Game Summary

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 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.

Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints

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

Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints

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

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 (^†).

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.

• alpaca  (AL6)
• anal  (AN4)
• apical  (AP6)
• appall  (AP6)
• aril  (AR4)
• call  (CA4)
• calla  (CA5)
• canal  (CA5)
• carnal  (CA6)
• carpal  (CA6)
• cilia  (CI5)
• clan  (CL4)
• clap  (CL4)
• clinic  (CL6)
• clinical  (CL8)
• clinician  (CL9)
• clip  (CL4)
• cranial  (CR7)
• iliac  (IL5)
• laic  (LA4)
• laical  (LA6)
• lain  (LA4)
• lair  (LA4)
• lanai  (LA5)
• liar  (LI4)
• lilac  (LI5)
• lira  (LI4)
• nail  (NA4)
• pail  (PA4)
• pall  (PA4)
• palp  (PA4)
• papal  (PA5)
• papilla  (PA7)
• pill  (PI4)
• pillar  (PI6)
• plain  (PL5)
• plan  (PL4)
• planar  (PL6)
• planaria  (PL8)
• planarian  (PL9)
• principal^†  (PR9)
• racial  (RA6)
• rail  (RA4)
• railcar  (RA7)
• rial  (RI4)
• rill  (RI4)

Answer Definitions

• alpaca (noun): A sheep-like animal of the Andes, Vicugna pacos, in the camel family, closely related to the llama, guanaco, and vicuña.
• anal (adjective): of, related to, intended for or involving the anus.
• apical (adjective): Of or connected with the apex.
• appall (verb): To fill with horror; to dismay.
• aril (noun): A tissue surrounding the seed in certain fruits such as pomegranates.
• call (noun): A telephone conversation; a phone call.
• calla (noun): A marsh plant native to cooler areas throughout the northern hemisphere, Calla palustris, having pale green flowers in a white spathe.
• canal (noun): An artificial waterway or artificially improved river used for travel, shipping, or irrigation.
• carnal (adjective): Relating to the physical and especially sexual appetites.
• carpal (noun): Any of the eight bones of the wrist (carpus).
• cilia (noun): plural of cilium
• clan (noun): A group of people all descended from a common ancestor, in fact or belief, especially when the exact genealogies are not known.
• clap (noun): The act of striking the palms of the hands, or any two surfaces, together.
• clinic (noun): A medical facility, such as a hospital, especially one for the treatment and diagnosis of outpatients.
• clinical (adjective): Dealing with the practical management of patients, in practice at the point of care; as contrasted with other health care venues (see clinical medicine for more explanation).
• clinician (noun): Any healthcare practitioner working at the point of care, in clinical practice (e.g., physicians in clinical medicine, nurses in nursing practice, or allied health providers in practice).
• clip (verb): To grip tightly.
• cranial (adjective): Of or relating to the cranium, or to the skull.
• iliac (adjective): Relating to the ilium.
• laic (noun): A layperson, as opposed to a member of the clergy.
• laical (adjective): Of or pertaining to a layperson, layman, laywoman, or laypeople (laity).
• lain (verb): past participle of lie (“to be oriented in a horizontal position, situated”)
• lair (noun): A place inhabited by a wild animal, often a cave or a hole in the ground.
• lanai (noun): A Hawaiian-style roofed patio.
• liar (noun): One who frequently tells lies.
• lilac (noun): A large shrub of the genus Syringa, especially Syringa vulgaris, bearing white, pale-pink, or purple flowers.
• lira (noun): The basic unit of currency in Turkey.
• nail (noun): The thin, horny plate at the ends of fingers and toes on humans and some other animals.
• pail (noun): A vessel of wood, tin, plastic, etc., usually cylindrical and having a handle -- used especially for carrying liquids, for example water or milk; a bucket (sometimes with a cover).
• pall (noun): Senses relating to cloth. Fine cloth, especially purple cloth used for robes. A heavy cloth laid over a coffin or tomb; a shroud laid over a corpse. A piece of cardboard, covered with linen and embroidered on one side, used to cover the chalice during the Eucharist. A cloth used for various purposes on the altar in a church, such as a corporal (“cloth on which elements of the Eucharist are placed”) or frontal (“drapery covering the front of an altar”).
• palp (noun): Synonym of pedipalp.
• papal (adjective): Having to do with the pope or the papacy.
• papilla (noun): A nipple-like protuberance on a part or organ of the body. A vascular process of connective tissue extending into and nourishing the root of a hair, feather, or developing tooth. Any of the vascular protuberances of the dermal layer of the skin extending into the epidermal layer and often containing tactile corpuscles. Any of the small protuberances on the upper surface of the tongue often containing taste buds.
• pill (noun): A small, usually round or cylindrical object designed for easy swallowing, usually containing some sort of medication.
• pillar (noun): A large post, often used as supporting architecture.
• plain (adjective): Flat, level.
• plan (noun): A drawing showing technical details of a building, machine, etc., with unwanted details omitted, and often using symbols rather than detailed drawing to represent doors, valves, etc.
• planar (adjective): Of or pertaining to a plane.
• planaria (noun): plural of planarium
• planarian (noun): Any of various flatworms of the order Tricladida living in marine, freshwater, or terrestrial environments.
• principal^† (adjective): Primary; most important; first level in importance.
• racial (adjective): Of or relating to a race (or a people).
• rail (noun): A horizontal bar extending between supports and used for support or as a barrier; a railing.
• railcar (noun): A self-propelled railway vehicle for passengers, similar to a bus.
• rial (noun): The official currencies of Iran, Oman, and Yemen.
• rill (noun): A very small brook; a streamlet; a creek, rivulet.