NYT Spelling Bee Answers for December 30, 2018
Game Summary
| Center Letter | L |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | a, b, d, i, j, r |
| # of Pangrams | 1 (Perfect: none) |
| Total Words | 31 words |
| Total Points | 113 points |
| Genius Level | 79 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 | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | - | 3 |
| B | 5 | - | 2 | - | 2 | 9 |
| D | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | 3 |
| I | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1 |
| J | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | 2 |
| L | 5 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 7 |
| R | 3 | - | 2 | - | 1 | 6 | Σ | 17 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 31 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AI×1 AL×1 AR×1 |
|---|---|
| B | BA×4 BI×3 BL×1 BR×1 |
| D | DI×2 DR×1 |
| I | IL×1 |
| J | JA×2 |
| L | LA×5 LI×2 |
| R | RA×3 RI×3 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | AIR×1 ALI×1 ARI×1 |
|---|---|
| B | BAI×1 BAL×3 BIL×3 BLA×1 BRI×1 |
| D | DIA×1 DIL×1 DRI×1 |
| I | ILI×1 |
| J | JAI×2 |
| L | LAB×2 LAI×2 LAR×1 LIA×1 LIR×1 |
| R | RAD×1 RAI×2 RIA×1 RIB×1 RIL×1 |
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..... | AI7 | A shot that misses the backboard, rim and net entirely. |
| al... | AL5 | The plea or mode of defense under which a person on trial for a crime proves or attempts to prove being in another place when the alleged act was committed. |
| ar.. | AR4 | A tissue surrounding the seed in certain fruits such as pomegranates. |
| ba.. | BA4 | Security, usually a sum of money, exchanged for the release of an arrested person as a guarantee of that person's appearance for trial. |
| ba.. | BA4 | Having no hair, fur or feathers. |
| ba.. | BA4 | A solid or hollow sphere, or roughly spherical mass. |
| ba.... | BA6 | A kind of narrative poem, adapted for recitation or singing; especially, a sentimental or romantic poem in short stanzas. |
| bi...... | BI8 | Articulated with both lips. |
| bi.. | BI4 | Any of various bladed or pointed hand weapons, originally designating an Anglo-Saxon sword, and later a weapon of infantry, especially in the 14th and 15th centuries, commonly consisting of a broad, heavy, double-edged, hook-shaped blade, with a short pike at the back and another at the top, attached to the end of a long staff. |
| bi...... | BI8 | A shot in billiards or snooker in which the cue ball strikes two other balls; a carom. |
| bl.. | BL4 | To tell tales; to gossip without reserve or discretion. |
| br.... | BR6 | A wedding feast or festival; a wedding. |
| di.. | DI4 | A graduated, circular scale over which a needle moves to show a measurement (such as speed). |
| di.. | DI4 | Anethum graveolens (the type species of the genus Anethum), a herb, the seeds of which are moderately warming, pungent, and aromatic, formerly used as a soothing medicine for children; also known as dillseed. |
| dr... | DR5 | To create (a hole) by removing material with a drill (tool). |
| il... | IL5 | a series of exploits regarded as suitable for an epic |
| ja.. | JA4 | A place or institution for the confinement of persons held in lawful custody or detention, especially (in US usage) a place where people are held for minor offenses or with reference to some future judicial proceeding. |
| ja...... † | JA8 | A prisoner or an ex-prisoner |
| la... | LA5 | The folds of tissue at the opening of the vulva, at either side of the vagina. |
| la.... | LA6 | Of or pertaining to the lips or labia. |
| la.. | LA4 | simple past tense and past participle of lay |
| la.. | LA4 | A place inhabited by a wild animal, often a cave or a hole in the ground. |
| la.. | LA4 | Fat from the abdomen of a pig, especially as prepared for use in cooking or pharmacy. |
| li.. | LI4 | One who frequently tells lies. |
| li.. | LI4 | The basic unit of currency in Turkey. |
| ra.... | RA6 | Arranged like rays that radiate from, or converge to a common centre. |
| ra.. | RA4 | A horizontal bar extending between supports and used for support or as a barrier; a railing. |
| ra...... | RA8 | A rail or similar bird |
| ri.. | RI4 | The official currencies of Iran, Oman, and Yemen. |
| ri.... | RI6 | Coarsely, vulgarly, or lewdly amusing; referring to sexual matters in a rude or irreverent way. |
| ri.. | RI4 | A very small brook; a streamlet; a creek, rivulet. |
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.
