NYT Spelling Bee Answers for May 9, 2019
Game Summary
| Center Letter | L |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | a, f, i, n, t, y |
| # of Pangrams | 3 (Perfect: 1) |
| Total Words | 60 words |
| Total Points | 281 points |
| Genius Level | 197 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</th><th>9</th><th>10</th><th>11 | Σ | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 7 |
| F | 7 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 3 | - | - | - | 25 |
| I | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | - | 1 | 6 |
| L | 5 | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 9 |
| N | 1 | 1 | - | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | 5 |
| T | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 8 |
| Y | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Σ | 22 | 15 | 8 | 9 | 4 | 1 | - | 1 | 60 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AL×4 AN×2 AT×1 |
|---|---|
| F | FA×8 FI×9 FL×8 |
| I | IL×1 IN×5 |
| L | LA×3 LI×6 |
| N | NA×4 NI×1 |
| T | TA×5 TI×3 |
| 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 ALI×1 ALL×2 ANA×2 ATI×1 |
|---|---|
| F | FAI×2 FAL×1 FAN×1 FAT×4 FIL×4 FIN×4 FIT×1 FLA×5 FLI×3 |
| I | ILL×1 INF×2 INI×2 INL×1 |
| L | LAI×2 LAN×1 LIF×1 LIL×2 LIN×2 LIT×1 |
| N | NAI×1 NAT×3 NIF×1 |
| T | TAI×2 TAL×3 TIL×2 TIN×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.. | AL4 | simple past tense and past participle of alight |
| 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. |
| an.. | AN4 | of, related to, intended for or involving the anus. |
| an.... | AN6 | Involving the anus. |
| at... | AT5 | At an angle from the vertical or horizontal. |
| fa.. | FA4 | To be unsuccessful. |
| fa..... † | FA7 | In a faint manner; very quietly or lightly. |
| fa.. | FA4 | To be moved downwards. To move to a lower position under the effect of gravity. |
| fa..... | FA7 | Any of several birds, of the genus Rhipidura, from Asia, Australia and New Zealand. |
| fa... | FA5 | Proceeding from, or appointed by, fate or destiny. |
| fa...... | FA8 | The state proceeding from destiny; invincible necessity, superior to, and independent of, free and rational control. |
| fa..... | FA7 | In a fatal manner; lethally. |
| fa... | FA5 | In a fat way; in the manner of a fat person. |
| 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... | FI5 | A young female horse. |
| fi... | FI5 | A final examination; a test or examination given at the end of a term or class; the test that concludes a class. |
| fi...... † | FI8 | The state of being final; the condition from which no further changes occur. |
| fi..... | FI7 | At the end or conclusion; ultimately. |
| fi.... | FI6 | The knot or bunch of foliage, or foliated ornament, that forms the upper extremity of a pinnacle in Gothic architecture. |
| fi... | FI5 | In a fit manner |
| 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 | Baked tart with sweet or savoury filling in an open-topped pastry case. |
| fl.. | FL4 | Having no variations in height. |
| fl.... | FL6 | In a physically flat or level manner. |
| fl.. | FL4 | To cause to fly; put to flight; drive off (by frightening). |
| fl... | FL5 | A hard, fine-grained quartz that fractures conchoidally and generates sparks when struck against a material such as steel, because tiny chips of the steel are heated to incandescence and burn in air. |
| fl.... | FL6 | Resembling or containing flint. |
| fl.. | FL4 | A fluttering or darting movement. |
| il.. | IL4 | Badly; poorly. |
| in......... † | IN11 | quality of being infantile |
| in.... | IN6 | To fill in a space, hole or gap. |
| in..... | IN7 | Chronologically first, early; of or pertaining to the beginning, cause or origin. |
| in....... | IN9 | At the beginning. |
| in... | IN5 | To place (pieces of a foreign material) within another material to form a decorative design. |
| la.. | LA4 | past participle of lie (“to be oriented in a horizontal position, situated”) |
| la... | LA5 | People of a church who are not ordained clergy or clerics. |
| la... | LA5 | A Hawaiian-style roofed patio. |
| li.. | LI4 | To raise or rise. |
| li.. | LI4 | To do something rhythmically, with animation and quickness, usually of music. |
| li.. | LI4 | Any of several flowers in the genus Lilium of the family Liliaceae, which includes a great many ornamental species. |
| li.. | LI4 | Clinging fuzzy fluff that clings to fabric or accumulates in one's pockets or navel etc. |
| li... | LI5 | Covered with lint. |
| li.... | LI6 | A ritual liturgical prayer in which a series of prayers recited by a leader are alternated with responses from the congregation. |
| na.. | NA4 | The thin, horny plate at the ends of fingers and toes on humans and some other animals. |
| na... | NA5 | Of or relating to birth. |
| na...... | NA8 | The ratio of live births in an area to the population of that area; expressed per 1000 population per year. |
| na..... | NA7 | In a natty manner. |
| ni..... | NI7 | In a good, smart, useful or beneficial manner; cleverly. |
| ta.. | TA4 | The caudal appendage of an animal that is attached to its posterior and near the anus. |
| ta..... | TA7 | A fin at the tail of a fish, caudal fin |
| ta.. | TA4 | plural of talus |
| ta.. | TA4 | Having a vertical extent greater than the average. For example, somebody with a height of over 6 feet would generally be considered to be tall. |
