NYT Spelling Bee Answers for December 16, 2018
Game Summary
| Center Letter | L |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | a, f, i, m, p, y |
| # of Pangrams | 1 (Perfect: 1) |
| Total Words | 52 words |
| Total Points | 207 points |
| Genius Level | 145 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 | Σ | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | - | 8 |
| F | 7 | 3 | 5 | - | 3 | 18 |
| I | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 3 |
| L | 4 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 7 |
| M | 3 | - | 2 | - | - | 5 |
| P | 5 | 3 | 1 | 2 | - | 11 |
| Y | - | - | - | - | - | - | Σ | 22 | 12 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 52 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AL×3 AM×3 AP×2 |
|---|---|
| F | FA×4 FI×7 FL×7 |
| I | IL×1 IM×2 |
| L | LA×2 LI×4 LL×1 |
| M | MA×4 MI×1 |
| P | PA×7 PI×3 PL×1 |
| Y |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | ALF×1 ALL×2 AMP×2 AMY×1 APP×2 |
|---|---|
| F | FAI×1 FAL×1 FAM×2 FIL×7 FLA×4 FLI×3 |
| I | ILL×1 IMP×2 |
| L | LAM×2 LIL×1 LIM×2 LIP×1 LLA×1 |
| M | MAI×1 MAL×1 MAM×1 MAY×1 MIL×1 |
| P | PAI×1 PAL×3 PAP×3 PIL×2 PIM×1 PLA×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) |
|---|---|---|
| al..... | AL7 | A plant, principally of Medicago sativa, grown as a pasture crop. |
| al... | AL5 | To make quiet or put at rest; to pacify or appease; to quell; to calm. |
| al.. | AL4 | To unite or form a connection between (people or things), as between families by marriage, or between states by confederacy, league, or treaty. |
| am..... † | AM7 | To render larger, more extended, or more intense. |
| am... | AM5 | In an ample manner. |
| am.. | AM4 | Synonym of pentyl |
| ap.... | AP6 | To fill with horror; to dismay. |
| ap... | AP5 | To lay or place; to put (one thing to another) |
| fa.. | FA4 | To be unsuccessful. |
| fa.. | FA4 | To be moved downwards. To move to a lower position under the effect of gravity. |
| fa...... | FA8 | Of or pertaining to a human family. |
| fa.... | FA6 | A group of people who are closely related to one another (by blood, marriage or adoption); kin; in particular, a set of parents and their children; an immediate family. |
| fi.... | FI6 | Pertaining to or befitting a son or daughter. |
| fi...... | FI8 | In a filial manner. |
| fi.. | FI4 | To occupy fully, to take up all of. |
| fi.... | FI6 | The action of holding the tip of a finger against the thumb and then releasing it with a snap; a flick. |
| fi... | FI5 | A young female horse. |
| fi.. | FI4 | A thin layer of some substance; a pellicle; a membranous covering, causing opacity. |
| fi... | FI5 | Resembling or made of a thin film; gauzy |
| fl... | FL5 | A tool used for threshing, consisting of a long handle with a shorter stick attached with a short piece of chain, thong or similar material. |
| fl.. | FL4 | Anything broad and flexible that hangs loose, or that is attached by one side or end and is easily moved. |
| fl.... | FL6 | that flaps |
| fl.. | FL4 | To cause to fly; put to flight; drive off (by frightening). |
| fl...... | FL8 | Alternative form of flim-flam |
| fl.. | FL4 | A maneuver which rotates an object end over end. |
| fl.... | FL6 | Having a tendency to flip. |
| il.. | IL4 | Badly; poorly. |
| im.... | IM6 | An African antelope, Aepyceros melampus, noted for its leaping ability; the male has ridged, curved horns. |
| im... | IM5 | to have as a necessary consequence |
| la.. | LA4 | A master of Tibetan Buddhism. |
| la.. | LA4 | A device that generates heat, light or other radiation. Especially an electric light bulb. |
| li.. | LI4 | Any of several flowers in the genus Lilium of the family Liliaceae, which includes a great many ornamental species. |
| li.. | LI4 | To walk lamely, as if favouring one leg. |
| li.... | LI6 | In a limp manner, without support or resistance. |
