NYT Spelling Bee Answers for September 21, 2019
Game Summary
| Center Letter | T |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | a, b, i, l, n, p |
| # of Pangrams | 1 (Perfect: none) |
| Total Words | 47 words |
| Total Points | 209 points |
| Genius Level | 146 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</th><th>9 | Σ | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | 6 |
| B | 2 | - | - | 1 | - | - | 3 |
| I | - | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | 2 |
| L | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | 2 |
| N | - | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | 2 |
| P | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 18 |
| T | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 14 | Σ | 17 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 47 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AB×1 AL×1 AN×1 AT×3 |
|---|---|
| B | BA×1 BL×2 |
| I | IN×2 |
| L | LI×2 |
| N | NA×2 |
| P | PA×6 PI×6 PL×6 |
| T | TA×7 TI×7 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | ABB×1 ALI×1 ANT×1 ATI×1 ATT×2 |
|---|---|
| B | BAI×1 BLA×2 |
| I | INA×1 INI×1 |
| L | LIL×1 LIN×1 |
| N | NAT×2 |
| P | PAI×2 PAL×2 PAN×1 PAT×1 PIN×3 PIP×1 PIT×2 PLA×5 PLI×1 |
| T | TAB×1 TAI×2 TAL×2 TAN×1 TAP×1 TIB×2 TIL×3 TIN×1 TIT×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) |
|---|---|---|
| ab...... | AB8 | Belonging to, relating to, or pertaining to an abbey, abbot, or abbess. |
| al.. | AL4 | simple past tense and past participle of alight |
| an.. | AN4 | Opposed to something. |
| at... | AT5 | At an angle from the vertical or horizontal. |
| at.... | AT6 | To gain (an object or desired result). |
| at..... | AT7 | Convicted, attainted. |
| ba.. | BA4 | Any substance, especially food, used in catching fish, or other animals, by alluring them to a hook, snare, trap, or net. |
| bl.. | BL4 | To cry, as a calf or sheep; bleat. |
| bl..... | BL7 | Obvious, on show; unashamed; loudly obtrusive or offensive. |
| in... | IN5 | Unapt |
| in..... | IN7 | Chronologically first, early; of or pertaining to the beginning, cause or origin. |
| li.. | LI4 | To do something rhythmically, with animation and quickness, usually of music. |
| li.. | LI4 | Clinging fuzzy fluff that clings to fabric or accumulates in one's pockets or navel etc. |
| na... | NA5 | Of or relating to birth. |
| na.... | NA6 | floating or swimming (in water) |
| pa... | PA5 | A substance that is applied as a liquid or paste, and dries into a solid coating that protects or adds color/colour to an object or surface to which it has been applied. |
| pa....... † | PA9 | A sport where teams shoot each other with gelatin capsules filled with paint-like dye. |
| pa..... | PA7 | Pertaining to the palate. |
| pa...... | PA8 | Of or relating to a palace. |
| pa.. | PA4 | A quick breathing; a catching of the breath; a gasp: the panting of animals such as a dog with their tong hung out- as a form of thermoregulation. |
| pa.... | PA6 | A paten, flat type of dish. |
| pi.... | PI6 | Alternative form of piñata |
| pi.. | PI4 | A unit of volume, equivalent to: one eighth of a gallon, specifically: 20 fluid ounces, approximately 568 millilitres (an imperial pint) : one half quart 16 US fluid ounces [473 millilitres] for liquids (a US liquid pint) or approximately 18.62 fluid ounces [551 millilitres] for dry goods (a US dry pint). 1.696 liters 12 fluid ounces |
| pi..... | PI7 | A pintail duck, a type of dabbling duck with a characteristic pointed tail. A northern pintail, Anas acuta, a dabbling duck of the northern hemisphere that has a long pointed tail. |
| pi... | PI5 | Any of various small passerine birds, mainly from the genus Anthus, that are often drab, ground feeding insectivores of open country. |
| pi.. | PI4 | A flat bread pouch used for making sandwiches such as gyros or falafels. |
| pi..... | PI7 | Alternative spelling of pit-a-pat |
| pl.... | PL6 | A lament or woeful cry. |
| pl... | PL5 | A flat fold; a doubling, as of cloth; a pleat. |
| pl... | PL5 | An organism that is not an animal, especially an organism capable of photosynthesis. Typically a small or herbaceous organism of this kind, rather than a tree. |
| pl...... | PL8 | A plant of the genus Plantago, with a rosette of sessile leaves about 10 cm (4") long with a narrow part instead of a petiole, and with a spike inflorescence with the flower spacing varying widely among the species. See also psyllium. |
| pl.. | PL4 | A plot of land; a lot. |
| pl.... | PL6 | Capable of plying or bending; readily yielding to force or pressure without breaking |
| ta... | TA5 | A pair of tuned hand drums, used in various musical genres of the Indian subcontinent, that are similar to bongos. |
| ta.. | TA4 | The caudal appendage of an animal that is attached to its posterior and near the anus. |
| ta... | TA5 | A contamination, decay or putrefaction, especially in food. |
| 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.... | TA6 | Tannic acid or any of its derivatives. |
| ta.. | TA4 | A kind of cloth prepared by the Polynesians from the inner bark of the paper mulberry. |
| ti... | TI5 | The inner and usually the larger of the two bones of the leg or hind limb below the knee, the shinbone |
| ti.... | TI6 | Of or pertaining to a tibia or a structure associated with a tibia. |
| ti..... | TI7 | Any of various edible fish, formerly species of the genus Tilapia, but now placed in other cichlid genera (such as Oreochromis), native to Africa and the Middle East but cultivated worldwide. |
| ti.. | TI4 | Until; to, up to; as late as (a given time). |
| ti.. | TI4 | To slope or incline (something); to slant. |
| ti.. | TI4 | A slight coloring. |
| ti... | TI5 | Something or someone of very large stature, greatness, or godliness. |
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.
