NYT Spelling Bee Answers for December 28, 2018

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for December 28, 2018

Game Summary

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for December 28, 2018
Center LetterR
Outer Lettersa, b, c, l, o, t
# of Pangrams1 (Perfect: none)
Total Words63 words
Total Points296 points
Genius Level207 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 28, 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>9</th><th>10</th><th>11</th><th>12Σ
A1612-2---12
B4---2----6
C46321---117
L-1-1-----2
O2-1------3
R42131----11
T5412-----12
Σ201971042--163

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
AL×2
AO×2
AR×2
AT×3
B
BA×3
BO×2
BR×1
C
CA×7
CO×8
CR×2
L
LA×1
LO×1
O
OR×3
R
RA×1
RO×10
T
TA×5
TO×3
TR×4

Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints

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

A
ABO×1
ACR×1
ACT×1
ALL×1
ALT×1
AOR×2
ARB×1
ARC×1
ATT×3
B
BAC×1
BAR×2
BOA×1
BOO×1
BRA×1
C
CAR×6
CAT×1
COA×1
COB×1
COL×3
COR×3
CRA×1
CRO×1
L
LAB×1
LOC×1
O
ORA×2
ORC×1
R
RAT×1
ROA×1
ROB×2
ROC×1
ROL×2
ROO×1
ROT×3
T
TAB×1
TAR×4
TOO×1
TOR×2
TRA×2
TRO×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 ().

Word2L RefDefinition (click to reveal)
ab...AB5An early termination of a mission, action, or procedure in relation to missiles or spacecraft; the craft making such a mission.
ac.....AC7An athlete who performs acts requiring skill, agility and coordination, often as part of a circus performance.
ac...AC5Someone who institutes a legal suit; a plaintiff or complainant.
al.......AL9One who, or that which, allocates.
al...AL5A table or similar flat-topped structure used for religious rites.
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.
ao....AO6Of or relating to the aorta.
ar...AR5A shady sitting place or pergola usually in a park or garden, surrounded by climbing shrubs, vines or other vegetation.
ar..AR4A note in string instrument musical notation indicating that the bow is to be used in the usual way, usually following a passage that is played pizzicato.
at...AT5An essential oil extracted from flowers.
at.....AT7To pull toward without touching.
at.......AT9Something which attracts.
ba......BA8A card game resembling chemin de fer with many forms - usually entailing the player(s) betting against two or three hands dealt - also bearing some similarities to blackjack.
ba..BA4The point that stands backward in an arrow, fishhook, etc., to prevent it from being easily extracted. Hence: Anything which stands out with a sharp point obliquely or crosswise to something else.
ba......BA8Meat slow-cooked over an open fire, characteristic of Latin American cuisine.
bo..BO4A wild boar (Sus scrofa), the wild ancestor of the domesticated pig.
bo..BO4A peasant.
br..BR4A human child. A child who is regarded as mischievous, unruly, spoiled, or selfish.
ca...CA5A unit of weight for precious stones and pearls, equivalent to 200 milligrams.
ca..CA4Clipping of carbohydrate.
ca...CA5An evergreen shrub or tree, Ceratonia siliqua, native to the Mediterranean region.
ca...CA5A round dance accompanied by singing.
ca....CA6A vegetable with a nutritious, juicy, sweet root that is often orange in colour, Daucus carota, especially the subspecies sativus in the family Apiaceae.
ca..CA4A small, open, wheeled vehicle, drawn or pushed by a person or animal, more often used for transporting goods than passengers.
ca......CA8A waterspout.
co.....CO7An organism that participates in coaction
co...CO5Any of various venomous snakes of the family Elapidae.
co.......... CO12A person who works with others towards a common goal.
co....CO6Clothes that encircle the neck. The part of an upper garment (shirt, jacket, etc.) that fits around the neck and throat, especially if sewn from a separate piece of fabric. A decorative band or other fabric around the neckline. A chain worn around the neck. A similar detachable item. A coloured ring round the neck of a bird or mammal. A band or chain around an animal's neck, used to restrain and/or identify it.
co...CO5The spectral composition of visible light.
co...CO5Any of many species of marine invertebrates in the class Anthozoa, most of which build hard calcium carbonate skeletons and form colonies, or a colony belonging to one of those species.
co.....CO7An outermost-but-one whorl of a flower, composed of petals, when it is not the same in appearance as the outermost whorl (the calyx); it usually comprises the petal, which may be fused.
co....CO6An enclosure for livestock, especially a circular one.
cr..CR4A crustacean of the infraorder Brachyura, having five pairs of legs, the foremost of which are in the form of claws, and a carapace.
cr..CR4A crocodile.
la...LA5Alternative spelling of labour
lo.....LO7One who, or that which, locates.
or..OR4Relating to the mouth.
or....OR6Someone who orates or delivers an oration.
or..OR4A sea mammal (Orcinus orca) related to dolphins and porpoises, commonly called the killer whale.
ra.....RA7A swiftly repeated knocking sound.
ro..RO4To make a loud, deep cry, especially from pain, anger, or other strong emotion.
ro......RO8An automated phone call, commonly for telemarketing purposes, that uses both an autodialer and a recorded message.
ro...RO5A system of serfdom used in Central Europe, under which a tenant's rent was paid in forced labour.
ro....RO6A style of baroque architecture and decorative art, from 18th-century France, having elaborate ornamentation.
ro..RO4To cause to revolve by turning over and over; to move by turning on an axis; to impel forward by causing to turn over and over on a supporting surface.
ro.....RO7Alternative form of roll bar (“an anti-roll bar”)
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...TA5A small drum. In traditional music, a small drum played with a single stick, leaving the player's other hand free to play a melody on a three-holed pipe.
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..TA4Sharp to the taste; acid; sour.
ta....TA6A red compound deposited during wine making; mostly potassium hydrogen tartrate — a source of cream of tartar.
to.....TO7A row of buttons, usually marked with icons, used to activate the functions of an application or operating system
to..TO4A traditional Japanese lantern.
to..TO4An injury or wrong.
tr...TR5An area or expanse.
tr.....TR7A vehicle used in farms e.g. for pulling farm equipment and preparing the fields.
tr...TR5A supernatural being of varying size, now especially a grotesque humanoid creature living in caves or hills or under bridges.
tr..TR4An ugly old woman, a hag.