| li... | LI5 | Having prominent lips. |
| ll... | LL5 | A South American mammal of the camel family, Lama glama, used as a domestic beast of burden and a source of wool and meat. |
| ma.. | MA4 | A bag or wallet. |
| ma.. | MA4 | A pedestrianised street, especially a shopping precinct. |
| ma.... | MA6 | An animal of the class Mammalia, characterized by being warm-blooded, having hair and producing milk with which to feed its young. |
| ma.... | MA6 | Any of the many fragile insects of the order Ephemeroptera that develop in fresh water and live very briefly as winged adults. |
| mi.. | MI4 | A grinding apparatus for substances such as grains, seeds, etc. |
| pa.. | PA4 | A vessel of wood, tin, plastic, etc., usually cylindrical and having a handle -- used especially for carrying liquids, for example water or milk; a bucket (sometimes with a cover). |
| pa.. | PA4 | Senses relating to cloth. Fine cloth, especially purple cloth used for robes. A heavy cloth laid over a coffin or tomb; a shroud laid over a corpse. A piece of cardboard, covered with linen and embroidered on one side, used to cover the chalice during the Eucharist. A cloth used for various purposes on the altar in a church, such as a corporal (“cloth on which elements of the Eucharist are placed”) or frontal (“drapery covering the front of an altar”). |
| pa.. | PA4 | Any of various evergreen trees from the family Palmae or Arecaceae, which are mainly found in the tropics. |
| pa... | PA5 | Made out of palm leaves or palm sap. |
| pa... | PA5 | Having to do with the pope or the papacy. |
| pa..... | PA7 | in papal fashion |
| pa..... | PA7 | A nipple-like protuberance on a part or organ of the body. A vascular process of connective tissue extending into and nourishing the root of a hair, feather, or developing tooth. Any of the vascular protuberances of the dermal layer of the skin extending into the epidermal layer and often containing tactile corpuscles. Any of the small protuberances on the upper surface of the tongue often containing taste buds. |
| pi... | PI5 | A dish made by browning grain, typically rice, in oil and then cooking it with a seasoned broth, to which meat and/or vegetables may be added. |
| pi.. | PI4 | A small, usually round or cylindrical object designed for easy swallowing, usually containing some sort of medication. |
| pi.... | PI6 | Having pimples; pimpled. |
| pl.. | PL4 | To act in a manner such that one has fun; to engage in activities expressly for the purpose of recreation or entertainment. |
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.
- alfalfa (AL7)
- allay (AL5)
- ally (AL4)
- amplify† (AM7)
- amply (AM5)
- amyl (AM4)
- appall (AP6)
- apply (AP5)
- fail (FA4)
- fall (FA4)
- familial (FA8)
- family (FA6)
- filial (FI6)
- filially (FI8)
- fill (FI4)
- fillip (FI6)
- filly (FI5)
- film (FI4)
- filmy (FI5)
- flail (FL5)
- flap (FL4)
- flappy (FL6)
- flay (FL4)
- flimflam (FL8)
- flip (FL4)
- flippy (FL6)
- illy (IL4)
- impala (IM6)
- imply (IM5)
- lama (LA4)
- lamp (LA4)
- lily (LI4)
- limp (LI4)
- limply (LI6)
- lippy (LI5)
- llama (LL5)
- mail (MA4)
- mall (MA4)
- mammal (MA6)
- mayfly (MA6)
- mill (MI4)
- pail (PA4)
- pall (PA4)
- palm (PA4)
- palmy (PA5)
- papal (PA5)
- papally (PA7)
- papilla (PA7)
- pilaf (PI5)
- pill (PI4)
- pimply (PI6)
- play (PL4)
Answer Definitions
- alfalfa (noun): A plant, principally of Medicago sativa, grown as a pasture crop.
- allay (verb): To make quiet or put at rest; to pacify or appease; to quell; to calm.
- ally (verb): To unite or form a connection between (people or things), as between families by marriage, or between states by confederacy, league, or treaty.
- amplify† (verb): To render larger, more extended, or more intense.
- amply (adverb): In an ample manner.
- amyl (noun): Synonym of pentyl
- appall (verb): To fill with horror; to dismay.
