NYT Spelling Bee Answers for December 25, 2018
Game Summary
| Center Letter | R |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | i, m, n, o, t, y |
| # of Pangrams | 2 (Perfect: none) |
| Total Words | 37 words |
| Total Points | 142 points |
| Genius Level | 99 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 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | 1 | 2 | - | 1 | - | 4 |
| M | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 9 |
| N | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | 3 |
| O | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| R | 5 | 2 | - | - | - | 7 |
| T | 9 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 14 |
| Y | - | - | - | - | - | - | Σ | 19 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 37 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| I | IN×2 IR×2 |
|---|---|
| M | MI×3 MO×6 |
| N | NI×1 NO×2 |
| O | |
| R | RI×1 RO×6 |
| T | TO×7 TR×6 TY×1 |
| Y |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| I | INT×2 IRO×2 |
|---|---|
| M | MIN×2 MIR×1 MON×2 MOO×1 MOR×2 MOT×1 |
| N | NIT×1 NOI×1 NOR×1 |
| O | |
| R | RIO×1 ROO×3 ROT×3 |
| T | TOM×1 TOR×6 TRI×4 TRO×2 TYR×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) |
|---|---|---|
| in... | IN5 | An introduction. |
| in..... | IN7 | A composition of vocal music sung at the opening of a church service. |
| ir.. | IR4 | A common, inexpensive metal, silvery grey when untarnished, that rusts, is attracted by magnets, and is used in making steel. |
| ir... | IR5 | The quality of a statement that, when taken in context, may actually mean something different from, or the opposite of, what is written literally; the use of words expressing something other than their literal intention, often in a humorous context. An ironic statement. |
| mi... | MI5 | Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option, particularly: |
| mi...... † | MI8 | The state of being a minor; youth, the period of a person's life prior to reaching adulthood. |
| mi.... | MI6 | A smooth surface, usually made of glass with reflective material painted on the underside, that reflects light so as to give an image of what is in front of it. |
| mo..... | MO7 | Someone who watches over something; a person in charge of something or someone. |
| mo...... † | MO8 | giving admonition and warning |
| mo.. | MO4 | An extensive waste covered with patches of heath, and having a poor, light soil, but sometimes marshy, and abounding in peat; a heath |
| mo.. | MO4 | Morning. |
| mo... | MO5 | A stupid person; an idiot; a fool. |
| mo... | MO5 | A machine or device that converts other energy forms into mechanical energy, or imparts motion. |
| ni... | NI5 | the univalent NO2 functional group. |
| no.. | NO4 | Of or pertaining to film noir, or the atmosphere associated with that genre |
| no.. | NO4 | That which is normal or typical. |
| ri.. | RI4 | A tumultuous disturbance of the public peace by a large group of people, often involving violence or damage to property. |
| ro.. | RO4 | Opportunity or scope (to do something). |
| ro... | RO5 | Spacious, expansive, comfortable. |
| ro.. | RO4 | 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. |
| ro.. | RO4 | A kind of unleavened flatbread commonly consumed in South Asia and the Caribbean. |
| ro.. | RO4 | Clipping of rotogravure. |
| ro... | RO5 | A rotating part of a mechanical device; for example, in an electric motor, generator, alternator, or pump. |
| to...... | TO8 | Nonsense, rot. |
| to.. | TO4 | plural of torus |
| to... | TO5 | A traditional Japanese gate at Shinto shrines, symbolically marking the transition from the profane to the sacred. |
| to.. | TO4 | past participle of tear (rip, rend, speed). |
| to.. | TO4 | A traditional Japanese lantern. |
| to.. | TO4 | An injury or wrong. |
| to..... | TO7 | Any of several sorts of ice-cream flavoured with rum or sherry, often containing chopped cherries and topped with almonds, crumbled macaroons, etc. |
| tr.. | TR4 | To reduce slightly; to cut; especially, to remove excess. |
| tr..... | TR7 | A group or set of three people or things; three things combined into one. |
| tr.. | TR4 | A group of three people or things. |
| tr.... | TR6 | the atomic nucleus of a tritium atom, consisting of a proton and two neutrons |
| tr.. | TR4 | An ugly old woman, a hag. |
| tr.. | TR4 | Of, or relating to, troy weight. |
| ty.. | TY4 | A beginner; a novice. |
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.
