NYT Spelling Bee Answers for October 20, 2018
Game Summary
| Center Letter | I |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | a, b, c, l, n, r |
| # of Pangrams | 1 (Perfect: none) |
| Total Words | 60 words |
| Total Points | 297 points |
| Genius Level | 208 points |
| Bingo? | Yes |
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 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | 8 |
| B | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | - | 14 |
| C | 1 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | - | 13 |
| I | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| L | 5 | 3 | 2 | - | - | 1 | - | 11 |
| N | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 2 |
| R | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | 11 | Σ | 18 | 16 | 8 | 5 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 60 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AB×1 AC×2 AI×1 AL×1 AR×3 |
|---|---|
| B | BA×4 BI×5 BL×2 BR×3 |
| C | CA×3 CI×4 CL×3 CR×3 |
| I | IL×1 |
| L | LA×7 LI×4 |
| N | NA×1 NI×1 |
| R | RA×8 RI×3 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | ABA×1 ACA×2 AIR×1 ALI×1 ARA×1 ARI×2 |
|---|---|
| B | BAC×1 BAI×1 BAR×2 BIB×1 BIC×1 BIL×2 BIR×1 BLI×2 BRA×2 BRI×1 |
| C | CAB×1 CAI×1 CAN×1 CIL×1 CIN×1 CIR×2 CLI×3 CRA×2 CRI×1 |
| I | ILI×1 |
| L | LAB×2 LAI×4 LAN×1 LIA×1 LIB×1 LIL×1 LIR×1 |
| N | NAI×1 NIA×1 |
| R | RAB×3 RAC×1 RAI×3 RAN×1 RIA×1 RIC×1 RIL×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 | plural form of an ancient bead calculator. |
| ac.... | AC6 | A shrub or tree of the tribe Acacieae. |
| ac.. | AC4 | Any of several South American palms, of the genus Euterpe, having a dark purple drupe. |
| ai..... | AI7 | A shot that misses the backboard, rim and net entirely. |
| al... | AL5 | The plea or mode of defense under which a person on trial for a crime proves or attempts to prove being in another place when the alleged act was committed. |
| ar..... | AR7 | A species of coffee plant, Coffea arabica, native to Ethiopia. |
| ar.. | AR4 | A musical piece written typically for a solo voice with orchestral accompaniment in an opera or cantata. |
| ar.. | AR4 | A tissue surrounding the seed in certain fruits such as pomegranates. |
| ba..... | BA7 | plural of bacillus |
| ba.. | BA4 | Security, usually a sum of money, exchanged for the release of an arrested person as a guarantee of that person's appearance for trial. |
| ba....... | BA9 | Relating to people, countries, or customs perceived as uncivilized or inferior. |
| ba...... | BA8 | of or relating to a barbarian; uncivilized, uncultured or uncouth |
| bi...... | BI8 | Of or relating to the Bible. |
| bi.... | BI6 | Bicarbonate. |
| bi...... | BI8 | Articulated with both lips. |
| 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...... | BI8 | Of or pertaining to two races |
| bl.. | BL4 | To cease (from); to stop; to desist, to let up. |
| bl... | BL5 | A small pancake, of Russian origin, made from buckwheat flour; traditionally served with melted butter, sour cream and caviar or smoked salmon. |
| br... | BR5 | The control center of the central nervous system of an animal located in the skull which is responsible for perception, cognition, attention, memory, emotion, and action. |
| br...... | BR8 | A very intelligent and usually studious, erudite person. |
| br... | BR5 | Any of many plants with thorny stems growing in dense clusters, such as many in the Rosa, Rubus, and Smilax genera. |
| ca... | CA5 | A small dwelling characteristic of the frontier, especially when built from logs with simple tools and not constructed by professional builders, but by those who meant to live in it. |
| ca... | CA5 | A rounded or conical heap of stones erected by early inhabitants of the British Isles, apparently as a sepulchral monument. |
| ca...... | CA8 | An organism which eats others of its own species or kind, especially a human who eats human flesh. |
| ci... | CI5 | plural of cilium |
| ci...... | CI8 | A deep red mineral, mercuric sulfide, HgS; the principal ore of mercury; such ore used as the pigment vermilion. |
| ci... | CI5 | Approximately, about, around |
