NYT Spelling Bee Answers for January 23, 2020
Game Summary
| Center Letter | N |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | a, b, g, l, o, t |
| # of Pangrams | 1 (Perfect: none) |
| Total Words | 53 words |
| Total Points | 229 points |
| Genius Level | 160 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 | 2 | - | - | - | 5 |
| B | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | - | - | 13 |
| G | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 7 |
| L | 3 | 1 | 2 | - | 1 | - | 7 |
| N | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | - | 1 | 10 |
| O | 1 | - | 2 | - | - | - | 3 |
| T | 3 | 3 | - | - | 2 | - | 8 | Σ | 20 | 11 | 12 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 53 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AL×1 AN×3 AT×1 |
|---|---|
| B | BA×6 BL×1 BO×6 |
| G | GA×3 GN×1 GO×3 |
| L | LA×1 LL×1 LO×5 |
| N | NA×6 NO×4 |
| O | OB×1 ON×1 OO×1 |
| T | TA×4 TO×4 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | ALO×1 ANA×2 ANO×1 ATO×1 |
|---|---|
| B | BAB×1 BAL×1 BAN×3 BAT×1 BLA×1 BOL×1 BON×4 BOO×1 |
| G | GAL×2 GAN×1 GNA×1 GON×2 GOO×1 |
| L | LAG×1 LLA×1 LOA×1 LON×3 LOO×1 |
| N | NAA×1 NAB×1 NAN×2 NAT×2 NON×2 NOO×2 |
| O | OBL×1 ONT×1 OOL×1 |
| T | TAG×1 TAL×1 TAN×2 TOB×1 TON×2 TOO×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) |
|---|---|---|
| al... | AL5 | By the length of; in a line with the length of; lengthwise next to. |
| an.. | AN4 | of, related to, intended for or involving the anus. |
| an.... | AN6 | In which the value of a data item (such as time) is represented by a continuous(ly) variable physical quantity that can be measured (such as the shadow of a sundial). |
| an.. | AN4 | Straight away; at once. |
| at.... | AT6 | Lacking a tonal center or key. |
| ba.... | BA6 | An Old World monkey of the genus Papio, having dog-like muzzles and large canine teeth, cheek pouches, a short tail, and naked callosities on the buttocks. |
| ba..... | BA7 | An inflatable buoyant object, often (but not necessarily) round and flexible. |
| ba... | BA5 | Common in a boring way, to the point of being predictable; containing nothing new or fresh. |
| ba.... | BA6 | An elongated curved tropical fruit of a banana plant, which grows in bunches and has a creamy flesh and a smooth skin. In particular, the sweet, yellow fruit of the Cavendish banana cultivar, which may be eaten raw, as distinct from e.g. a plantain for cooking. |
| ba.. | BA4 | A sudden percussive noise. |
| ba... | BA5 | A staff or truncheon, used for various purposes. |
| bl..... | BL7 | Obvious, on show; unashamed; loudly obtrusive or offensive. |
| bo..... | BO7 | A seasoned Italian sausage made from beef, pork or veal. |
| bo.... | BO6 | A sweet, especially a small chocolate-covered candy. |
| bo.. | BO4 | The clang of a large bell. |
| bo... | BO5 | A striped bovine mammal found in Africa, Tragelaphus eurycerus. |
| bo.... | BO6 | The pygmy chimpanzee, Pan paniscus, from Africa south of the Congo river. |
| bo.. | BO4 | A prayer; petition. |
| ga..... | GA7 | Brave, valiant. |
| ga.... | GA6 | A unit of volume, equivalent to eight pints |
| ga.. | GA4 | To go; walk; proceed. |
| gn.. | GN4 | Any small insect of the order Diptera, specifically within the suborder Nematocera. |
| go.. | GO4 | A percussion instrument consisting of a metal disk that emits a sonorous sound when struck with a soft hammer. |
| go... | GO5 | Contraction of going to when followed by an infinitive verb: used to express a future action. |
| go.. | GO4 | A thug; a usually muscular henchman with little intelligence (also known as a 'hired goon'). |
