NYT Spelling Bee Answers for August 2, 2020

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for August 2, 2020

Game Summary

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for August 2, 2020
Center LetterL
Outer Lettersb, c, e, i, n, v
# of Pangrams2 (Perfect: none)
Total Words38 words
Total Points183 points
Genius Level128 points
Bingo?Yes

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 August 2, 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
B45-2---11
C131----5
E1-11---3
I--12--14
L45-11--11
N--1----1
V2---1--3
Σ1213462-138

Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints

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

B
BE×6
BI×3
BL×2
C
CE×3
CI×1
CL×1
E
EL×1
EN×1
EV×1
I
IC×1
IN×3
L
LE×3
LI×8
N
NI×1
V
VE×1
VI×2

Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints

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

B
BEE×1
BEL×4
BEV×1
BIB×1
BIL×2
BLI×2
C
CEL×3
CIV×1
CLI×1
E
ELE×1
ENL×1
EVI×1
I
ICI×1
INC×2
INV×1
L
LEN×1
LEV×2
LIB×2
LIC×1
LIE×1
LIN×2
LIV×2
N
NIB×1
V
VEI×1
VIL×1
VIN×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 ().

Word2L RefDefinition (click to reveal)
be.....BE7A very direct or quick path or trip.
be...BE5To lie around; encompass.
be.....BE7To accept as true, particularly without absolute certainty (i.e., as opposed to knowing).
be..BE4A percussive instrument made of metal or other hard material, typically but not always in the shape of an inverted cup with a flared rim, which resonates when struck.
be...BE5An attractive woman.
be...BE5An edge that is canted, one that is not a 90-degree angle; a chamfer.
bi...BI5Alternative letter-case form of Bible (“a specific version, edition, translation, or copy of the Christian religious text”)
bi..BI4A bitter brownish-yellow or greenish-yellow secretion produced by the liver, stored in the gall bladder, and discharged into the duodenum where it aids the process of digestion.
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.
bl..BL4To cease (from); to stop; to desist, to let up.
bl...BL5A small pancake, of Russian origin, made from buckwheat flour; traditionally served with melted butter, sour cream and caviar or smoked salmon.
ce...CE5A celebrity; a famous person.
ce..CE4A single-room dwelling for a hermit.
ce...CE5plural of cello
ci...CI5Having to do with people and government office as opposed to the military or religion.
cl....CL6A medical facility, such as a hospital, especially one for the treatment and diagnosis of outpatients.
el....EL6The cardinal number occurring after ten and before twelve. Represented as 11 in Arabic digits.
en.....EN7To give life or spirit to; to revive or animate.
ev..EV4Intending to harm; malevolent.
ic....IC6A drooping, tapering shape of ice.
in.....IN7Displaying a lack of courtesy; rude, impolite.
in.....IN7To bend or move (something) out of a given plane or direction, often the horizontal or vertical.
in........ IN10Impossible to defeat, destroy or kill; too powerful to be defeated or overcome.
le......LE8Leniency: mercy or forgiveness in the assignment of punishment.
le...LE5An elevated geographical feature.
le...LE5The same height at all places; parallel to a flat ground.
li...LI5A written or pictorial false statement which unjustly seeks to damage someone's reputation.
li.....LI7The party against which a libel (hostile handbill) has been filed by a libelant.
li..LI4plural of louse
li..LI4A tendon.
li..LI4A path through two or more points (compare ‘segment’); a continuous mark, including as made by a pen; any path, curved or straight.
li...LI5Thread or cloth made from flax fiber.
li..LI4To be alive; to have life.
li...LI5To cause to be more lively, or to become more lively.
ni....NI6A small, quick bite taken with the front teeth.
ve..VE4Something hung up or spread out to hide or protect the face, or hide an object from view; usually of gauze, crepe, or similar diaphanous material.
vi..VI4Morally low; base; despicable.
vi...... VI8Capable of being defeated or overcome; assailable or vulnerable.

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.