| ta... | TA5 | Target sighted. |
| ti.. | TI4 | Until; to, up to; as late as (a given time). |
| ti.. | TI4 | To slope or incline (something); to slant. |
| ti.... | TI6 | In a tiny way. |
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)
- alit (AL4)
- allay (AL5)
- ally (AL4)
- anal (AN4)
- anally (AN6)
- atilt (AT5)
- fail (FA4)
- faintly† (FA7)
- fall (FA4)
- fantail (FA7)
- fatal (FA5)
- fatality (FA8)
- fatally (FA7)
- fatly (FA5)
- filial (FI6)
- filially (FI8)
- fill (FI4)
- filly (FI5)
- final (FI5)
- finality† (FI8)
- finally (FI7)
- finial (FI6)
- fitly (FI5)
- flail (FL5)
- flan (FL4)
- flat (FL4)
- flatly (FL6)
- flay (FL4)
- flint (FL5)
- flinty (FL6)
- flit (FL4)
- illy (IL4)
- infantility† (IN11)
- infill (IN6)
- initial (IN7)
- initially (IN9)
- inlay (IN5)
- lain (LA4)
- laity (LA5)
- lanai (LA5)
- lift (LI4)
- lilt (LI4)
- lily (LI4)
- lint (LI4)
- linty (LI5)
- litany (LI6)
- nail (NA4)
- natal (NA5)
- natality (NA8)
- nattily (NA7)
- niftily (NI7)
- tail (TA4)
- tailfin (TA7)
- tali (TA4)
- tall (TA4)
- tally (TA5)
- till (TI4)
- tilt (TI4)
- tinily (TI6)
Answer Definitions
- alfalfa (noun): A plant, principally of Medicago sativa, grown as a pasture crop.
- alit (verb): simple past tense and past participle of alight
- 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.
- anal (adjective): of, related to, intended for or involving the anus.
- anally (adverb): Involving the anus.
- atilt (adjective): At an angle from the vertical or horizontal.
- fail (verb): To be unsuccessful.
- faintly† (adverb): In a faint manner; very quietly or lightly.
- fall (verb): To be moved downwards. To move to a lower position under the effect of gravity.
- fantail (noun): Any of several birds, of the genus Rhipidura, from Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
- fatal (adjective): Proceeding from, or appointed by, fate or destiny.
- fatality (noun): The state proceeding from destiny; invincible necessity, superior to, and independent of, free and rational control.
- fatally (adverb): In a fatal manner; lethally.
- fatly (adverb): In a fat way; in the manner of a fat person.
- 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.
- filly (noun): A young female horse.
- final (noun): A final examination; a test or examination given at the end of a term or class; the test that concludes a class.
- finality† (noun): The state of being final; the condition from which no further changes occur.
- finally (adverb): At the end or conclusion; ultimately.
- finial (noun): The knot or bunch of foliage, or foliated ornament, that forms the upper extremity of a pinnacle in Gothic architecture.
- fitly (adverb): In a fit manner
- 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.
- flan (noun): Baked tart with sweet or savoury filling in an open-topped pastry case.
- flat (adjective): Having no variations in height.
- flatly (adverb): In a physically flat or level manner.
- flay (verb): To cause to fly; put to flight; drive off (by frightening).
- flint (noun): A hard, fine-grained quartz that fractures conchoidally and generates sparks when struck against a material such as steel, because tiny chips of the steel are heated to incandescence and burn in air.
- flinty (adjective): Resembling or containing flint.
- flit (noun): A fluttering or darting movement.
- illy (adverb): Badly; poorly.
- infantility† (noun): quality of being infantile
- infill (verb): To fill in a space, hole or gap.
- initial (adjective): Chronologically first, early; of or pertaining to the beginning, cause or origin.
- initially (adverb): At the beginning.
- inlay (verb): To place (pieces of a foreign material) within another material to form a decorative design.
- lain (verb): past participle of lie (“to be oriented in a horizontal position, situated”)
- laity (noun): People of a church who are not ordained clergy or clerics.
- lanai (noun): A Hawaiian-style roofed patio.
- lift (verb): To raise or rise.
- lilt (verb): To do something rhythmically, with animation and quickness, usually of music.
- lily (noun): Any of several flowers in the genus Lilium of the family Liliaceae, which includes a great many ornamental species.
- lint (noun): Clinging fuzzy fluff that clings to fabric or accumulates in one's pockets or navel etc.
- linty (adjective): Covered with lint.
- litany (noun): A ritual liturgical prayer in which a series of prayers recited by a leader are alternated with responses from the congregation.
- nail (noun): The thin, horny plate at the ends of fingers and toes on humans and some other animals.
- natal (adjective): Of or relating to birth.
- natality (noun): The ratio of live births in an area to the population of that area; expressed per 1000 population per year.
- nattily (adverb): In a natty manner.
- niftily (adverb): In a good, smart, useful or beneficial manner; cleverly.
- tail (noun): The caudal appendage of an animal that is attached to its posterior and near the anus.
- tailfin (noun): A fin at the tail of a fish, caudal fin
- tali (noun): plural of talus
- tall (adjective): Having a vertical extent greater than the average. For example, somebody with a height of over 6 feet would generally be considered to be tall.
- tally (interjection): Target sighted.
- till (preposition): Until; to, up to; as late as (a given time).
- tilt (verb): To slope or incline (something); to slant.
- tinily (adverb): In a tiny way.