NYT Spelling Bee Answers for February 17, 2020
Game Summary
| Center Letter | T |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | a, c, f, i, l, y |
| # of Pangrams | 1 (Perfect: none) |
| Total Words | 53 words |
| Total Points | 259 points |
| Genius Level | 181 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</th><th>9</th><th>10</th><th>11</th><th>12</th><th>13 | Σ | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1 | 2 | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 4 |
| C | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | 9 |
| F | 4 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 14 |
| I | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 4 |
| L | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6 |
| T | 8 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 16 |
| Y | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Σ | 17 | 15 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 1 | - | - | 1 | 53 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AF×1 AL×1 AT×2 |
|---|---|
| C | CA×7 CI×2 |
| F | FA×8 FI×3 FL×3 |
| I | IL×2 IT×2 |
| L | LA×2 LI×4 |
| T | TA×13 TI×3 |
| Y |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | AFF×1 ALI×1 ATI×1 ATT×1 |
|---|---|
| C | CAC×1 CAT×6 CIT×2 |
| F | FAC×3 FAT×5 FIA×1 FIF×1 FIT×1 FLA×2 FLI×1 |
| I | ILL×2 ITA×1 ITT×1 |
| L | LAC×1 LAI×1 LIC×2 LIF×1 LIL×1 |
| T | TAC×6 TAF×1 TAI×1 TAL×4 TAT×1 TIF×1 TIL×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) |
|---|---|---|
| af..... | AF7 | To cause (someone) pain, suffering or distress. |
| al.. | AL4 | simple past tense and past participle of alight |
| at... | AT5 | At an angle from the vertical or horizontal. |
| at... | AT5 | The space, often unfinished and with sloped walls, directly below the roof in the uppermost part of a house or other building, generally used for storage or habitation. |
| ca... | CA5 | plural of cactus |
| ca....... | CA9 | Of or relating to a catalyst; having properties facilitating chemical reaction or change. |
| ca........... | CA13 | In terms of, or by means of, catalysis. |
| ca..... | CA7 | A shout or whistle expressing dislike, especially from a crowd or audience; a jeer, a boo. |
| ca..... | CA7 | Any of several perennial herbs, of the genus Typha, that have long flat leaves, and grow in marshy places. |
| ca..... | CA7 | In a catty manner. |
| ca... | CA5 | With subtle hostility in an effort to hurt, annoy, or upset, particularly among women. |
| ci.... | CI6 | To become more like or more in the character of a city. |
| ci.. | CI4 | A large settlement, bigger than a town; sometimes with a specific legal definition, depending on the place. |
| fa...... † | FA8 | The fact of being easy, or easily done; absence of difficulty, simplicity. |
| fa.. | FA4 | Something actual as opposed to invented. |
| fa....... | FA9 | The quality or state of being a fact. |
| fa... | FA5 | Proceeding from, or appointed by, fate or destiny. |
| fa...... | FA8 | The state proceeding from destiny; invincible necessity, superior to, and independent of, free and rational control. |
| fa..... | FA7 | In a fatal manner; lethally. |
| fa... | FA5 | In a fat way; in the manner of a fat person. |
| fa... | FA5 | derogatory term for an overweight person. |
| fi.. | FI4 | An arbitrary or authoritative command or order to do something; an effectual decree. |
| fi... | FI5 | Half of a 'Benjamin?' |
| fi... | FI5 | In a fit manner |
| fl.. | FL4 | Having no variations in height. |
| fl.... | FL6 | In a physically flat or level manner. |
| fl.. | FL4 | A fluttering or darting movement. |
| il..... | IL7 | Not approved by law, but not invalid. |
| il....... | IL9 | In an illicit manner; illegally, immorally or inappropriately. |
| it.... | IT6 | Designed to resemble a handwriting style developed in Italy in the 16th century. |
| it.. | IT4 | Extremely small. |
| la.... | LA6 | Of, relating to, or derived from milk. |
| la... | LA5 | People of a church who are not ordained clergy or clerics. |
| li... | LI5 | Not forbidden by formal or informal rules. |
| li..... | LI7 | In a licit manner, legally, in a manner compatible with law. |
| li.. | LI4 | To raise or rise. |
| li.. | LI4 | To do something rhythmically, with animation and quickness, usually of music. |
| ta... | TA5 | Implied, but not made explicit, especially through silence. |
| ta..... | TA7 | In a tacit manner; done in silence or implied. |
| ta.. | TA4 | The sense of touch; feeling. |
| ta.... | TA6 | A maneuver, or action calculated to achieve some end. |
| ta...... | TA8 | of or relating to tactics |
| ta........ | TA10 | in a tactical manner; in a manner calculated to achieve some end. |
| ta... | TA5 | A soft, chewy candy made from boiled sugar, molasses, or corn syrup and butter. |
| ta.. | TA4 | The caudal appendage of an animal that is attached to its posterior and near the anus. |
| ta.. | TA4 | Originally a large range of transparent or glistening foliated minerals. Examples include mica, selenite and the hydrated magnesium silicate that the term talc generally has referred to in modern times (see below). Also an item made of such a mineral and depending for its function on the special nature of the mineral (see next). Mediaeval writers adopted the term from the Arabic. |
| 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... | TA5 | Target sighted. |
| ta... | TA5 | worn and shabby; in poor condition. |
| ti.. | TI4 | A small argument; a petty quarrel. |
| ti.. | TI4 | Until; to, up to; as late as (a given time). |
| ti.. | TI4 | To 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.