- airball (AI7)
- alibi (AL5)
- aril (AR4)
- bail (BA4)
- bald (BA4)
- ball (BA4)
- ballad (BA6)
- bilabial (BI8)
- bill (BI4)
- billiard (BI8)
- blab (BL4)
- bridal (BR6)
- dial (DI4)
- dill (DI4)
- drill (DR5)
- iliad (IL5)
- jail (JA4)
- jailbird† (JA8)
- labia (LA5)
- labial (LA6)
- laid (LA4)
- lair (LA4)
- lard (LA4)
- liar (LI4)
- lira (LI4)
- radial (RA6)
- rail (RA4)
- railbird (RA8)
- rial (RI4)
- ribald (RI6)
- rill (RI4)
Answer Definitions
- airball (noun): A shot that misses the backboard, rim and net entirely.
- alibi (noun): The plea or mode of defense under which a person on trial for a crime proves or attempts to prove being in another place when the alleged act was committed.
- aril (noun): A tissue surrounding the seed in certain fruits such as pomegranates.
- bail (noun): Security, usually a sum of money, exchanged for the release of an arrested person as a guarantee of that person's appearance for trial.
- bald (adjective): Having no hair, fur or feathers.
- ball (noun): A solid or hollow sphere, or roughly spherical mass.
- ballad (noun): A kind of narrative poem, adapted for recitation or singing; especially, a sentimental or romantic poem in short stanzas.
- bilabial (adjective): Articulated with both lips.
- bill (noun): Any of various bladed or pointed hand weapons, originally designating an Anglo-Saxon sword, and later a weapon of infantry, especially in the 14th and 15th centuries, commonly consisting of a broad, heavy, double-edged, hook-shaped blade, with a short pike at the back and another at the top, attached to the end of a long staff.
- billiard (noun): A shot in billiards or snooker in which the cue ball strikes two other balls; a carom.
- blab (verb): To tell tales; to gossip without reserve or discretion.
- bridal (noun): A wedding feast or festival; a wedding.
- dial (noun): A graduated, circular scale over which a needle moves to show a measurement (such as speed).
- dill (noun): Anethum graveolens (the type species of the genus Anethum), a herb, the seeds of which are moderately warming, pungent, and aromatic, formerly used as a soothing medicine for children; also known as dillseed.
- drill (verb): To create (a hole) by removing material with a drill (tool).
- iliad (noun): a series of exploits regarded as suitable for an epic
- jail (noun): A place or institution for the confinement of persons held in lawful custody or detention, especially (in US usage) a place where people are held for minor offenses or with reference to some future judicial proceeding.
- jailbird† (noun): A prisoner or an ex-prisoner
- labia (noun): The folds of tissue at the opening of the vulva, at either side of the vagina.
- labial (adjective): Of or pertaining to the lips or labia.
- laid (verb): simple past tense and past participle of lay
- lair (noun): A place inhabited by a wild animal, often a cave or a hole in the ground.
- lard (noun): Fat from the abdomen of a pig, especially as prepared for use in cooking or pharmacy.
- liar (noun): One who frequently tells lies.
- lira (noun): The basic unit of currency in Turkey.
- radial (adjective): Arranged like rays that radiate from, or converge to a common centre.
- rail (noun): A horizontal bar extending between supports and used for support or as a barrier; a railing.
- railbird (noun): A rail or similar bird
- rial (noun): The official currencies of Iran, Oman, and Yemen.
- ribald (adjective): Coarsely, vulgarly, or lewdly amusing; referring to sexual matters in a rude or irreverent way.
- rill (noun): A very small brook; a streamlet; a creek, rivulet.