- apply (verb): To lay or place; to put (one thing to another)
- fail (verb): To be unsuccessful.
- fall (verb): To be moved downwards. To move to a lower position under the effect of gravity.
- familial (adjective): Of or pertaining to a human family.
- family (noun): A group of people who are closely related to one another (by blood, marriage or adoption); kin; in particular, a set of parents and their children; an immediate family.
- filial (adjective): Pertaining to or befitting a son or daughter.
- filially (adverb): In a filial manner.
- fill (verb): To occupy fully, to take up all of.
- fillip (noun): The action of holding the tip of a finger against the thumb and then releasing it with a snap; a flick.
- filly (noun): A young female horse.
- film (noun): A thin layer of some substance; a pellicle; a membranous covering, causing opacity.
- filmy (adjective): Resembling or made of a thin film; gauzy
- flail (noun): A tool used for threshing, consisting of a long handle with a shorter stick attached with a short piece of chain, thong or similar material.
- flap (noun): Anything broad and flexible that hangs loose, or that is attached by one side or end and is easily moved.
- flappy (adjective): that flaps
- flay (verb): To cause to fly; put to flight; drive off (by frightening).
- flimflam (noun): Alternative form of flim-flam
- flip (noun): A maneuver which rotates an object end over end.
- flippy (adjective): Having a tendency to flip.
- illy (adverb): Badly; poorly.
- impala (noun): An African antelope, Aepyceros melampus, noted for its leaping ability; the male has ridged, curved horns.
- imply (verb): to have as a necessary consequence
- lama (noun): A master of Tibetan Buddhism.
- lamp (noun): A device that generates heat, light or other radiation. Especially an electric light bulb.
- lily (noun): Any of several flowers in the genus Lilium of the family Liliaceae, which includes a great many ornamental species.
- limp (verb): To walk lamely, as if favouring one leg.
- limply (adverb): In a limp manner, without support or resistance.
- lippy (adjective): Having prominent lips.
- llama (noun): A South American mammal of the camel family, Lama glama, used as a domestic beast of burden and a source of wool and meat.
- mail (noun): A bag or wallet.
- mall (noun): A pedestrianised street, especially a shopping precinct.
- mammal (noun): An animal of the class Mammalia, characterized by being warm-blooded, having hair and producing milk with which to feed its young.
- mayfly (noun): Any of the many fragile insects of the order Ephemeroptera that develop in fresh water and live very briefly as winged adults.
- mill (noun): A grinding apparatus for substances such as grains, seeds, etc.
- pail (noun): A vessel of wood, tin, plastic, etc., usually cylindrical and having a handle -- used especially for carrying liquids, for example water or milk; a bucket (sometimes with a cover).
- pall (noun): Senses relating to cloth. Fine cloth, especially purple cloth used for robes. A heavy cloth laid over a coffin or tomb; a shroud laid over a corpse. A piece of cardboard, covered with linen and embroidered on one side, used to cover the chalice during the Eucharist. A cloth used for various purposes on the altar in a church, such as a corporal (“cloth on which elements of the Eucharist are placed”) or frontal (“drapery covering the front of an altar”).
- palm (noun): Any of various evergreen trees from the family Palmae or Arecaceae, which are mainly found in the tropics.
- palmy (adjective): Made out of palm leaves or palm sap.
- papal (adjective): Having to do with the pope or the papacy.
- papally (adverb): in papal fashion
- papilla (noun): A nipple-like protuberance on a part or organ of the body. A vascular process of connective tissue extending into and nourishing the root of a hair, feather, or developing tooth. Any of the vascular protuberances of the dermal layer of the skin extending into the epidermal layer and often containing tactile corpuscles. Any of the small protuberances on the upper surface of the tongue often containing taste buds.
- pilaf (noun): A dish made by browning grain, typically rice, in oil and then cooking it with a seasoned broth, to which meat and/or vegetables may be added.
- pill (noun): A small, usually round or cylindrical object designed for easy swallowing, usually containing some sort of medication.
- pimply (adjective): Having pimples; pimpled.
- play (verb): To act in a manner such that one has fun; to engage in activities expressly for the purpose of recreation or entertainment.