NYT Spelling Bee Answers for September 17, 2018
Game Summary
| Center Letter | C |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | a, f, l, n, t, u |
| # of Pangrams | 2 (Perfect: none) |
| Total Words | 28 words |
| Total Points | 136 points |
| Genius Level | 95 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 | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1 |
| C | 8 | 2 | 3 | 2 | - | - | 15 |
| F | 1 | - | - | 1 | - | 1 | 3 |
| L | - | - | 1 | 1 | - | - | 2 |
| N | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| T | 2 | - | - | 2 | - | - | 4 |
| U | - | 1 | 1 | - | - | 1 | 3 | Σ | 11 | 3 | 6 | 6 | - | 2 | 28 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AC×1 |
|---|---|
| C | CA×11 CL×1 CU×3 |
| F | FA×2 FL×1 |
| L | LA×2 |
| N | |
| T | TA×4 |
| U | UN×3 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | ACT×1 |
|---|---|
| C | CAF×1 CAL×3 CAN×5 CAT×1 CAU×1 CLA×1 CUF×1 CUL×2 |
| F | FAC×2 FLU×1 |
| L | LAC×2 |
| N | |
| T | TAC×3 TAL×1 |
| U | UNC×2 UNT×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) |
|---|---|---|
| ac.... | AC6 | relating to a person's acts or deeds; active, practical |
| ca.... | CA6 | Alternative spelling of kaftan |
| ca.. | CA4 | A young cow or bull. |
| ca.. | CA4 | A telephone conversation; a phone call. |
| ca... | CA5 | A marsh plant native to cooler areas throughout the northern hemisphere, Calla palustris, having pale green flowers in a white spathe. |
| ca... | CA5 | An artificial waterway or artificially improved river used for travel, shipping, or irrigation. |
| ca.... | CA6 | A high-kicking chorus line dance originating in France. |
| ca.... | CA6 | As much as a can will hold. |
| ca.. | CA4 | An argot, the jargon of a particular class or subgroup. |
| ca..... | CA7 | A vocal composition accompanied by instruments and generally containing more than one movement, typical of 17th and 18th century Italian music. |
| ca..... | CA7 | A shout or whistle expressing dislike, especially from a crowd or audience; a jeer, a boo. |
| ca.. | CA4 | A style of close-fitting circular cap worn by women in the sixteenth century and later, often made of linen. |
| cl.. | CL4 | A group of people all descended from a common ancestor, in fact or belief, especially when the exact genealogies are not known. |
| cu.. | CU4 | glove; mitten |
| cu.. | CU4 | To pick or take someone or something (from a larger group). |
| cu.. | CU4 | A group, sect or movement following an unorthodox religious or philosophical system of beliefs, especially one in which members remove and exclude themselves from greater society, including family members not part of the cult, and show extreme devotion to a charismatic leader. |
| fa.. | FA4 | Something actual as opposed to invented. |
| fa..... | FA7 | Pertaining to or consisting of objective claims. |
| fl....... † | FL9 | That fluctuates, or causes fluctuation |
| la.... | LA6 | A small opening; a small pit or depression, especially in bone. A space visible between cells, allowing free passage of light. |
| la..... | LA7 | of or pertaining to a lacuna, like a lacuna |
| ta.. | TA4 | The sense of touch; feeling. |
| ta..... | TA7 | Possessing tact; able to deal with people in a sensitive manner. |
| ta..... | TA7 | Of, or relating to the sense of touch. |
| ta.. | TA4 | Originally a large range of transparent or glistening foliated minerals. Examples include mica, selenite and the hydrated magnesium silicate that the term talc generally has referred to in modern times (see below). Also an item made of such a mineral and depending for its function on the special nature of the mineral (see next). Mediaeval writers adopted the term from the Arabic. |
| un.... | UN6 | To remove cuffs from (someone) |
| un... | UN5 | Not cut. |
| un....... † | UN9 | Not tactful |
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.
- actual (AC6)
- caftan (CA6)
- calf (CA4)
- call (CA4)
- calla (CA5)
- canal (CA5)
- cancan (CA6)
- canful (CA6)
- cant (CA4)
- cantata (CA7)
- catcall (CA7)
- caul (CA4)
- clan (CL4)
- cuff (CU4)
- cull (CU4)
- cult (CU4)
- fact (FA4)
- factual (FA7)
- fluctuant† (FL9)
- lacuna (LA6)
- lacunal (LA7)
- tact (TA4)
- tactful (TA7)
- tactual (TA7)
- talc (TA4)
- uncuff (UN6)
- uncut (UN5)
- untactful† (UN9)
Answer Definitions
- actual (adjective): relating to a person's acts or deeds; active, practical
- caftan (noun): Alternative spelling of kaftan
- calf (noun): A young cow or bull.
- call (noun): A telephone conversation; a phone call.
- calla (noun): A marsh plant native to cooler areas throughout the northern hemisphere, Calla palustris, having pale green flowers in a white spathe.
- canal (noun): An artificial waterway or artificially improved river used for travel, shipping, or irrigation.
- cancan (noun): A high-kicking chorus line dance originating in France.
- canful (noun): As much as a can will hold.
- cant (noun): An argot, the jargon of a particular class or subgroup.
- cantata (noun): A vocal composition accompanied by instruments and generally containing more than one movement, typical of 17th and 18th century Italian music.
- catcall (noun): A shout or whistle expressing dislike, especially from a crowd or audience; a jeer, a boo.
- caul (noun): A style of close-fitting circular cap worn by women in the sixteenth century and later, often made of linen.
- clan (noun): A group of people all descended from a common ancestor, in fact or belief, especially when the exact genealogies are not known.
- cuff (noun): glove; mitten
- cull (verb): To pick or take someone or something (from a larger group).
- cult (noun): A group, sect or movement following an unorthodox religious or philosophical system of beliefs, especially one in which members remove and exclude themselves from greater society, including family members not part of the cult, and show extreme devotion to a charismatic leader.
- fact (noun): Something actual as opposed to invented.
- factual (adjective): Pertaining to or consisting of objective claims.
- fluctuant† (adjective): That fluctuates, or causes fluctuation
- lacuna (noun): A small opening; a small pit or depression, especially in bone. A space visible between cells, allowing free passage of light.
- lacunal (adjective): of or pertaining to a lacuna, like a lacuna
- tact (noun): The sense of touch; feeling.
- tactful (adjective): Possessing tact; able to deal with people in a sensitive manner.
- tactual (adjective): Of, or relating to the sense of touch.
- talc (noun): Originally a large range of transparent or glistening foliated minerals. Examples include mica, selenite and the hydrated magnesium silicate that the term talc generally has referred to in modern times (see below). Also an item made of such a mineral and depending for its function on the special nature of the mineral (see next). Mediaeval writers adopted the term from the Arabic.
- uncuff (verb): To remove cuffs from (someone)
- uncut (adjective): Not cut.
- untactful† (adjective): Not tactful