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.

  • abort  (AB5)
  • acrobat  (AC7)
  • actor  (AC5)
  • allocator  (AL9)
  • altar  (AL5)
  • aorta  (AO5)
  • aortal  (AO6)
  • arbor  (AR5)
  • arco  (AR4)
  • attar  (AT5)
  • attract  (AT7)
  • attractor  (AT9)
  • baccarat  (BA8)
  • barb  (BA4)
  • barbacoa  (BA8)
  • boar  (BO4)
  • boor  (BO4)
  • brat  (BR4)
  • carat  (CA5)
  • carb  (CA4)
  • carob  (CA5)
  • carol  (CA5)
  • carrot  (CA6)
  • cart  (CA4)
  • cataract  (CA8)
  • coactor  (CO7)
  • cobra  (CO5)
  • collaborator  (CO12)
  • collar  (CO6)
  • color  (CO5)
  • coral  (CO5)
  • corolla  (CO7)
  • corral  (CO6)
  • crab  (CR4)
  • croc  (CR4)
  • labor  (LA5)
  • locator  (LO7)
  • oral  (OR4)
  • orator  (OR6)
  • orca  (OR4)
  • ratatat  (RA7)
  • roar  (RO4)
  • robocall  (RO8)
  • robot  (RO5)
  • rococo  (RO6)
  • roll  (RO4)
  • rollbar  (RO7)
  • root  (RO4)
  • rotator  (RO7)
  • roto  (RO4)
  • rotor  (RO5)
  • tabor  (TA5)
  • taro  (TA4)
  • tarot  (TA5)
  • tart  (TA4)
  • tartar  (TA6)
  • toolbar  (TO7)
  • toro  (TO4)
  • tort  (TO4)
  • tract  (TR5)
  • tractor  (TR7)
  • troll  (TR5)
  • trot  (TR4)