| ci... | CI5 | plural of cirrus Tendrils or claspers. |
| cl.... | CL6 | A medical facility, such as a hospital, especially one for the treatment and diagnosis of outpatients. |
| cl...... | CL8 | Dealing with the practical management of patients, in practice at the point of care; as contrasted with other health care venues (see clinical medicine for more explanation). |
| cl....... | CL9 | Any healthcare practitioner working at the point of care, in clinical practice (e.g., physicians in clinical medicine, nurses in nursing practice, or allied health providers in practice). |
| cr.... | CR6 | plural of cranium |
| cr..... | CR7 | Of or relating to the cranium, or to the skull. |
| cr.. | CR4 | A baby’s bed with high, often slatted, often moveable sides, suitable for a child who has outgrown a cradle or bassinet. |
| il... | IL5 | Relating to the ilium. |
| la... | LA5 | The folds of tissue at the opening of the vulva, at either side of the vagina. |
| la.... | LA6 | Of or pertaining to the lips or labia. |
| la.. | LA4 | A layperson, as opposed to a member of the clergy. |
| la.... | LA6 | Of or pertaining to a layperson, layman, laywoman, or laypeople (laity). |
| la.. | LA4 | past participle of lie (“to be oriented in a horizontal position, situated”) |
| la.. | LA4 | A place inhabited by a wild animal, often a cave or a hole in the ground. |
| la... | LA5 | A Hawaiian-style roofed patio. |
| li.. | LI4 | One who frequently tells lies. |
| li....... | LI9 | The keeper, manager of a library. |
| li... | LI5 | A large shrub of the genus Syringa, especially Syringa vulgaris, bearing white, pale-pink, or purple flowers. |
| li.. | LI4 | The basic unit of currency in Turkey. |
| na.. | NA4 | The thin, horny plate at the ends of fingers and toes on humans and some other animals. |
| ni.... | NI6 | A water-soluble vitamin, a component of vitamin B complex, found in meat, yeast, and dairy products; it is essential to metabolism. |
| ra... | RA5 | A Jewish scholar or teacher of halacha (Jewish law), capable of making halachic decisions. |
| ra...... | RA8 | Relating to rabbis. |
| ra........ † | RA10 | Of or relating to rabbis, their writings, or their work. |
| ra.... | RA6 | Of or relating to a race (or a people). |
| ra.. | RA4 | A horizontal bar extending between supports and used for support or as a barrier; a railing. |
| ra..... | RA7 | A self-propelled railway vehicle for passengers, similar to a bus. |
| ra.. | RA4 | Condensed water falling from a cloud. |
| ra.. | RA4 | The wife of a rajah. |
| ri.. | RI4 | The official currencies of Iran, Oman, and Yemen. |
| ri... | RI5 | An extremely toxic lectin extracted from the castor bean. |
| ri.. | RI4 | A very small brook; a streamlet; a creek, rivulet. |
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.
- abaci (AB5)
- acacia (AC6)
- acai (AC4)
- airball (AI7)
- alibi (AL5)
- arabica (AR7)
- aria (AR4)
- aril (AR4)
- bacilli (BA7)
- bail (BA4)
- barbarian (BA9)
- barbaric (BA8)
- biblical (BI8)
- bicarb (BI6)
- bilabial (BI8)
- bill (BI4)
- biracial (BI8)
- blin (BL4)
- blini (BL5)
- brain (BR5)
- brainiac (BR8)
- briar (BR5)
- cabin (CA5)
- cairn (CA5)
- cannibal (CA8)
- cilia (CI5)
- cinnabar (CI8)
- circa (CI5)
- cirri (CI5)
- clinic (CL6)
- clinical (CL8)
- clinician (CL9)
- crania (CR6)
- cranial (CR7)
- crib (CR4)
- iliac (IL5)
- labia (LA5)
- labial (LA6)
- laic (LA4)
- laical (LA6)
- lain (LA4)
- lair (LA4)
- lanai (LA5)
- liar (LI4)
- librarian (LI9)
- lilac (LI5)
- lira (LI4)
- nail (NA4)
- niacin (NI6)
- rabbi (RA5)
- rabbinic (RA8)
- rabbinical† (RA10)
- racial (RA6)
- rail (RA4)
- railcar (RA7)
- rain (RA4)
- rani (RA4)
- rial (RI4)
- ricin (RI5)
- rill (RI4)
Answer Definitions
- abaci (noun): plural form of an ancient bead calculator.
- acacia (noun): A shrub or tree of the tribe Acacieae.
- acai (noun): Any of several South American palms, of the genus Euterpe, having a dark purple drupe.
- airball (noun): A shot that misses the backboard, rim and net entirely.
- alibi (noun): The plea or mode of defense under which a person on trial for a crime proves or attempts to prove being in another place when the alleged act was committed.
