×2 MOT×1 |
| O | |
| R | RHO×1 ROB×1 |
| T | TAB×2 THR×1 TOM×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 (†).
| Word | 2L Ref | Definition (click to reveal) |
|---|---|---|
| ab... | AB5 | The superior or head of an abbey or monastery. |
| ab... | AB5 | To regard (someone or something) as horrifying or detestable; to feel great repugnance toward. |
| ab... | AB5 | An early termination of a mission, action, or procedure in relation to missiles or spacecraft; the craft making such a mission. |
| ar... | AR5 | A shady sitting place or pergola usually in a park or garden, surrounded by climbing shrubs, vines or other vegetation. |
| at.... | AT6 | Throbbing. |
| ba.. | BA4 | A kind of sponge cake soaked in rum-flavoured syrup. |
| ba.. | BA4 | The official currency of Thailand, equal to 100 satang. |
| ba.... | BA6 | A fast-growing grass of the Poaceae family, characterised by its woody, hollow, round, straight, jointed stem, all of which are in the Bambuseae tribe. |
| ba.... | BA6 | A tree, Adansonia digitata (and similar species), native to tropical Africa, having a broad swollen trunk and edible gourd-like hanging fruits. |
| ba.. | BA4 | The point that stands backward in an arrow, fishhook, etc., to prevent it from being easily extracted. Hence: Anything which stands out with a sharp point obliquely or crosswise to something else. |
| ba..... | BA7 | A room where alcoholic drinks are served over a counter. |
| ba.. | BA4 | A tub or pool which is used for bathing: bathtub. |
| ba..... | BA7 | Alternative spelling of bath mat |
| ba...... † | BA8 | A room containing a shower and/or bathtub, and a toilet. |
| bo.. | BO4 | A wild boar (Sus scrofa), the wild ancestor of the domesticated pig. |
| bo.. | BO4 | A craft used for transportation of goods, fishing, racing, recreational cruising, or military use on or in the water, propelled by oars or outboard motor or inboard motor or by wind. |
| bo.. | BO4 | Synonym of tapioca pearl. |
| bo.. | BO4 | A bohemian. |
| bo.. | BO4 | An explosive device used or intended as a weapon, one dropped from an aircraft. The atomic bomb. |
| bo.. | BO4 | An idiot; a fool. |
| bo.... | BO6 | Alternative spelling of boo-boo |
| bo.... | BO6 | To cry, weep. |
| bo.. | BO4 | To make a loud, hollow, resonant sound. |
| bo.. | BO4 | A peasant. |
| bo.. | BO4 | A heavy shoe that covers part of the leg. A kind of sports shoe worn by players of certain games such as cricket and football. |
| bo... | BO5 | A small stall for the display and sale of goods. |
| bo.. | BO4 | Each of the two; one and the other; referring to two individuals or items. |
| bo.... | BO6 | The lowest part of anything. |
| br.. | BR4 | A human child. A child who is regarded as mischievous, unruly, spoiled, or selfish. |
| br... | BR5 | A domestic utensil with fibers bound together at the end of a long handle, used for sweeping. |
| br... | BR5 | Water in which food (meat or vegetable etc) has been boiled. |
| ha.... | HA6 | Any place of shelter. |
| ho.. | HO4 | A wandering homeless person, especially one illegally travelling by rail or a penniless, unemployed bum. |
| ma... | MA5 | Any of various venomous snakes of the genus Dendroaspis, native to Africa, that live in trees. |
| ma... | MA5 | A voodoo priestess (in Haiti) |
| mo....... | MO9 | Any vessel driven by an engine (either inboard or outboard), but especially a small one. |
| rh... | RH5 | A rhombus. |
| ro... | RO5 | A system of serfdom used in Central Europe, under which a tenant's rent was paid in forced labour. |
| ta... | TA5 | An inhibition or ban that results from social custom or emotional aversion. |
| ta... | TA5 | A small drum. In traditional music, a small drum played with a single stick, leaving the player's other hand free to play a melody on a three-holed pipe. |
| th... | TH5 | To pound or beat rapidly or violently. |
| to.. | TO4 | A small building (or "vault") for the remains of the dead, with walls, a roof, and (if it is to be used for more than one corpse) a door. It may be partly or wholly in the ground (except for its entrance) in a cemetery, or it may be inside a church proper or in its crypt. Single tombs may be permanently sealed; those for families (or other groups) have doors for access whenever needed. |
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.
