NYT Spelling Bee Answers for January 24, 2020

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for January 24, 2020

Game Summary

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for January 24, 2020
Center LetterL
Outer Lettersa, b, i, t, x, y
# of Pangrams1 (Perfect: none)
Total Words39 words
Total Points164 points
Genius Level115 points
Bingo?No

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 "Hive" Board for January 24, 2020

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>10Σ
A3412---10
B52111--10
I1------1
L232-11-9
T521---19
X--------
Y--------
Σ16115321139

Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints

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

A
AB×2
AL×4
AT×1
AX×3
B
BA×2
BI×5
BL×3
I
IL×1
L
LA×6
LI×3
T
TA×6
TI×3
X
Y

Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints

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

A
ABI×1
ABL×1
ALI×2
ALL×2
ATI×1
AXI×3
B
BAI×1
BAL×1
BIA×2
BIL×3
BLA×3
I
ILL×1
L
LAB×3
LAI×1
LAX×2
LIA×1
LIL×2
T
TAB×1
TAI×1
TAL×3
TAX×1
TIB×1
TIL×2
X
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 ().

Word2L RefDefinition (click to reveal)
ab.....AB7Suitableness.
ab..AB4In an able manner; with great ability.
al...AL5The plea or mode of defense under which a person on trial for a crime proves or attempts to prove being in another place when the alleged act was committed.
al..AL4simple past tense and past participle of alight
al...AL5To make quiet or put at rest; to pacify or appease; to quell; to calm.
al..AL4To unite or form a connection between (people or things), as between families by marriage, or between states by confederacy, league, or treaty.
at...AT5At an angle from the vertical or horizontal.
ax...AX5Relating to, resembling, or situated on an axis
ax.....AX7In relation to, or in a line with, an axis; in the axial (magnetic) line.
ax....AX6The armpit, or the cavity beneath the junction of the arm and shoulder.
ba..BA4Security, usually a sum of money, exchanged for the release of an arrested person as a guarantee of that person's appearance for trial.
ba..BA4A solid or hollow sphere, or roughly spherical mass.
bi...BI5A flat bread roll topped with onion flakes. Instead of a hole like a bagel, it has a depression in the middle.
bi.....BI7Having two axes
bi......BI8Articulated with both lips.
bi..BI4Any of various bladed or pointed hand weapons, originally designating an Anglo-Saxon sword, and later a weapon of infantry, especially in the 14th and 15th centuries, commonly consisting of a broad, heavy, double-edged, hook-shaped blade, with a short pike at the back and another at the top, attached to the end of a long staff.
bi...BI5A billy club.
bl..BL4To tell tales; to gossip without reserve or discretion.
bl....BL6Tending to blab or gossip a lot.
bl..BL4To cry, as a calf or sheep; bleat.
il..IL4Badly; poorly.
la...LA5The folds of tissue at the opening of the vulva, at either side of the vagina.
la....LA6Of or pertaining to the lips or labia.
la......LA8The state of being labile.
la...LA5People of a church who are not ordained clergy or clerics.
la....LA6The state of being lax; looseness, lack of tension.
la...LA5In a lax manner; without rigor or strictness.
li.......LI9An obligation, debt or responsibility owed to someone.
li..LI4To do something rhythmically, with animation and quickness, usually of music.
li..LI4Any of several flowers in the genus Lilium of the family Liliaceae, which includes a great many ornamental species.
ta...TA5A pair of tuned hand drums, used in various musical genres of the Indian subcontinent, that are similar to bongos.
ta..TA4The caudal appendage of an animal that is attached to its posterior and near the anus.
ta..TA4plural of talus
ta..TA4Having 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...TA5Target sighted.
ta........ TA10The quality of being taxable.
ti....TI6Of or pertaining to a tibia or a structure associated with a tibia.
ti..TI4Until; to, up to; as late as (a given time).
ti..TI4To slope or incline (something); to slant.

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.

  • ability  (AB7)
  • ably  (AB4)
  • alibi  (AL5)
  • alit  (AL4)
  • allay  (AL5)
  • ally  (AL4)
  • atilt  (AT5)
  • axial  (AX5)
  • axially  (AX7)
  • axilla  (AX6)
  • bail  (BA4)
  • ball  (BA4)
  • bialy  (BI5)
  • biaxial  (BI7)
  • bilabial  (BI8)
  • bill  (BI4)
  • billy  (BI5)
  • blab  (BL4)
  • blabby  (BL6)
  • blat  (BL4)
  • illy  (IL4)
  • labia  (LA5)
  • labial  (LA6)
  • lability  (LA8)
  • laity  (LA5)
  • laxity  (LA6)
  • laxly  (LA5)
  • liability  (LI9)
  • lilt  (LI4)
  • lily  (LI4)
  • tabla  (TA5)
  • tail  (TA4)
  • tali  (TA4)
  • tall  (TA4)
  • tally  (TA5)
  • taxability  (TA10)
  • tibial  (TI6)
  • till  (TI4)
  • tilt  (TI4)

Answer Definitions

  • ability (noun): Suitableness.
  • ably (adverb): In an able manner; with great ability.
  • alibi (noun): The plea or mode of defense under which a person on trial for a crime proves or attempts to prove being in another place when the alleged act was committed.
  • 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.
  • atilt (adjective): At an angle from the vertical or horizontal.
  • axial (adjective): Relating to, resembling, or situated on an axis
  • axially (adverb): In relation to, or in a line with, an axis; in the axial (magnetic) line.
  • axilla (noun): The armpit, or the cavity beneath the junction of the arm and shoulder.
  • bail (noun): Security, usually a sum of money, exchanged for the release of an arrested person as a guarantee of that person's appearance for trial.
  • ball (noun): A solid or hollow sphere, or roughly spherical mass.
  • bialy (noun): A flat bread roll topped with onion flakes. Instead of a hole like a bagel, it has a depression in the middle.
  • biaxial (adjective): Having two axes
  • bilabial (adjective): Articulated with both lips.
  • bill (noun): Any of various bladed or pointed hand weapons, originally designating an Anglo-Saxon sword, and later a weapon of infantry, especially in the 14th and 15th centuries, commonly consisting of a broad, heavy, double-edged, hook-shaped blade, with a short pike at the back and another at the top, attached to the end of a long staff.
  • billy (noun): A billy club.
  • blab (verb): To tell tales; to gossip without reserve or discretion.
  • blabby (adjective): Tending to blab or gossip a lot.
  • blat (verb): To cry, as a calf or sheep; bleat.
  • illy (adverb): Badly; poorly.
  • labia (noun): The folds of tissue at the opening of the vulva, at either side of the vagina.
  • labial (adjective): Of or pertaining to the lips or labia.
  • lability (noun): The state of being labile.
  • laity (noun): People of a church who are not ordained clergy or clerics.
  • laxity (noun): The state of being lax; looseness, lack of tension.
  • laxly (adverb): In a lax manner; without rigor or strictness.
  • liability (noun): An obligation, debt or responsibility owed to someone.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • taxability (noun): The quality of being taxable.
  • tibial (adjective): Of or pertaining to a tibia or a structure associated with a tibia.
  • till (preposition): Until; to, up to; as late as (a given time).
  • tilt (verb): To slope or incline (something); to slant.