NYT Spelling Bee Answers for July 20, 2020
Game Summary
| Center Letter | U |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | a, c, i, l, n, t |
| # of Pangrams | 2 (Perfect: 1) |
| Total Words | 34 words |
| Total Points | 148 points |
| Genius Level | 104 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 | Σ | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1 | 1 | 3 | - | - | 5 |
| C | 3 | - | 1 | 2 | - | 6 |
| I | - | - | 1 | - | - | 1 |
| L | 4 | - | 2 | 1 | - | 7 |
| N | 1 | - | - | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| T | 3 | 3 | - | 1 | - | 7 |
| U | 2 | 3 | - | - | - | 5 | Σ | 14 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 34 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AC×1 AN×3 AU×1 |
|---|---|
| C | CA×3 CU×3 |
| I | IN×1 |
| L | LA×1 LU×6 |
| N | NA×2 NU×1 |
| T | TA×3 TU×4 |
| U | UL×1 UN×4 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | ACT×1 ANN×3 AUN×1 |
|---|---|
| C | CAL×1 CAN×1 CAU×1 CUL×3 |
| I | INT×1 |
| L | LAC×1 LUA×1 LUL×2 LUN×3 |
| N | NAU×2 NUL×1 |
| T | TAC×1 TAU×2 TUN×2 TUT×2 |
| U | ULN×1 UNC×1 UNI×1 UNL×1 UNT×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) |
|---|---|---|
| ac.... | AC6 | relating to a person's acts or deeds; active, practical |
| an.... | AN6 | Happening once every year. |
| an... | AN5 | To formally revoke the validity of. |
| an.... | AN6 | plural of annulus |
| au.. | AU4 | The sister or sister-in-law of one’s parent. |
| ca..... | CA7 | plural of calculus |
| ca..... | CA7 | A tube inserted in the body to drain or inject fluid. |
| ca.. | CA4 | A style of close-fitting circular cap worn by women in the sixteenth century and later, often made of linen. |
| cu.. | CU4 | To pick or take someone or something (from a larger group). |
| 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. |
| in.... | IN6 | To know intuitively or by immediate perception. |
| la.... | LA6 | A small opening; a small pit or depression, especially in bone. A space visible between cells, allowing free passage of light. |
| lu.. | LU4 | An elaborate Hawaiian feast featuring traditional foods and entertainment. |
| lu.. | LU4 | A period of rest or soothing. |
| lu.. | LU4 | A remarkable person, object or idea. |
| lu.. | LU4 | A luna moth: a member of species Actias luna. |
| lu..... † | LU7 | An insane person. |
| lu.... | LU6 | Something shaped like a crescent or half-moon; especially the pale area at the base of the fingernail. |
| na...... † | NA8 | Relating to or involving ships or shipping or navigation or seamen. |
| na..... | NA7 | plural of nautilus |
| nu.. | NU4 | A non-existent or empty value or set of values. |
| ta..... | TA7 | Of, or relating to the sense of touch. |
| ta... | TA5 | to make fun of (someone); to goad (a person) into responding, often in an aggressive manner. |
| ta.. | TA4 | Under tension, like a stretched bowstring, rope, or sail; tight. |
| tu.. | TU4 | Any of several species of fish of the genus Thunnus in the family Scombridae. |
| tu... | TU5 | A garment worn over the torso, with or without sleeves, and of various lengths reaching from the hips to the ankles. |
| 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. |
| ul.. | UL4 | The bone of the forearm that extends from the elbow to the wrist on the side opposite to the thumb, corresponding to the fibula of the hind limb. Also, the corresponding bone in the forelimb of any vertebrate. |
| un... | UN5 | Not cut. |
| un.. | UN4 | Oneness, singularity, seen as a component of a whole number; a magnitude of one. |
| un... | UN5 | Not lit |
| un... | UN5 | Up to the time of (something happening). |
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.
- actual (AC6)
- annual (AN6)
- annul (AN5)
- annuli (AN6)
- aunt (AU4)
- calculi (CA7)
- cannula (CA7)
- caul (CA4)
- cull (CU4)
- cult (CU4)
- cultic (CU6)
- intuit (IN6)
- lacuna (LA6)
- luau (LU4)
- lull (LU4)
- lulu (LU4)
- luna (LU4)
- lunatic† (LU7)
- lunula (LU6)
- nautical† (NA8)
- nautili (NA7)
- null (NU4)
- tactual (TA7)
- taunt (TA5)
- taut (TA4)
- tuna (TU4)
- tunic (TU5)
- tutti (TU5)
- tutu (TU4)
- ulna (UL4)
- uncut (UN5)
- unit (UN4)
- unlit (UN5)
- until (UN5)
Answer Definitions
- actual (adjective): relating to a person's acts or deeds; active, practical
- annual (adjective): Happening once every year.
- annul (verb): To formally revoke the validity of.
- annuli (noun): plural of annulus
- aunt (noun): The sister or sister-in-law of one’s parent.
- calculi (noun): plural of calculus
- cannula (noun): A tube inserted in the body to drain or inject fluid.
- caul (noun): A style of close-fitting circular cap worn by women in the sixteenth century and later, often made of linen.
- cull (verb): To pick or take someone or something (from a larger group).
- 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.
- intuit (verb): To know intuitively or by immediate perception.
- lacuna (noun): A small opening; a small pit or depression, especially in bone. A space visible between cells, allowing free passage of light.
- luau (noun): An elaborate Hawaiian feast featuring traditional foods and entertainment.
- lull (noun): A period of rest or soothing.
- lulu (noun): A remarkable person, object or idea.
- luna (noun): A luna moth: a member of species Actias luna.
- lunatic† (noun): An insane person.
- lunula (noun): Something shaped like a crescent or half-moon; especially the pale area at the base of the fingernail.
- nautical† (adjective): Relating to or involving ships or shipping or navigation or seamen.
- nautili (noun): plural of nautilus
- null (noun): A non-existent or empty value or set of values.
- tactual (adjective): Of, or relating to the sense of touch.
- taunt (verb): to make fun of (someone); to goad (a person) into responding, often in an aggressive manner.
- taut (adjective): Under tension, like a stretched bowstring, rope, or sail; tight.
- tuna (noun): Any of several species of fish of the genus Thunnus in the family Scombridae.
- tunic (noun): A garment worn over the torso, with or without sleeves, and of various lengths reaching from the hips to the ankles.
- 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.
- ulna (noun): The bone of the forearm that extends from the elbow to the wrist on the side opposite to the thumb, corresponding to the fibula of the hind limb. Also, the corresponding bone in the forelimb of any vertebrate.
- uncut (adjective): Not cut.
- unit (noun): Oneness, singularity, seen as a component of a whole number; a magnitude of one.
- unlit (adjective): Not lit
- until (preposition): Up to the time of (something happening).