- intro (IN5)
- introit (IN7)
- iron (IR4)
- irony (IR5)
- minor (MI5)
- minority† (MI8)
- mirror (MI6)
- monitor (MO7)
- monitory† (MO8)
- moor (MO4)
- morn (MO4)
- moron (MO5)
- motor (MO5)
- nitro (NI5)
- noir (NO4)
- norm (NO4)
- riot (RI4)
- room (RO4)
- roomy (RO5)
- root (RO4)
- roti (RO4)
- roto (RO4)
- rotor (RO5)
- tommyrot (TO8)
- tori (TO4)
- torii (TO5)
- torn (TO4)
- toro (TO4)
- tort (TO4)
- tortoni (TO7)
- trim (TR4)
- trinity (TR7)
- trio (TR4)
- triton (TR6)
- trot (TR4)
- troy (TR4)
- tyro (TY4)
Answer Definitions
- intro (noun): An introduction.
- introit (noun): A composition of vocal music sung at the opening of a church service.
- iron (noun): A common, inexpensive metal, silvery grey when untarnished, that rusts, is attracted by magnets, and is used in making steel.
- irony (noun): The quality of a statement that, when taken in context, may actually mean something different from, or the opposite of, what is written literally; the use of words expressing something other than their literal intention, often in a humorous context. An ironic statement.
- minor (adjective): Lesser, smaller in importance, size, degree, seriousness, or significance compared to another option, particularly:
- minority† (noun): The state of being a minor; youth, the period of a person's life prior to reaching adulthood.
- mirror (noun): A smooth surface, usually made of glass with reflective material painted on the underside, that reflects light so as to give an image of what is in front of it.
- monitor (noun): Someone who watches over something; a person in charge of something or someone.
- monitory† (adjective): giving admonition and warning
- moor (noun): An extensive waste covered with patches of heath, and having a poor, light soil, but sometimes marshy, and abounding in peat; a heath
- morn (noun): Morning.
- moron (noun): A stupid person; an idiot; a fool.
- motor (noun): A machine or device that converts other energy forms into mechanical energy, or imparts motion.
- nitro (noun): the univalent NO2 functional group.
- noir (adjective): Of or pertaining to film noir, or the atmosphere associated with that genre
- norm (noun): That which is normal or typical.
- riot (noun): A tumultuous disturbance of the public peace by a large group of people, often involving violence or damage to property.
- room (noun): Opportunity or scope (to do something).
- roomy (adjective): Spacious, expansive, comfortable.
- 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.
- roti (noun): A kind of unleavened flatbread commonly consumed in South Asia and the Caribbean.
- roto (noun): Clipping of rotogravure.
- rotor (noun): A rotating part of a mechanical device; for example, in an electric motor, generator, alternator, or pump.
- tommyrot (noun): Nonsense, rot.
- tori (noun): plural of torus
- torii (noun): A traditional Japanese gate at Shinto shrines, symbolically marking the transition from the profane to the sacred.
- torn (verb): past participle of tear (rip, rend, speed).
- toro (noun): A traditional Japanese lantern.
- tort (noun): An injury or wrong.
- tortoni (noun): Any of several sorts of ice-cream flavoured with rum or sherry, often containing chopped cherries and topped with almonds, crumbled macaroons, etc.
- trim (verb): To reduce slightly; to cut; especially, to remove excess.
- trinity (noun): A group or set of three people or things; three things combined into one.
- trio (noun): A group of three people or things.
- triton (noun): the atomic nucleus of a tritium atom, consisting of a proton and two neutrons
- trot (noun): An ugly old woman, a hag.
- troy (adjective): Of, or relating to, troy weight.
- tyro (noun): A beginner; a novice.