NYT Spelling Bee Answers for December 10, 2018

calendar Dec 10, 2018 · 13 min read · spelling bee  ·
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Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for December 10, 2018
Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for December 10, 2018

Game Summary

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for December 10, 2018
Center LetterR
Outer Lettersa, d, h, o, p, t
# of Pangrams2 (Perfect: 1)
Total Words68 words
Total Points279 points
Genius Level195 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 December 10, 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>9Σ
A-6-2-19
D411---6
H5122--10
O1-1---2
P6-121111
R6214--13
T84311-17
Σ30149112268

Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints

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

A
AD×1
AO×1
AP×3
AR×3
AT×1
D
DA×1
DO×2
DR×3
H
HA×5
HO×5
O
OD×1
OR×1
P
PA×5
PH×1
PO×2
PR×3
R
RA×6
RO×7
T
TA×6
TH×1
TO×4
TR×6

Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints

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

A
ADA×1
AOR×1
APA×1
APO×1
APP×1
ARD×1
ARH×1
ART×1
ATT×1
D
DAR×1
DOO×1
DOT×1
DRA×1
DRO×2
H
HAR×5
HOA×2
HOO×1
HOR×2
O
ODO×1
ORA×1
P
PAR×5
PHA×1
POO×1
POR×1
PRA×1
PRO×2
R
RAD×1
RAP×3
RAT×2
ROA×2
ROO×2
ROT×3
T
TAP×1
TAR×5
THR×1
TOR×4
TRA×2
TRO×4

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)
ad.....AD7Alternative form of adapter
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...AR5Great warmth of feeling; fervor; passion.
ar...AR5One who has attained enlightenment; a Buddhist saint.
ar....... †AR9An invertebrate animal of the phylum Arthropoda, characterized by a chitinous exoskeleton and multiple jointed appendages.
at...AT5An essential oil extracted from flowers.
da..DA4A pointed missile weapon, intended to be thrown by the hand; for example, a short lance or javelin.
do..DO4A portal of entry into a building, room, or vehicle, consisting of a rigid plane movable on a hinge. Doors are frequently made of wood or metal. May have a handle to help open and close, a latch to hold the door closed, and a lock that ensures the door cannot be opened without the key.
do....DO6An old person with impaired intellect; one in his or her dotage.
dr..DR4To damn or curse.
dr...DR5To hang downward; to sag.
dr..DR4A small quantity of liquid, just large enough to hold its own round shape through surface tension, especially one that falls from a source of liquid.
ha..HA4Having a severe property; presenting difficulty. Resistant to pressure.
ha.....HA7Alternative spelling of hard hat
ha..... †HA7The removable rigid roof of a convertible or sports car.
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.
ho..HO4A white or greyish-white colour.
ho...HO5A hidden supply or fund.
ho....HO6Alternative form of hurrah
ho..HO4A circle dance popular in the Balkans, Israel and Yiddish culture worldwide.
ho....HO6An intense distressing emotion of fear or repugnance.
od..OD4Any smell, whether fragrant or offensive.
or....OR6Someone who orates or delivers an oration.
pa.....PA7a usually government-operated hostelry found especially in Spain.
pa......PA8A delivery of goods or equipment by dropping of a parachute
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.
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
po..PO4With no or few possessions or money, particularly in relation to contemporaries who do have them.
po..PO4A place on the coast at which ships can shelter, or dock to load and unload cargo or passengers.
pr..PR4A cunning or mischievous trick; a prank, a joke.
pr..PR4To poke, to push, to touch.
pr..PR4An object placed against or under another, to support it; anything that supports.
ra...RA5A method of detecting distant objects and determining their position, velocity, or other characteristics by analysis of sent radio waves (usually microwaves) reflected from their surfaces
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..RO4A way used for travelling between places, originally one wide enough to allow foot passengers and horses to travel, now (US) usually one surfaced with asphalt or concrete and designed to accommodate many vehicles travelling in both directions. In the UK both senses are heard: a country road is the same as a country lane.
ro..RO4To make a loud, deep cry, especially from pain, anger, or other strong emotion.
ro..RO4A crucifix, cross, especially in a church.
ro..RO4The part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors and supports the plant body, absorbs and stores water and nutrients, and in some plants is able to perform vegetative reproduction.
ro.....RO7One who or that which rotates.
ro..RO4Clipping of rotogravure.
ro...RO5A rotating part of a mechanical device; for example, in an electric motor, generator, alternator, or pump.
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.
th....TH6The front part of the neck.
to...TO5the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible
to..TO4A traditional Japanese lantern.
to....TO6A state of being inactive or stuporous.
to..TO4An injury or wrong.
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.
tr......TR8A hinged or sliding door set into a floor or ceiling.
tr..TR4simple past tense of tread
tr...TR5A collection of people; a number; a multitude (in general).
tr..TR4An ugly old woman, a hag.
tr...TR5An oath, pledge, or promise. A pledge or promise to marry someone. The state of being thus pledged; betrothal, engagement.

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.

