NYT Spelling Bee Answers for May 17, 2020
Game Summary
| Center Letter | U |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | c, i, l, p, r, t |
| # of Pangrams | 1 (Perfect: 1) |
| Total Words | 24 words |
| Total Points | 83 points |
| Genius Level | 58 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 | Σ | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 |
| I | - | - | 1 | - | 1 |
| L | 2 | - | - | - | 2 |
| P | 5 | 1 | 1 | - | 7 |
| R | - | - | - | - | - |
| T | 1 | 2 | - | - | 3 |
| U | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | 3 | Σ | 13 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 24 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| C | CI×1 CU×7 |
|---|---|
| I | IR×1 |
| L | LU×2 |
| P | PU×7 |
| R | |
| T | TU×3 |
| U | UP×2 UR×1 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| C | CIR×1 CUL×4 CUR×2 CUT×1 |
|---|---|
| I | IRR×1 |
| L | LUL×2 |
| P | PUL×3 PUP×1 PUR×2 PUT×1 |
| R | |
| T | TUL×1 TUT×2 |
| U | UPL×1 UPT×1 URI×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) |
|---|---|---|
| ci..... | CI7 | The act of moving or revolving around, or as in a circle or orbit; a revolution |
| cu.. | CU4 | To pick or take someone or something (from a larger group). |
| cu..... † | CU7 | The person or thing at fault for a problem or crime. |
| cu.. | CU4 | A group, sect or movement following an unorthodox religious or philosophical system of beliefs, especially one in which members remove and exclude themselves from greater society, including family members not part of the cult, and show extreme devotion to a charismatic leader. |
| cu.... | CU6 | Of or relating to a cult or the methods of cults. |
| cu.. | CU4 | A piece or lock of curling hair; a ringlet. |
| cu.. | CU4 | Brief or terse, especially to the point of being rude. |
| cu... | CU5 | Someone who cuts up; someone who acts boisterously or clownishly, for example, by playing practical jokes. |
| ir.... | IR6 | To break into. |
| lu.. | LU4 | A period of rest or soothing. |
| lu.. | LU4 | A remarkable person, object or idea. |
| pu.. | PU4 | To apply a force to (an object) so that it comes toward the person or thing applying the force. |
| pu.. | PU4 | A soft, moist, shapeless mass or matter. A mixture of wood, cellulose and/or rags and water ground up to make paper. A mass of chemically processed wood fibres (cellulose). A suspension of mineral particles, typically achieved by some form of agitation. The soft center of a fruit. |
| pu.... | PU6 | A raised platform in a church, usually enclosed, where the minister or preacher stands when giving the sermon. |
| pu... | PU5 | A learner at a school under the supervision of a teacher. |
| pu.. | PU4 | A particular stitch in knitting; an inversion of stitches giving the work a ribbed or waved appearance. |
| pu.. | PU4 | Of a cat, to make a vibrating sound in its throat when contented. |
| pu.. | PU4 | The act of tapping a golf ball lightly on a putting green. |
| tu... | TU5 | A type of flowering plant, genus Tulipa. |
| tu... | TU5 | All together. Indicates that the remainder of a group should join in playing after a solo or other passage with a reduced number of voices. |
| tu.. | TU4 | A ballet skirt made of layered stiff but light netting. |
| up... | UP5 | simple past tense and past participle of uplight |
| up.... | UP6 | To tilt upward. |
| ur.. | UR4 | Pertaining to, contained in, or obtained from urine. |
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.
- circuit (CI7)
- cull (CU4)
- culprit† (CU7)
- cult (CU4)
- cultic (CU6)
- curl (CU4)
- curt (CU4)
- cutup (CU5)
- irrupt (IR6)
- lull (LU4)
- lulu (LU4)
- pull (PU4)
- pulp (PU4)
- pulpit (PU6)
- pupil (PU5)
- purl (PU4)
- purr (PU4)
- putt (PU4)
- tulip (TU5)
- tutti (TU5)
- tutu (TU4)
- uplit (UP5)
- uptilt (UP6)
- uric (UR4)
Answer Definitions
- circuit (noun): The act of moving or revolving around, or as in a circle or orbit; a revolution
- cull (verb): To pick or take someone or something (from a larger group).
- culprit† (noun): The person or thing at fault for a problem or crime.
- cult (noun): A group, sect or movement following an unorthodox religious or philosophical system of beliefs, especially one in which members remove and exclude themselves from greater society, including family members not part of the cult, and show extreme devotion to a charismatic leader.
- cultic (adjective): Of or relating to a cult or the methods of cults.
- curl (noun): A piece or lock of curling hair; a ringlet.
- curt (adjective): Brief or terse, especially to the point of being rude.
- cutup (noun): Someone who cuts up; someone who acts boisterously or clownishly, for example, by playing practical jokes.
- irrupt (verb): To break into.
- lull (noun): A period of rest or soothing.
- lulu (noun): A remarkable person, object or idea.
- pull (verb): To apply a force to (an object) so that it comes toward the person or thing applying the force.
- pulp (noun): A soft, moist, shapeless mass or matter. A mixture of wood, cellulose and/or rags and water ground up to make paper. A mass of chemically processed wood fibres (cellulose). A suspension of mineral particles, typically achieved by some form of agitation. The soft center of a fruit.
- pulpit (noun): A raised platform in a church, usually enclosed, where the minister or preacher stands when giving the sermon.
- pupil (noun): A learner at a school under the supervision of a teacher.
- purl (noun): A particular stitch in knitting; an inversion of stitches giving the work a ribbed or waved appearance.
- purr (verb): Of a cat, to make a vibrating sound in its throat when contented.
- putt (noun): The act of tapping a golf ball lightly on a putting green.
- tulip (noun): A type of flowering plant, genus Tulipa.
- tutti (adverb): All together. Indicates that the remainder of a group should join in playing after a solo or other passage with a reduced number of voices.
- tutu (noun): A ballet skirt made of layered stiff but light netting.
- uplit (verb): simple past tense and past participle of uplight
- uptilt (verb): To tilt upward.
- uric (adjective): Pertaining to, contained in, or obtained from urine.