Answer Definitions

  • abort (noun): An early termination of a mission, action, or procedure in relation to missiles or spacecraft; the craft making such a mission.
  • acrobat (noun): An athlete who performs acts requiring skill, agility and coordination, often as part of a circus performance.
  • actor (noun): Someone who institutes a legal suit; a plaintiff or complainant.
  • allocator (noun): One who, or that which, allocates.
  • altar (noun): A table or similar flat-topped structure used for religious rites.
  • 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.
  • aortal (adjective): Of or relating to the aorta.
  • arbor (noun): A shady sitting place or pergola usually in a park or garden, surrounded by climbing shrubs, vines or other vegetation.
  • arco (adverb): A note in string instrument musical notation indicating that the bow is to be used in the usual way, usually following a passage that is played pizzicato.
  • attar (noun): An essential oil extracted from flowers.
  • attract (verb): To pull toward without touching.
  • attractor (noun): Something which attracts.
  • baccarat (noun): A card game resembling chemin de fer with many forms - usually entailing the player(s) betting against two or three hands dealt - also bearing some similarities to blackjack.
  • barb (noun): The point that stands backward in an arrow, fishhook, etc., to prevent it from being easily extracted. Hence: Anything which stands out with a sharp point obliquely or crosswise to something else.
  • barbacoa (noun): Meat slow-cooked over an open fire, characteristic of Latin American cuisine.
  • boar (noun): A wild boar (Sus scrofa), the wild ancestor of the domesticated pig.
  • boor (noun): A peasant.
  • brat (noun): A human child. A child who is regarded as mischievous, unruly, spoiled, or selfish.
  • carat (noun): A unit of weight for precious stones and pearls, equivalent to 200 milligrams.
  • carb (noun): Clipping of carbohydrate.
  • carob (noun): An evergreen shrub or tree, Ceratonia siliqua, native to the Mediterranean region.
  • carol (noun): A round dance accompanied by singing.
  • carrot (noun): A vegetable with a nutritious, juicy, sweet root that is often orange in colour, Daucus carota, especially the subspecies sativus in the family Apiaceae.
  • cart (noun): A small, open, wheeled vehicle, drawn or pushed by a person or animal, more often used for transporting goods than passengers.
  • cataract (noun): A waterspout.
  • coactor (noun): An organism that participates in coaction
  • cobra (noun): Any of various venomous snakes of the family Elapidae.
  • collaborator (noun): A person who works with others towards a common goal.
  • collar (noun): Clothes that encircle the neck. The part of an upper garment (shirt, jacket, etc.) that fits around the neck and throat, especially if sewn from a separate piece of fabric. A decorative band or other fabric around the neckline. A chain worn around the neck. A similar detachable item. A coloured ring round the neck of a bird or mammal. A band or chain around an animal's neck, used to restrain and/or identify it.
  • color (noun): The spectral composition of visible light.
  • coral (noun): Any of many species of marine invertebrates in the class Anthozoa, most of which build hard calcium carbonate skeletons and form colonies, or a colony belonging to one of those species.
  • corolla (noun): An outermost-but-one whorl of a flower, composed of petals, when it is not the same in appearance as the outermost whorl (the calyx); it usually comprises the petal, which may be fused.
  • corral (noun): An enclosure for livestock, especially a circular one.
  • crab (noun): A crustacean of the infraorder Brachyura, having five pairs of legs, the foremost of which are in the form of claws, and a carapace.
  • croc (noun): A crocodile.
  • labor (noun): Alternative spelling of labour
  • locator (noun): One who, or that which, locates.
  • oral (adjective): Relating to the mouth.
  • orator (noun): Someone who orates or delivers an oration.
  • orca (noun): A sea mammal (Orcinus orca) related to dolphins and porpoises, commonly called the killer whale.
  • ratatat (noun): A swiftly repeated knocking sound.
  • roar (verb): To make a loud, deep cry, especially from pain, anger, or other strong emotion.
  • robocall (noun): An automated phone call, commonly for telemarketing purposes, that uses both an autodialer and a recorded message.
  • robot (noun): A system of serfdom used in Central Europe, under which a tenant's rent was paid in forced labour.
  • rococo (noun): A style of baroque architecture and decorative art, from 18th-century France, having elaborate ornamentation.
  • roll (verb): To cause to revolve by turning over and over; to move by turning on an axis; to impel forward by causing to turn over and over on a supporting surface.
  • rollbar (noun): Alternative form of roll bar (“an anti-roll bar”)
  • 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.
  • tabor (noun): A small drum. In traditional music, a small drum played with a single stick, leaving the player's other hand free to play a melody on a three-holed pipe.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • toolbar (noun): A row of buttons, usually marked with icons, used to activate the functions of an application or operating system
  • toro (noun): A traditional Japanese lantern.
  • tort (noun): An injury or wrong.
  • tract (noun): An area or expanse.
  • tractor (noun): A vehicle used in farms e.g. for pulling farm equipment and preparing the fields.
  • troll (noun): A supernatural being of varying size, now especially a grotesque humanoid creature living in caves or hills or under bridges.
  • trot (noun): An ugly old woman, a hag.