NYT Spelling Bee Answers for December 17, 2019
Game Summary
| Center Letter | O |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | a, j, l, m, r, y |
| # of Pangrams | 1 (Perfect: 1) |
| Total Words | 41 words |
| Total Points | 180 points |
| Genius Level | 126 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 | Σ | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1 | 3 | 3 | - | 1 | 8 |
| J | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1 |
| L | 3 | 3 | - | 1 | - | 7 |
| M | 4 | 8 | - | 3 | 1 | 16 |
| O | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | 2 |
| R | 4 | 2 | - | 1 | - | 7 |
| Y | - | - | - | - | - | - | Σ | 13 | 17 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 41 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AL×1 AM×3 AR×4 |
|---|---|
| J | JO×1 |
| L | LO×7 |
| M | MA×6 MO×10 |
| O | OR×2 |
| R | RO×7 |
| Y |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | ALL×1 AMM×1 AMO×2 ARM×2 ARO×1 ARR×1 |
|---|---|
| J | JOL×1 |
| L | LOA×2 LOL×1 LOO×1 LOR×1 LOY×2 |
| M | MAJ×2 MAR×1 MAY×3 MOJ×1 MOL×2 MOM×2 MOO×2 MOR×3 |
| O | ORA×2 |
| R | ROA×2 ROL×1 ROO×2 ROY×2 |
| 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... | AL5 | A metal that is a combination of two or more elements, at least one of which is a metal. |
| am.. | AM4 | Ammunition. |
| am.... | AM6 | Neither moral nor immoral. |
| am...... | AM8 | In an amoral manner; without morals. |
| ar... | AR5 | A protective layer over a body, vehicle, or other object intended to deflect or diffuse damaging forces. |
| ar.... | AR6 | US standard spelling of armoury. |
| ar... | AR5 | A smell; especially a pleasant spicy or fragrant one. |
| ar.... | AR6 | A dry creek or streambed, a gulch which temporarily or seasonally fills and flows (after sufficient rain). |
| jo... | JO5 | Full of merriment and high spirits; jovial; joyous; merry. |
| lo.. | LO4 | A type of soil; an earthy mixture of sand, silt and clay, with organic matter to which its fertility is chiefly due. |
| lo... | LO5 | Consisting of loam; partaking of the nature of loam; resembling loam. |
| lo.. | LO4 | To act lazily or indolently while reclining; to lean; to lie at ease. |
| lo.. | LO4 | A utensil; tool; a weapon; an article in general. |
| lo... | LO5 | A heavier motor vehicle designed to carry goods or to pull a semi-trailer designed to carry goods |
| lo... | LO5 | Having or demonstrating undivided and constant support for someone or something. |
| lo..... | LO7 | In a loyal manner, faithfully. |
| ma... | MA5 | : Greater in dignity, rank, importance, significance, or interest. Greater in number, quantity, or extent. |
| ma..... † | MA7 | significantly; very, very much |
| ma...... | MA8 | A herb of the mint family, Origanum majorana, having aromatic leaves. |
| ma.. | MA4 | Clipping of mayonnaise. |
| ma... | MA5 | The chief executive of the municipal government of a city, borough, &c., formerly usually appointed as a caretaker by European royal courts but now usually appointed or elected locally. |
| ma..... | MA7 | Relating to a mayor (or the office of the mayor). |
| mo.. | MO4 | A magic charm or spell. |
| mo... | MO5 | A back tooth having a broad surface used for grinding one's food. |
| mo.. | MO4 | A female companion of a gangster, especially a former or current prostitute. |
| mo... | MO5 | mother |
| mo... | MO5 | Mother. |
| mo... | MO5 | Money, cash. |
| mo.. | MO4 | An extensive waste covered with patches of heath, and having a poor, light soil, but sometimes marshy, and abounding in peat; a heath |
| mo... | MO5 | Of or relating to principles of right and wrong in behaviour, especially for teaching right behaviour. |
| mo..... | MO7 | In terms of morals or ethics. |
| mo... | MO5 | Any of the large cosmopolitan carnivorous eels of the family Muraenidae. |
| or.. | OR4 | Relating to the mouth. |
| or.... | OR6 | By mouth. |
| ro.. | RO4 | To wander or travel freely and with no specific destination. |
| ro.. | RO4 | To make a loud, deep cry, especially from pain, anger, or other strong emotion. |
| ro.. | RO4 | 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. |
| ro.. | RO4 | Opportunity or scope (to do something). |
| ro... | RO5 | Spacious, expansive, comfortable. |
| ro... | RO5 | Of or relating to a monarch or their family. |
| ro..... | RO7 | In a royal manner; in a manner having to do with royalty. |
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.