  • beeline  (BE7)
  • belie  (BE5)
  • believe  (BE7)
  • bell  (BE4)
  • belle  (BE5)
  • bevel  (BE5)
  • bible  (BI5)
  • bile  (BI4)
  • bill  (BI4)
  • blin  (BL4)
  • blini  (BL5)
  • celeb  (CE5)
  • cell  (CE4)
  • celli  (CE5)
  • civil  (CI5)
  • clinic  (CL6)
  • eleven  (EL6)
  • enliven  (EN7)
  • evil  (EV4)
  • icicle  (IC6)
  • incivil  (IN7)
  • incline  (IN7)
  • invincible  (IN10)
  • lenience  (LE8)
  • levee  (LE5)
  • level  (LE5)
  • libel  (LI5)
  • libelee  (LI7)
  • lice  (LI4)
  • lien  (LI4)
  • line  (LI4)
  • linen  (LI5)
  • live  (LI4)
  • liven  (LI5)
  • nibble  (NI6)
  • veil  (VE4)
  • vile  (VI4)
  • vincible  (VI8)

Answer Definitions

  • beeline (noun): A very direct or quick path or trip.
  • belie (verb): To lie around; encompass.
  • believe (verb): To accept as true, particularly without absolute certainty (i.e., as opposed to knowing).
  • bell (noun): A percussive instrument made of metal or other hard material, typically but not always in the shape of an inverted cup with a flared rim, which resonates when struck.
  • belle (noun): An attractive woman.
  • bevel (noun): An edge that is canted, one that is not a 90-degree angle; a chamfer.
  • bible (noun): Alternative letter-case form of Bible (“a specific version, edition, translation, or copy of the Christian religious text”)
  • bile (noun): A bitter brownish-yellow or greenish-yellow secretion produced by the liver, stored in the gall bladder, and discharged into the duodenum where it aids the process of digestion.
  • 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.
  • blin (verb): To cease (from); to stop; to desist, to let up.
  • blini (noun): A small pancake, of Russian origin, made from buckwheat flour; traditionally served with melted butter, sour cream and caviar or smoked salmon.
  • celeb (noun): A celebrity; a famous person.
  • cell (noun): A single-room dwelling for a hermit.
  • celli (noun): plural of cello
  • civil (adjective): Having to do with people and government office as opposed to the military or religion.
  • clinic (noun): A medical facility, such as a hospital, especially one for the treatment and diagnosis of outpatients.
  • eleven (numeral): The cardinal number occurring after ten and before twelve. Represented as 11 in Arabic digits.
  • enliven (verb): To give life or spirit to; to revive or animate.
  • evil (adjective): Intending to harm; malevolent.
  • icicle (noun): A drooping, tapering shape of ice.
  • incivil (adjective): Displaying a lack of courtesy; rude, impolite.
  • incline (verb): To bend or move (something) out of a given plane or direction, often the horizontal or vertical.
  • invincible (adjective): Impossible to defeat, destroy or kill; too powerful to be defeated or overcome.
  • lenience (noun): Leniency: mercy or forgiveness in the assignment of punishment.
  • levee (noun): An elevated geographical feature.
  • level (adjective): The same height at all places; parallel to a flat ground.
  • libel (noun): A written or pictorial false statement which unjustly seeks to damage someone's reputation.
  • libelee (noun): The party against which a libel (hostile handbill) has been filed by a libelant.
  • lice (noun): plural of louse
  • lien (noun): A tendon.
  • line (noun): A path through two or more points (compare ‘segment’); a continuous mark, including as made by a pen; any path, curved or straight.
  • linen (noun): Thread or cloth made from flax fiber.
  • live (verb): To be alive; to have life.
  • liven (verb): To cause to be more lively, or to become more lively.
  • nibble (noun): A small, quick bite taken with the front teeth.
  • veil (noun): Something hung up or spread out to hide or protect the face, or hide an object from view; usually of gauze, crepe, or similar diaphanous material.
  • vile (adjective): Morally low; base; despicable.
  • vincible (adjective): Capable of being defeated or overcome; assailable or vulnerable.