NYT Spelling Bee Answers for December 24, 2018
Game Summary
| Center Letter | R |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | a, d, i, n, t, y |
| # of Pangrams | 1 (Perfect: none) |
| Total Words | 58 words |
| Total Points | 243 points |
| Genius Level | 170 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 | Σ | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | - | 9 |
| D | 5 | 6 | - | - | - | 11 |
| I | - | - | - | - | 2 | 2 |
| N | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | 2 |
| R | 6 | 6 | 3 | 2 | - | 17 |
| T | 2 | 6 | 4 | 3 | - | 15 |
| Y | 2 | - | - | - | - | 2 | Σ | 20 | 22 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 58 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AI×1 AR×6 AT×2 |
|---|---|
| D | DA×3 DI×4 DR×4 |
| I | IN×1 IR×1 |
| N | NA×2 |
| R | RA×15 RI×2 |
| T | TA×7 TI×1 TR×5 TY×2 |
| Y | YA×2 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | AIR×1 ARI×3 ARR×2 ART×1 ATR×1 ATT×1 |
|---|---|
| D | DAI×1 DAR×2 DIA×1 DIN×1 DIR×2 DRA×3 DRY×1 |
| I | INT×1 IRR×1 |
| N | NAD×1 NAR×1 |
| R | RAD×4 RAI×3 RAN×4 RAR×1 RAT×3 RIA×1 RIN×1 |
| T | TAN×2 TAR×5 TIA×1 TRA×3 TRI×2 TYR×2 |
| Y | YAR×2 |
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) |
|---|---|---|
| ai.. | AI4 | (of a room or building) spacious, well lit, and well ventilated. |
| ar.. | AR4 | A musical piece written typically for a solo voice with orchestral accompaniment in an opera or cantata. |
| ar.. | AR4 | Very dry. |
| ar..... | AR7 | A long-term lack of rainfall or moisture. |
| ar.... | AR6 | Complete; downright; utter. |
| ar... | AR5 | an ordered series or arrangement. |
| ar.. | AR4 | Inclined toward paintings, music, etc. |
| at... | AT5 | plural of atrium |
| at... | AT5 | An essential oil extracted from flowers. |
| da... | DA5 | A place, often on a farm, where milk is processed and turned into products such as butter and cheese. |
| da.. | DA4 | Damn. |
| da.. | DA4 | A pointed missile weapon, intended to be thrown by the hand; for example, a short lance or javelin. |
| di... | DI5 | A daily log of experiences, especially those of the writer. |
| di... | DI5 | The official currency of several countries, including Algeria, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, North Macedonia, Serbia and Tunisia. |
| di.. | DI4 | Soil or earth. |
| di... | DI5 | Unclean; covered with or containing unpleasant substances such as dirt or grime. |
| dr... | DR5 | A conduit allowing liquid to flow out of an otherwise contained volume; a plughole |
| dr.. | DR4 | To damn or curse. |
| dr.. | DR4 | A low horse-drawn cart, often without sides, and used especially for heavy loads. |
| dr... | DR5 | A female tree spirit. |
| in...... † | IN8 | occurring during a single day. |
| ir...... | IR8 | Causing irritation or inflammation. |
| na... | NA5 | The point of the celestial sphere, directly opposite the zenith; inferior pole of the horizon; point of the celestial sphere directly under the place of observation. |
| na.. | NA4 | Not, never. |
| ra... | RA5 | 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 |
| ra.... | RA6 | English Wikipedia has an article on:radianWikipedia In the International System of Units, the derived unit of plane angular measure of angle equal to the angle subtended at the centre of a circle by an arc of its circumference equal in length to the radius of the circle. Symbol: rad |
| ra..... | RA7 | Radiating light and/or heat. |
| ra... | RA5 | plural of radius |
| ra.. | RA4 | A quick hostile or predatory incursion or invasion in a battle. |