- alloy (AL5)
- ammo (AM4)
- amoral (AM6)
- amorally (AM8)
- armor (AR5)
- armory (AR6)
- aroma (AR5)
- arroyo (AR6)
- jolly (JO5)
- loam (LO4)
- loamy (LO5)
- loll (LO4)
- loom (LO4)
- lorry (LO5)
- loyal (LO5)
- loyally (LO7)
- major (MA5)
- majorly† (MA7)
- marjoram (MA8)
- mayo (MA4)
- mayor (MA5)
- mayoral (MA7)
- mojo (MO4)
- molar (MO5)
- moll (MO4)
- momma (MO5)
- mommy (MO5)
- moola (MO5)
- moor (MO4)
- moral (MO5)
- morally (MO7)
- moray (MO5)
- oral (OR4)
- orally (OR6)
- roam (RO4)
- roar (RO4)
- roll (RO4)
- room (RO4)
- roomy (RO5)
- royal (RO5)
- royally (RO7)
Answer Definitions
- alloy (noun): A metal that is a combination of two or more elements, at least one of which is a metal.
- ammo (noun): Ammunition.
- amoral (adjective): Neither moral nor immoral.
- amorally (adverb): In an amoral manner; without morals.
- armor (noun): A protective layer over a body, vehicle, or other object intended to deflect or diffuse damaging forces.
- armory (noun): US standard spelling of armoury.
- aroma (noun): A smell; especially a pleasant spicy or fragrant one.
- arroyo (noun): A dry creek or streambed, a gulch which temporarily or seasonally fills and flows (after sufficient rain).
- jolly (adjective): Full of merriment and high spirits; jovial; joyous; merry.
- loam (noun): A type of soil; an earthy mixture of sand, silt and clay, with organic matter to which its fertility is chiefly due.
- loamy (adjective): Consisting of loam; partaking of the nature of loam; resembling loam.
- loll (verb): To act lazily or indolently while reclining; to lean; to lie at ease.
- loom (noun): A utensil; tool; a weapon; an article in general.
- lorry (noun): A heavier motor vehicle designed to carry goods or to pull a semi-trailer designed to carry goods
- loyal (adjective): Having or demonstrating undivided and constant support for someone or something.
- loyally (adverb): In a loyal manner, faithfully.
- major (adjective): : Greater in dignity, rank, importance, significance, or interest. Greater in number, quantity, or extent.
- majorly† (adverb): significantly; very, very much
- marjoram (noun): A herb of the mint family, Origanum majorana, having aromatic leaves.
- mayo (noun): Clipping of mayonnaise.
- mayor (noun): The chief executive of the municipal government of a city, borough, &c., formerly usually appointed as a caretaker by European royal courts but now usually appointed or elected locally.
- mayoral (adjective): Relating to a mayor (or the office of the mayor).
- mojo (noun): A magic charm or spell.
- molar (noun): A back tooth having a broad surface used for grinding one's food.
- moll (noun): A female companion of a gangster, especially a former or current prostitute.
- momma (noun): mother
- mommy (noun): Mother.
- moola (noun): Money, cash.
- moor (noun): An extensive waste covered with patches of heath, and having a poor, light soil, but sometimes marshy, and abounding in peat; a heath
- moral (adjective): Of or relating to principles of right and wrong in behaviour, especially for teaching right behaviour.
- morally (adverb): In terms of morals or ethics.
- moray (noun): Any of the large cosmopolitan carnivorous eels of the family Muraenidae.
- oral (adjective): Relating to the mouth.
- orally (adverb): By mouth.
- roam (verb): To wander or travel freely and with no specific destination.
- roar (verb): To make a loud, deep cry, especially from pain, anger, or other strong emotion.
- 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.
- room (noun): Opportunity or scope (to do something).
- roomy (adjective): Spacious, expansive, comfortable.
- royal (adjective): Of or relating to a monarch or their family.
- royally (adverb): In a royal manner; in a manner having to do with royalty.