- afflict (AF7)
- alit (AL4)
- atilt (AT5)
- attic (AT5)
- cacti (CA5)
- catalytic (CA9)
- catalytically (CA13)
- catcall (CA7)
- cattail (CA7)
- cattily (CA7)
- catty (CA5)
- citify (CI6)
- city (CI4)
- facility† (FA8)
- fact (FA4)
- facticity (FA9)
- fatal (FA5)
- fatality (FA8)
- fatally (FA7)
- fatly (FA5)
- fatty (FA5)
- fiat (FI4)
- fifty (FI5)
- fitly (FI5)
- flat (FL4)
- flatly (FL6)
- flit (FL4)
- illicit (IL7)
- illicitly (IL9)
- italic (IT6)
- itty (IT4)
- lactic (LA6)
- laity (LA5)
- licit (LI5)
- licitly (LI7)
- lift (LI4)
- lilt (LI4)
- tacit (TA5)
- tacitly (TA7)
- tact (TA4)
- tactic (TA6)
- tactical (TA8)
- tactically (TA10)
- taffy (TA5)
- tail (TA4)
- talc (TA4)
- tali (TA4)
- tall (TA4)
- tally (TA5)
- tatty (TA5)
- tiff (TI4)
- till (TI4)
- tilt (TI4)
Answer Definitions
- afflict (verb): To cause (someone) pain, suffering or distress.
- alit (verb): simple past tense and past participle of alight
- atilt (adjective): At an angle from the vertical or horizontal.
- attic (noun): The space, often unfinished and with sloped walls, directly below the roof in the uppermost part of a house or other building, generally used for storage or habitation.
- cacti (noun): plural of cactus
- catalytic (adjective): Of or relating to a catalyst; having properties facilitating chemical reaction or change.
- catalytically (adverb): In terms of, or by means of, catalysis.
- catcall (noun): A shout or whistle expressing dislike, especially from a crowd or audience; a jeer, a boo.
- cattail (noun): Any of several perennial herbs, of the genus Typha, that have long flat leaves, and grow in marshy places.
- cattily (adverb): In a catty manner.
- catty (adjective): With subtle hostility in an effort to hurt, annoy, or upset, particularly among women.
- citify (verb): To become more like or more in the character of a city.
- city (noun): A large settlement, bigger than a town; sometimes with a specific legal definition, depending on the place.
- facility† (noun): The fact of being easy, or easily done; absence of difficulty, simplicity.
- fact (noun): Something actual as opposed to invented.
- facticity (noun): The quality or state of being a fact.
- fatal (adjective): Proceeding from, or appointed by, fate or destiny.
- fatality (noun): The state proceeding from destiny; invincible necessity, superior to, and independent of, free and rational control.
- fatally (adverb): In a fatal manner; lethally.
- fatly (adverb): In a fat way; in the manner of a fat person.
- fatty (adjective): derogatory term for an overweight person.
- fiat (noun): An arbitrary or authoritative command or order to do something; an effectual decree.
- fifty (numeral): Half of a 'Benjamin?'
- fitly (adverb): In a fit manner
- flat (adjective): Having no variations in height.
- flatly (adverb): In a physically flat or level manner.
- flit (noun): A fluttering or darting movement.
- illicit (adjective): Not approved by law, but not invalid.
- illicitly (adverb): In an illicit manner; illegally, immorally or inappropriately.
- italic (adjective): Designed to resemble a handwriting style developed in Italy in the 16th century.
- itty (adjective): Extremely small.
- lactic (adjective): Of, relating to, or derived from milk.
- laity (noun): People of a church who are not ordained clergy or clerics.
- licit (adjective): Not forbidden by formal or informal rules.
- licitly (adverb): In a licit manner, legally, in a manner compatible with law.
- lift (verb): To raise or rise.
- lilt (verb): To do something rhythmically, with animation and quickness, usually of music.
- tacit (adjective): Implied, but not made explicit, especially through silence.
- tacitly (adverb): In a tacit manner; done in silence or implied.
- tact (noun): The sense of touch; feeling.
- tactic (noun): A maneuver, or action calculated to achieve some end.
- tactical (adjective): of or relating to tactics
- tactically (adverb): in a tactical manner; in a manner calculated to achieve some end.
- taffy (noun): A soft, chewy candy made from boiled sugar, molasses, or corn syrup and butter.
- tail (noun): The caudal appendage of an animal that is attached to its posterior and near the anus.
- talc (noun): Originally a large range of transparent or glistening foliated minerals. Examples include mica, selenite and the hydrated magnesium silicate that the term talc generally has referred to in modern times (see below). Also an item made of such a mineral and depending for its function on the special nature of the mineral (see next). Mediaeval writers adopted the term from the Arabic.
- 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.
- tatty (noun): worn and shabby; in poor condition.
- tiff (noun): A small argument; a petty quarrel.
- till (preposition): Until; to, up to; as late as (a given time).
- tilt (verb): To slope or incline (something); to slant.