| ra.. | RA4 | Condensed water falling from a cloud. |
| ra... | RA5 | marked by bringing precipitation in the form of showers |
| ra.. | RA4 | The border of an area of land, especially marshland. |
| ra... | RA5 | Sexually aroused; full of sexual lust. |
| ra.. | RA4 | The wife of a rajah. |
| ra.. | RA4 | To speak or shout at length in uncontrollable anger. |
| ra.... | RA6 | A measure of the scarcity of an object. |
| ra..... | RA7 | A swiftly repeated knocking sound. |
| ra.... | RA6 | Any of several species of climbing palm of the genus Calamus. |
| ra... | RA5 | Resembling or characteristic of a certain rodent. |
| ri... | RI5 | Mirthful, cheerful, smiling, light-hearted. |
| ri.. | RI4 | tree bark |
| ta..... | TA7 | a flourish on a trumpet |
| ta.... | TA6 | A Hindu or Buddhist religious or esoteric text. |
| ta... | TA5 | Late; overdue or delayed. |
| ta... | TA5 | To delay; to be late or tardy in beginning or doing anything. |
| ta.. | TA4 | Sharp to the taste; acid; sour. |
| ta.... | TA6 | A kind of woven woollen cloth with a distinctive pattern of coloured stripes intersecting at right angles, associated with Scottish Highlanders, different clans and some Scottish families and institutions having their own distinctive patterns. |
| ta.... | TA6 | A red compound deposited during wine making; mostly potassium hydrogen tartrate — a source of cream of tartar. |
| ti... | TI5 | The papal crown. |
| tr... | TR5 | Elongated or trailing portion. The elongated back portion of a dress or skirt (or an ornamental piece of material added to similar effect), which drags along the ground. |
| tr... | TR5 | An identifying characteristic, habit or trend. |
| tr.. | TR4 | A small, typically rectangular or round, flat, and rigid object upon which things are carried. |
| tr... | TR5 | A grouping of three. |
| tr..... | TR7 | A group or set of three people or things; three things combined into one. |
| ty..... | TY7 | A government in which a single ruler has absolute power; this system of government. |
| ty.... | TY6 | A usurper; one who gains power and rules extralegally, distinguished from kings elevated by election or succession. |
| ya.. | YA4 | A small, usually uncultivated area adjoining or (now especially) within the precincts of a house or other building. |
| ya.. | YA4 | A twisted strand of fiber used for knitting or weaving. |
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.
- airy (AI4)
- aria (AR4)
- arid (AR4)
- aridity (AR7)
- arrant (AR6)
- array (AR5)
- arty (AR4)
- atria (AT5)
- attar (AT5)
- dairy (DA5)
- darn (DA4)
- dart (DA4)
- diary (DI5)
- dinar (DI5)
- dirt (DI4)
- dirty (DI5)
- drain (DR5)
- drat (DR4)
- dray (DR4)
- dryad (DR5)
- intraday† (IN8)
- irritant (IR8)
- nadir (NA5)
- nary (NA4)
- radar (RA5)
- radian (RA6)
- radiant (RA7)
- radii (RA5)
- raid (RA4)
- rain (RA4)
- rainy (RA5)
- rand (RA4)
- randy (RA5)
- rani (RA4)
- rant (RA4)
- rarity (RA6)
- ratatat (RA7)
- rattan (RA6)
- ratty (RA5)
- riant (RI5)
- rind (RI4)
- tantara (TA7)
- tantra (TA6)
- tardy (TA5)
- tarry (TA5)
- tart (TA4)
- tartan (TA6)
- tartar (TA6)
- tiara (TI5)
- train (TR5)
- trait (TR5)
- tray (TR4)
- triad (TR5)
- trinity (TR7)
- tyranny (TY7)
- tyrant (TY6)
- yard (YA4)
- yarn (YA4)
Answer Definitions
- airy (adjective): (of a room or building) spacious, well lit, and well ventilated.
- aria (noun): A musical piece written typically for a solo voice with orchestral accompaniment in an opera or cantata.
- arid (adjective): Very dry.