- abbatial (AB8)
- alit (AL4)
- anti (AN4)
- atilt (AT5)
- attain (AT6)
- attaint (AT7)
- bait (BA4)
- blat (BL4)
- blatant (BL7)
- inapt (IN5)
- initial (IN7)
- lilt (LI4)
- lint (LI4)
- natal (NA5)
- natant (NA6)
- paint (PA5)
- paintball† (PA9)
- palatal (PA7)
- palatial (PA8)
- pant (PA4)
- patina (PA6)
- pinata (PI6)
- pint (PI4)
- pintail (PI7)
- pipit (PI5)
- pita (PI4)
- pitapat (PI7)
- plaint (PL6)
- plait (PL5)
- plant (PL5)
- plantain (PL8)
- plat (PL4)
- pliant (PL6)
- tabla (TA5)
- tail (TA4)
- taint (TA5)
- tali (TA4)
- tall (TA4)
- tannin (TA6)
- tapa (TA4)
- tibia (TI5)
- tibial (TI6)
- tilapia (TI7)
- till (TI4)
- tilt (TI4)
- tint (TI4)
- titan (TI5)
Answer Definitions
- abbatial (adjective): Belonging to, relating to, or pertaining to an abbey, abbot, or abbess.
- alit (verb): simple past tense and past participle of alight
- anti (adjective): Opposed to something.
- atilt (adjective): At an angle from the vertical or horizontal.
- attain (verb): To gain (an object or desired result).
- attaint (adjective): Convicted, attainted.
- bait (noun): Any substance, especially food, used in catching fish, or other animals, by alluring them to a hook, snare, trap, or net.
- blat (verb): To cry, as a calf or sheep; bleat.
- blatant (adjective): Obvious, on show; unashamed; loudly obtrusive or offensive.
- inapt (adjective): Unapt
- initial (adjective): Chronologically first, early; of or pertaining to the beginning, cause or origin.
- lilt (verb): To do something rhythmically, with animation and quickness, usually of music.
- lint (noun): Clinging fuzzy fluff that clings to fabric or accumulates in one's pockets or navel etc.
- natal (adjective): Of or relating to birth.
- natant (adjective): floating or swimming (in water)
- paint (noun): A substance that is applied as a liquid or paste, and dries into a solid coating that protects or adds color/colour to an object or surface to which it has been applied.
- paintball† (noun): A sport where teams shoot each other with gelatin capsules filled with paint-like dye.
- palatal (adjective): Pertaining to the palate.
- palatial (adjective): Of or relating to a palace.
- pant (noun): A quick breathing; a catching of the breath; a gasp: the panting of animals such as a dog with their tong hung out- as a form of thermoregulation.
- patina (noun): A paten, flat type of dish.
- pinata (noun): Alternative form of piñata
- pint (noun): A unit of volume, equivalent to: one eighth of a gallon, specifically: 20 fluid ounces, approximately 568 millilitres (an imperial pint) : one half quart 16 US fluid ounces [473 millilitres] for liquids (a US liquid pint) or approximately 18.62 fluid ounces [551 millilitres] for dry goods (a US dry pint). 1.696 liters 12 fluid ounces
- pintail (noun): A pintail duck, a type of dabbling duck with a characteristic pointed tail. A northern pintail, Anas acuta, a dabbling duck of the northern hemisphere that has a long pointed tail.
- pipit (noun): Any of various small passerine birds, mainly from the genus Anthus, that are often drab, ground feeding insectivores of open country.
- pita (noun): A flat bread pouch used for making sandwiches such as gyros or falafels.
- pitapat (verb): Alternative spelling of pit-a-pat
- plaint (noun): A lament or woeful cry.
- plait (noun): A flat fold; a doubling, as of cloth; a pleat.
- plant (noun): An organism that is not an animal, especially an organism capable of photosynthesis. Typically a small or herbaceous organism of this kind, rather than a tree.
- plantain (noun): A plant of the genus Plantago, with a rosette of sessile leaves about 10 cm (4") long with a narrow part instead of a petiole, and with a spike inflorescence with the flower spacing varying widely among the species. See also psyllium.
- plat (noun): A plot of land; a lot.
- pliant (adjective): Capable of plying or bending; readily yielding to force or pressure without breaking
- tabla (noun): A pair of tuned hand drums, used in various musical genres of the Indian subcontinent, that are similar to bongos.
- tail (noun): The caudal appendage of an animal that is attached to its posterior and near the anus.
- taint (noun): A contamination, decay or putrefaction, especially in food.
- 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.
- tannin (noun): Tannic acid or any of its derivatives.
- tapa (noun): A kind of cloth prepared by the Polynesians from the inner bark of the paper mulberry.
- tibia (noun): The inner and usually the larger of the two bones of the leg or hind limb below the knee, the shinbone
- tibial (adjective): Of or pertaining to a tibia or a structure associated with a tibia.
- tilapia (noun): Any of various edible fish, formerly species of the genus Tilapia, but now placed in other cichlid genera (such as Oreochromis), native to Africa and the Middle East but cultivated worldwide.
- till (preposition): Until; to, up to; as late as (a given time).
- tilt (verb): To slope or incline (something); to slant.
- tint (noun): A slight coloring.
- titan (noun): Something or someone of very large stature, greatness, or godliness.