| la.... | LA6 | A shallow body of water separated from deeper sea by a bar. |
| ll... | LL5 | A plain or steppe in parts of Latin America. |
| lo.. | LO4 | An act or instance of lending, an act or instance of granting something for temporary use. |
| lo.. | LO4 | Having much distance from one terminating point on an object or an area to another terminating point . |
| lo.... | LO6 | An evergreen tree, Dimocarpus longan, of the Sapindaceae family, native to southern China. |
| lo...... † | LO8 | Among the boats carried by a ship the largest, thus the most capable of boats carried on a ship. |
| lo.. | LO4 | An idler, a lout. |
| na.. | NA4 | A type of round, flat bread baked in a tandoor popular in South and Central Asian cuisine. |
| na... | NA5 | An Indian ruler within the Mogul empire. |
| na.. | NA4 | A banana. |
| na..... | NA7 | A very small autonomous robot, typically the size of a biological cell, designed to work alone or in very large numbers to achieve some task. |
| na... | NA5 | Of or relating to birth. |
| na.... | NA6 | floating or swimming (in water) |
| no..... | NO7 | A polygon with nine sides and nine angles; an enneagon. |
| no....... | NO9 | Having nine sides and nine angles |
| no.. | NO4 | A newb or newbie; refers to the idea that someone is new to a game, concept, or idea; implying a lack of experience. Also, in some areas the word noob can mean someone is obsessed with things. |
| no.. | NO4 | The time of day when the sun is in its zenith; twelve o'clock in the day, midday. |
| ob.... | OB6 | Having a length and width that are different; not square or circular. |
| on.. | ON4 | Upon; on top of. |
| oo.... | OO6 | A partially fermented tea, often roasted, which combines the characteristics of green tea and black tea. |
| ta...... | TA8 | One who, or that which, tags along. |
| ta... | TA5 | A sharp, hooked claw of a bird of prey or other predatory animal. |
| ta.. | TA4 | A refreshingly sharp aroma or flavor. |
| ta... | TA5 | A Standard ballroom dance in 4/4 time; or a social dance, the Argentine tango. |
| to...... | TO8 | A long sled without runners, with the front end curled upwards, which may be pulled across snow by a cord or used to coast down hills. |
| to... | TO5 | Of or relating to tones or tonality. |
| to.. | TO4 | An instrument or tool used for manipulating things in a fire without touching them with the hands. |
| to.. | TO4 | A cartoon, especially an animated television show. |
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.
- along (AL5)
- anal (AN4)
- analog (AN6)
- anon (AN4)
- atonal (AT6)
- baboon (BA6)
- balloon (BA7)
- banal (BA5)
- banana (BA6)
- bang (BA4)
- baton (BA5)
- blatant (BL7)
- bologna (BO7)
- bonbon (BO6)
- bong (BO4)
- bongo (BO5)
- bonobo (BO6)
- boon (BO4)
- gallant (GA7)
- gallon (GA6)
- gang (GA4)
- gnat (GN4)
- gong (GO4)
- gonna (GO5)
- goon (GO4)
- lagoon (LA6)
- llano (LL5)
- loan (LO4)
- long (LO4)
- longan (LO6)
- longboat† (LO8)
- loon (LO4)
- naan (NA4)
- nabob (NA5)
- nana (NA4)
- nanobot (NA7)
- natal (NA5)
- natant (NA6)
- nonagon (NO7)
- nonagonal (NO9)
- noob (NO4)
- noon (NO4)
- oblong (OB6)
- onto (ON4)
- oolong (OO6)
- tagalong (TA8)
- talon (TA5)
- tang (TA4)
- tango (TA5)
- toboggan (TO8)
- tonal (TO5)
- tong (TO4)
- toon (TO4)
Answer Definitions
- along (preposition): By the length of; in a line with the length of; lengthwise next to.
- anal (adjective): of, related to, intended for or involving the anus.
- analog (adjective): In which the value of a data item (such as time) is represented by a continuous(ly) variable physical quantity that can be measured (such as the shadow of a sundial).
- anon (adverb): Straight away; at once.