- aridity (noun): A long-term lack of rainfall or moisture.
- arrant (adjective): Complete; downright; utter.
- array (noun): an ordered series or arrangement.
- arty (adjective): Inclined toward paintings, music, etc.
- atria (noun): plural of atrium
- attar (noun): An essential oil extracted from flowers.
- dairy (noun): A place, often on a farm, where milk is processed and turned into products such as butter and cheese.
- darn (adjective): Damn.
- dart (noun): A pointed missile weapon, intended to be thrown by the hand; for example, a short lance or javelin.
- diary (noun): A daily log of experiences, especially those of the writer.
- dinar (noun): The official currency of several countries, including Algeria, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, North Macedonia, Serbia and Tunisia.
- dirt (noun): Soil or earth.
- dirty (adjective): Unclean; covered with or containing unpleasant substances such as dirt or grime.
- drain (noun): A conduit allowing liquid to flow out of an otherwise contained volume; a plughole
- drat (verb): To damn or curse.
- dray (noun): A low horse-drawn cart, often without sides, and used especially for heavy loads.
- dryad (noun): A female tree spirit.
- intraday† (adjective): occurring during a single day.
- irritant (adjective): Causing irritation or inflammation.
- nadir (noun): The point of the celestial sphere, directly opposite the zenith; inferior pole of the horizon; point of the celestial sphere directly under the place of observation.
- nary (adverb): Not, never.
- 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
- radian (noun): English Wikipedia has an article on:radianWikipedia In the International System of Units, the derived unit of plane angular measure of angle equal to the angle subtended at the centre of a circle by an arc of its circumference equal in length to the radius of the circle. Symbol: rad
- radiant (adjective): Radiating light and/or heat.
- radii (noun): plural of radius
- raid (noun): A quick hostile or predatory incursion or invasion in a battle.
- rain (noun): Condensed water falling from a cloud.
- rainy (adjective): marked by bringing precipitation in the form of showers
- rand (noun): The border of an area of land, especially marshland.
- randy (adjective): Sexually aroused; full of sexual lust.
- rani (noun): The wife of a rajah.
- rant (verb): To speak or shout at length in uncontrollable anger.
- rarity (noun): A measure of the scarcity of an object.
- ratatat (noun): A swiftly repeated knocking sound.
- rattan (noun): Any of several species of climbing palm of the genus Calamus.
- ratty (adjective): Resembling or characteristic of a certain rodent.
- riant (adjective): Mirthful, cheerful, smiling, light-hearted.
- rind (noun): tree bark
- tantara (noun): a flourish on a trumpet
- tantra (noun): A Hindu or Buddhist religious or esoteric text.
- tardy (adjective): Late; overdue or delayed.
- tarry (verb): To delay; to be late or tardy in beginning or doing anything.
- tart (adjective): Sharp to the taste; acid; sour.
- tartan (noun): A kind of woven woollen cloth with a distinctive pattern of coloured stripes intersecting at right angles, associated with Scottish Highlanders, different clans and some Scottish families and institutions having their own distinctive patterns.
- tartar (noun): A red compound deposited during wine making; mostly potassium hydrogen tartrate — a source of cream of tartar.
- tiara (noun): The papal crown.
- train (noun): Elongated or trailing portion. The elongated back portion of a dress or skirt (or an ornamental piece of material added to similar effect), which drags along the ground.
- trait (noun): An identifying characteristic, habit or trend.
- tray (noun): A small, typically rectangular or round, flat, and rigid object upon which things are carried.
- triad (noun): A grouping of three.
- trinity (noun): A group or set of three people or things; three things combined into one.
- tyranny (noun): A government in which a single ruler has absolute power; this system of government.
- tyrant (noun): A usurper; one who gains power and rules extralegally, distinguished from kings elevated by election or succession.
- yard (noun): A small, usually uncultivated area adjoining or (now especially) within the precincts of a house or other building.
- yarn (noun): A twisted strand of fiber used for knitting or weaving.