- arabica (noun): A species of coffee plant, Coffea arabica, native to Ethiopia.
- aria (noun): A musical piece written typically for a solo voice with orchestral accompaniment in an opera or cantata.
- aril (noun): A tissue surrounding the seed in certain fruits such as pomegranates.
- bacilli (noun): plural of bacillus
- bail (noun): Security, usually a sum of money, exchanged for the release of an arrested person as a guarantee of that person's appearance for trial.
- barbarian (adjective): Relating to people, countries, or customs perceived as uncivilized or inferior.
- barbaric (adjective): of or relating to a barbarian; uncivilized, uncultured or uncouth
- biblical (adjective): Of or relating to the Bible.
- bicarb (noun): Bicarbonate.
- bilabial (adjective): Articulated with both lips.
- 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.
- biracial (adjective): Of or pertaining to two races
- blin (verb): To cease (from); to stop; to desist, to let up.
- blini (noun): A small pancake, of Russian origin, made from buckwheat flour; traditionally served with melted butter, sour cream and caviar or smoked salmon.
- brain (noun): The control center of the central nervous system of an animal located in the skull which is responsible for perception, cognition, attention, memory, emotion, and action.
- brainiac (noun): A very intelligent and usually studious, erudite person.
- briar (noun): Any of many plants with thorny stems growing in dense clusters, such as many in the Rosa, Rubus, and Smilax genera.
- cabin (noun): A small dwelling characteristic of the frontier, especially when built from logs with simple tools and not constructed by professional builders, but by those who meant to live in it.
- cairn (noun): A rounded or conical heap of stones erected by early inhabitants of the British Isles, apparently as a sepulchral monument.
- cannibal (noun): An organism which eats others of its own species or kind, especially a human who eats human flesh.
- cilia (noun): plural of cilium
- cinnabar (noun): A deep red mineral, mercuric sulfide, HgS; the principal ore of mercury; such ore used as the pigment vermilion.
- circa (preposition): Approximately, about, around
- cirri (noun): plural of cirrus Tendrils or claspers.
- clinic (noun): A medical facility, such as a hospital, especially one for the treatment and diagnosis of outpatients.
- clinical (adjective): Dealing with the practical management of patients, in practice at the point of care; as contrasted with other health care venues (see clinical medicine for more explanation).
- clinician (noun): Any healthcare practitioner working at the point of care, in clinical practice (e.g., physicians in clinical medicine, nurses in nursing practice, or allied health providers in practice).
- crania (noun): plural of cranium
- cranial (adjective): Of or relating to the cranium, or to the skull.
- crib (noun): A baby’s bed with high, often slatted, often moveable sides, suitable for a child who has outgrown a cradle or bassinet.
- iliac (adjective): Relating to the ilium.
- labia (noun): The folds of tissue at the opening of the vulva, at either side of the vagina.
- labial (adjective): Of or pertaining to the lips or labia.
- laic (noun): A layperson, as opposed to a member of the clergy.
- laical (adjective): Of or pertaining to a layperson, layman, laywoman, or laypeople (laity).
- lain (verb): past participle of lie (“to be oriented in a horizontal position, situated”)
- lair (noun): A place inhabited by a wild animal, often a cave or a hole in the ground.
- lanai (noun): A Hawaiian-style roofed patio.
- liar (noun): One who frequently tells lies.
- librarian (noun): The keeper, manager of a library.
- lilac (noun): A large shrub of the genus Syringa, especially Syringa vulgaris, bearing white, pale-pink, or purple flowers.
- lira (noun): The basic unit of currency in Turkey.
- nail (noun): The thin, horny plate at the ends of fingers and toes on humans and some other animals.
- niacin (noun): A water-soluble vitamin, a component of vitamin B complex, found in meat, yeast, and dairy products; it is essential to metabolism.
- rabbi (noun): A Jewish scholar or teacher of halacha (Jewish law), capable of making halachic decisions.
- rabbinic (adjective): Relating to rabbis.
- rabbinical† (adjective): Of or relating to rabbis, their writings, or their work.
- racial (adjective): Of or relating to a race (or a people).
- rail (noun): A horizontal bar extending between supports and used for support or as a barrier; a railing.
- railcar (noun): A self-propelled railway vehicle for passengers, similar to a bus.
- rain (noun): Condensed water falling from a cloud.
- rani (noun): The wife of a rajah.
- rial (noun): The official currencies of Iran, Oman, and Yemen.
- ricin (noun): An extremely toxic lectin extracted from the castor bean.
- rill (noun): A very small brook; a streamlet; a creek, rivulet.