  • adaptor  (AD7)
  • aorta  (AO5)
  • apart  (AP5)
  • aport  (AP5)
  • apparat  (AP7)
  • ardor  (AR5)
  • arhat  (AR5)
  • arthropod†  (AR9)
  • attar  (AT5)
  • dart  (DA4)
  • door  (DO4)
  • dotard  (DO6)
  • drat  (DR4)
  • droop  (DR5)
  • drop  (DR4)
  • hard  (HA4)
  • hardhat  (HA7)
  • hardtop†  (HA7)
  • harp  (HA4)
  • hart  (HA4)
  • hoar  (HO4)
  • hoard  (HO5)
  • hoorah  (HO6)
  • hora  (HO4)
  • horror  (HO6)
  • odor  (OD4)
  • orator  (OR6)
  • parador  (PA7)
  • paradrop  (PA8)
  • paratroop  (PA9)
  • parrot  (PA6)
  • part  (PA4)
  • pharaoh  (PH7)
  • poor  (PO4)
  • port  (PO4)
  • prat  (PR4)
  • prod  (PR4)
  • prop  (PR4)
  • radar  (RA5)
  • rapport  (RA7)
  • rapt  (RA4)
  • raptor  (RA6)
  • ratatat  (RA7)
  • rattrap  (RA7)
  • road  (RO4)
  • roar  (RO4)
  • rood  (RO4)
  • root  (RO4)
  • rotator  (RO7)
  • roto  (RO4)
  • rotor  (RO5)
  • taproot  (TA7)
  • taro  (TA4)
  • tarot  (TA5)
  • tarp  (TA4)
  • tart  (TA4)
  • tartar  (TA6)
  • throat  (TH6)
  • torah  (TO5)
  • toro  (TO4)
  • torpor  (TO6)
  • tort  (TO4)
  • trap  (TR4)
  • trapdoor  (TR8)
  • trod  (TR4)
  • troop  (TR5)
  • trot  (TR4)
  • troth  (TR5)

Answer Definitions

  • adaptor (noun): Alternative form of adapter
  • 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.
  • ardor (noun): Great warmth of feeling; fervor; passion.
  • arhat (noun): One who has attained enlightenment; a Buddhist saint.
  • arthropod† (noun): An invertebrate animal of the phylum Arthropoda, characterized by a chitinous exoskeleton and multiple jointed appendages.
  • attar (noun): An essential oil extracted from flowers.
  • dart (noun): A pointed missile weapon, intended to be thrown by the hand; for example, a short lance or javelin.
  • door (noun): A portal of entry into a building, room, or vehicle, consisting of a rigid plane movable on a hinge. Doors are frequently made of wood or metal. May have a handle to help open and close, a latch to hold the door closed, and a lock that ensures the door cannot be opened without the key.
  • dotard (noun): An old person with impaired intellect; one in his or her dotage.
  • drat (verb): To damn or curse.
  • droop (verb): To hang downward; to sag.
  • drop (noun): A small quantity of liquid, just large enough to hold its own round shape through surface tension, especially one that falls from a source of liquid.
  • hard (adjective): Having a severe property; presenting difficulty. Resistant to pressure.
  • hardhat (noun): Alternative spelling of hard hat
  • hardtop† (noun): The removable rigid roof of a convertible or sports car.
  • 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.
  • hoar (noun): A white or greyish-white colour.
  • hoard (noun): A hidden supply or fund.
  • hoorah (interjection): Alternative form of hurrah
  • hora (noun): A circle dance popular in the Balkans, Israel and Yiddish culture worldwide.
  • horror (noun): An intense distressing emotion of fear or repugnance.
  • odor (noun): Any smell, whether fragrant or offensive.
  • orator (noun): Someone who orates or delivers an oration.
  • parador (noun): a usually government-operated hostelry found especially in Spain.
  • paradrop (noun): A delivery of goods or equipment by dropping of a parachute
  • 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.
  • 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
  • poor (adjective): With no or few possessions or money, particularly in relation to contemporaries who do have them.
  • port (noun): A place on the coast at which ships can shelter, or dock to load and unload cargo or passengers.
  • prat (noun): A cunning or mischievous trick; a prank, a joke.
  • prod (verb): To poke, to push, to touch.
  • prop (noun): An object placed against or under another, to support it; anything that supports.
  • radar (noun): A method of detecting distant objects and determining their position, velocity, or other characteristics by analysis of sent radio waves (usually microwaves) reflected from their surfaces
  • 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.
  • road (noun): A way used for travelling between places, originally one wide enough to allow foot passengers and horses to travel, now (US) usually one surfaced with asphalt or concrete and designed to accommodate many vehicles travelling in both directions. In the UK both senses are heard: a country road is the same as a country lane.
  • roar (verb): To make a loud, deep cry, especially from pain, anger, or other strong emotion.
  • rood (noun): A crucifix, cross, especially in a church.
  • root (noun): The part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors and supports the plant body, absorbs and stores water and nutrients, and in some plants is able to perform vegetative reproduction.
  • rotator (noun): One who or that which rotates.
  • roto (noun): Clipping of rotogravure.
  • rotor (noun): A rotating part of a mechanical device; for example, in an electric motor, generator, alternator, or pump.
  • 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.
  • throat (noun): The front part of the neck.
  • torah (noun): the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible
  • toro (noun): A traditional Japanese lantern.
  • torpor (noun): A state of being inactive or stuporous.
  • tort (noun): An injury or wrong.
  • 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.
  • trapdoor (noun): A hinged or sliding door set into a floor or ceiling.
  • trod (verb): simple past tense of tread
  • troop (noun): A collection of people; a number; a multitude (in general).
  • trot (noun): An ugly old woman, a hag.
  • troth (noun): An oath, pledge, or promise. A pledge or promise to marry someone. The state of being thus pledged; betrothal, engagement.