- abbot (AB5)
- abhor (AB5)
- abort (AB5)
- arbor (AR5)
- athrob (AT6)
- baba (BA4)
- baht (BA4)
- bamboo (BA6)
- baobab (BA6)
- barb (BA4)
- barroom (BA7)
- bath (BA4)
- bathmat (BA7)
- bathroom† (BA8)
- boar (BO4)
- boat (BO4)
- boba (BO4)
- boho (BO4)
- bomb (BO4)
- boob (BO4)
- booboo (BO6)
- boohoo (BO6)
- boom (BO4)
- boor (BO4)
- boot (BO4)
- booth (BO5)
- both (BO4)
- bottom (BO6)
- brat (BR4)
- broom (BR5)
- broth (BR5)
- harbor (HA6)
- hobo (HO4)
- mamba (MA5)
- mambo (MA5)
- motorboat (MO9)
- rhomb (RH5)
- robot (RO5)
- taboo (TA5)
- tabor (TA5)
- throb (TH5)
- tomb (TO4)
Answer Definitions
- abbot (noun): The superior or head of an abbey or monastery.
- abhor (verb): To regard (someone or something) as horrifying or detestable; to feel great repugnance toward.
- abort (noun): An early termination of a mission, action, or procedure in relation to missiles or spacecraft; the craft making such a mission.
- arbor (noun): A shady sitting place or pergola usually in a park or garden, surrounded by climbing shrubs, vines or other vegetation.
- athrob (adjective): Throbbing.
- baba (noun): A kind of sponge cake soaked in rum-flavoured syrup.
- baht (noun): The official currency of Thailand, equal to 100 satang.
- bamboo (noun): A fast-growing grass of the Poaceae family, characterised by its woody, hollow, round, straight, jointed stem, all of which are in the Bambuseae tribe.
- baobab (noun): A tree, Adansonia digitata (and similar species), native to tropical Africa, having a broad swollen trunk and edible gourd-like hanging fruits.
- barb (noun): The point that stands backward in an arrow, fishhook, etc., to prevent it from being easily extracted. Hence: Anything which stands out with a sharp point obliquely or crosswise to something else.
- barroom (noun): A room where alcoholic drinks are served over a counter.
- bath (noun): A tub or pool which is used for bathing: bathtub.
- bathmat (noun): Alternative spelling of bath mat
- bathroom† (noun): A room containing a shower and/or bathtub, and a toilet.
- boar (noun): A wild boar (Sus scrofa), the wild ancestor of the domesticated pig.
- boat (noun): A craft used for transportation of goods, fishing, racing, recreational cruising, or military use on or in the water, propelled by oars or outboard motor or inboard motor or by wind.
- boba (noun): Synonym of tapioca pearl.
- boho (noun): A bohemian.
- bomb (noun): An explosive device used or intended as a weapon, one dropped from an aircraft. The atomic bomb.
- boob (noun): An idiot; a fool.
- booboo (noun): Alternative spelling of boo-boo
- boohoo (verb): To cry, weep.
- boom (verb): To make a loud, hollow, resonant sound.
- boor (noun): A peasant.
- boot (noun): A heavy shoe that covers part of the leg. A kind of sports shoe worn by players of certain games such as cricket and football.
- booth (noun): A small stall for the display and sale of goods.
- both (determiner): Each of the two; one and the other; referring to two individuals or items.
- bottom (noun): The lowest part of anything.
- brat (noun): A human child. A child who is regarded as mischievous, unruly, spoiled, or selfish.
- broom (noun): A domestic utensil with fibers bound together at the end of a long handle, used for sweeping.
- broth (noun): Water in which food (meat or vegetable etc) has been boiled.
- harbor (noun): Any place of shelter.
- hobo (noun): A wandering homeless person, especially one illegally travelling by rail or a penniless, unemployed bum.
- mamba (noun): Any of various venomous snakes of the genus Dendroaspis, native to Africa, that live in trees.
- mambo (noun): A voodoo priestess (in Haiti)
- motorboat (noun): Any vessel driven by an engine (either inboard or outboard), but especially a small one.
- rhomb (noun): A rhombus.
- robot (noun): A system of serfdom used in Central Europe, under which a tenant's rent was paid in forced labour.
- taboo (noun): An inhibition or ban that results from social custom or emotional aversion.
- tabor (noun): A small drum. In traditional music, a small drum played with a single stick, leaving the player's other hand free to play a melody on a three-holed pipe.
- throb (verb): To pound or beat rapidly or violently.
- tomb (noun): A small building (or "vault") for the remains of the dead, with walls, a roof, and (if it is to be used for more than one corpse) a door. It may be partly or wholly in the ground (except for its entrance) in a cemetery, or it may be inside a church proper or in its crypt. Single tombs may be permanently sealed; those for families (or other groups) have doors for access whenever needed.