- atonal (adjective): Lacking a tonal center or key.
- baboon (noun): An Old World monkey of the genus Papio, having dog-like muzzles and large canine teeth, cheek pouches, a short tail, and naked callosities on the buttocks.
- balloon (noun): An inflatable buoyant object, often (but not necessarily) round and flexible.
- banal (adjective): Common in a boring way, to the point of being predictable; containing nothing new or fresh.
- banana (noun): An elongated curved tropical fruit of a banana plant, which grows in bunches and has a creamy flesh and a smooth skin. In particular, the sweet, yellow fruit of the Cavendish banana cultivar, which may be eaten raw, as distinct from e.g. a plantain for cooking.
- bang (noun): A sudden percussive noise.
- baton (noun): A staff or truncheon, used for various purposes.
- blatant (adjective): Obvious, on show; unashamed; loudly obtrusive or offensive.
- bologna (noun): A seasoned Italian sausage made from beef, pork or veal.
- bonbon (noun): A sweet, especially a small chocolate-covered candy.
- bong (noun): The clang of a large bell.
- bongo (noun): A striped bovine mammal found in Africa, Tragelaphus eurycerus.
- bonobo (noun): The pygmy chimpanzee, Pan paniscus, from Africa south of the Congo river.
- boon (noun): A prayer; petition.
- gallant (adjective): Brave, valiant.
- gallon (noun): A unit of volume, equivalent to eight pints
- gang (verb): To go; walk; proceed.
- gnat (noun): Any small insect of the order Diptera, specifically within the suborder Nematocera.
- gong (noun): A percussion instrument consisting of a metal disk that emits a sonorous sound when struck with a soft hammer.
- gonna (contraction): Contraction of going to when followed by an infinitive verb: used to express a future action.
- goon (noun): A thug; a usually muscular henchman with little intelligence (also known as a 'hired goon').
- lagoon (noun): A shallow body of water separated from deeper sea by a bar.
- llano (noun): A plain or steppe in parts of Latin America.
- loan (noun): An act or instance of lending, an act or instance of granting something for temporary use.
- long (adjective): Having much distance from one terminating point on an object or an area to another terminating point .
- longan (noun): An evergreen tree, Dimocarpus longan, of the Sapindaceae family, native to southern China.
- longboat† (noun): Among the boats carried by a ship the largest, thus the most capable of boats carried on a ship.
- loon (noun): An idler, a lout.
- naan (noun): A type of round, flat bread baked in a tandoor popular in South and Central Asian cuisine.
- nabob (noun): An Indian ruler within the Mogul empire.
- nana (noun): A banana.
- nanobot (noun): A very small autonomous robot, typically the size of a biological cell, designed to work alone or in very large numbers to achieve some task.
- natal (adjective): Of or relating to birth.
- natant (adjective): floating or swimming (in water)
- nonagon (noun): A polygon with nine sides and nine angles; an enneagon.
- nonagonal (adjective): Having nine sides and nine angles
- noob (noun): A newb or newbie; refers to the idea that someone is new to a game, concept, or idea; implying a lack of experience. Also, in some areas the word noob can mean someone is obsessed with things.
- noon (noun): The time of day when the sun is in its zenith; twelve o'clock in the day, midday.
- oblong (adjective): Having a length and width that are different; not square or circular.
- onto (preposition): Upon; on top of.
- oolong (noun): A partially fermented tea, often roasted, which combines the characteristics of green tea and black tea.
- tagalong (noun): One who, or that which, tags along.
- talon (noun): A sharp, hooked claw of a bird of prey or other predatory animal.
- tang (noun): A refreshingly sharp aroma or flavor.
- tango (noun): A Standard ballroom dance in 4/4 time; or a social dance, the Argentine tango.
- toboggan (noun): A long sled without runners, with the front end curled upwards, which may be pulled across snow by a cord or used to coast down hills.
- tonal (adjective): Of or relating to tones or tonality.
- tong (noun): An instrument or tool used for manipulating things in a fire without touching them with the hands.
- toon (noun): A cartoon, especially an animated television show.