Game Summary

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 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.

Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints

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

Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints

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

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 (^†).

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.

• acacia  (AC6)
• acai  (AC4)
• afar  (AF4)
• affair  (AF6)
• afro  (AF4)
• aioli  (AI5)
• airfoil  (AI7)
• alfalfa  (AL7)
• aloof  (AL5)
• arco  (AR4)
• aria  (AR4)
• aril  (AR4)
• cacao  (CA5)
• calf  (CA4)
• calico  (CA6)
• call  (CA4)
• calla  (CA5)
• callaloo  (CA8)
• caloric  (CA7)
• calorific^†  (CA9)
• carioca  (CA7)
• carol  (CA5)
• ciao  (CI4)
• cilia  (CI5)
• circa  (CI5)
• cloaca  (CL6)
• coal  (CO4)
• coca  (CO4)
• cocoa  (CO5)
• cola  (CO4)
• collar  (CO6)
• coral  (CO5)
• corolla  (CO7)
• corral  (CO6)
• facial  (FA6)
• fail  (FA4)
• fair  (FA4)
• fall  (FA4)
• falloff  (FA7)
• farcical  (FA8)
• farro  (FA5)
• filial  (FI6)
• flail  (FL5)
• flair  (FL5)
• flora  (FL5)
• floral  (FL6)
• foal  (FO4)
• focaccia  (FO8)
• focal  (FO5)
• fora  (FO4)
• frail  (FR5)
• friar  (FR5)
• iliac  (IL5)
• laic  (LA4)
• laical  (LA6)
• lair  (LA4)
• liar  (LI4)
• lilac  (LI5)
• lira  (LI4)
• loaf  (LO4)
• local  (LO5)
• loofa  (LO5)
• offal  (OF5)
• official  (OF8)
• oral  (OR4)
• orca  (OR4)
• racial  (RA6)
• raffia  (RA6)
• rail  (RA4)
• railcar  (RA7)
• rial  (RI4)
• riffraff  (RI8)
• roar  (RO4)

Answer Definitions

• acacia (noun): A shrub or tree of the tribe Acacieae.
• acai (noun): Any of several South American palms, of the genus Euterpe, having a dark purple drupe.
• afar (adverb): At, to, or from a great distance; far away.
• affair (noun): Something which is done or is to be done; business of any kind, commercial, professional, or public.
• afro (noun): hairstyle characterized by tightly curled locks and a rounded shape.
• aioli (noun): A type of sauce, similar to mayonnaise, made from garlic, egg, lemon juice and olive oil.
• airfoil (noun): A structure shaped to produce lift when moving in air.
• alfalfa (noun): A plant, principally of Medicago sativa, grown as a pasture crop.
• aloof (adverb): At or from a distance, but within view, or at a small distance; apart; away.
• arco (adverb): A note in string instrument musical notation indicating that the bow is to be used in the usual way, usually following a passage that is played pizzicato.
• aria (noun): A musical piece written typically for a solo voice with orchestral accompaniment in an opera or cantata.
• aril (noun): A tissue surrounding the seed in certain fruits such as pomegranates.
• cacao (noun): A tree, Theobroma cacao, whose seed is used to make chocolate.
• calf (noun): A young cow or bull.
• calico (noun): A kind of rough cloth made from unbleached and not fully processed cotton, often printed with a bright pattern.
• call (noun): A telephone conversation; a phone call.
• calla (noun): A marsh plant native to cooler areas throughout the northern hemisphere, Calla palustris, having pale green flowers in a white spathe.
• callaloo (noun): Any of various tropical plants grown in the Americas, especially of the genera Amaranthus and Xanthosoma, cultivated for their edible leaves.
• caloric (adjective): Relating to calories.
• calorific^† (adjective): Relating to calories.
• carioca (noun): A sideways step in which one leg crosses over the other.
• carol (noun): A round dance accompanied by singing.
• ciao (interjection): hello, hi.
• cilia (noun): plural of cilium
• circa (preposition): Approximately, about, around
• cloaca (noun): A sewer.
• coal (noun): A black or brownish black rock formed from prehistoric plant remains, composed largely of carbon and burned as a fuel.
• coca (noun): Any of the four cultivated plants which belong to the family Erythroxylaceae, native to western South America.
• cocoa (noun): The dried and partially fermented fatty seeds of the cacao tree from which chocolate is made.
• cola (noun): The kola plant, genus Cola, famous for its nut, or one of these nuts.
• collar (noun): Clothes that encircle the neck. The part of an upper garment (shirt, jacket, etc.) that fits around the neck and throat, especially if sewn from a separate piece of fabric. A decorative band or other fabric around the neckline. A chain worn around the neck. A similar detachable item. A coloured ring round the neck of a bird or mammal. A band or chain around an animal's neck, used to restrain and/or identify it.
• coral (noun): Any of many species of marine invertebrates in the class Anthozoa, most of which build hard calcium carbonate skeletons and form colonies, or a colony belonging to one of those species.
• corolla (noun): An outermost-but-one whorl of a flower, composed of petals, when it is not the same in appearance as the outermost whorl (the calyx); it usually comprises the petal, which may be fused.
• corral (noun): An enclosure for livestock, especially a circular one.
• facial (adjective): Of or affecting the face.
• fail (verb): To be unsuccessful.
• fair (adjective): Beautiful, of a pleasing appearance, with a pure and fresh quality.
• fall (verb): To be moved downwards. To move to a lower position under the effect of gravity.
• falloff (noun): A reduction or decline.
• farcical (adjective): Resembling a farce; ludicrous; absurd.
• farro (noun): Emmer wheat (Triticum turgidum).
• filial (adjective): Pertaining to or befitting a son or daughter.
• flail (noun): A tool used for threshing, consisting of a long handle with a shorter stick attached with a short piece of chain, thong or similar material.
• flair (noun): A natural or innate talent or aptitude.
• flora (noun): Plants considered as a group, especially those of a particular country, region, time, etc.
• floral (adjective): Of, pertaining to, or connected with flowers.
• foal (noun): A young horse or other equine, especially just after birth or less than a year old.
• focaccia (noun): A flatbread similar in style, composition, and texture to modern pizza doughs and topped with herbs, cheese and other products. Focaccia typically consists of high-gluten flour, oil, water, sugar, salt and yeast.
• focal (adjective): Belonging to, concerning, or located at a focus.
• fora (noun): plural of forum (alternative form of forums).
• frail (adjective): Easily broken physically; not firm or durable; liable to fail and perish.
• friar (noun): A member of a mendicant Christian order such as the Augustinians, Carmelites, Franciscans, or the Dominicans.
• iliac (adjective): Relating to the ilium.
• laic (noun): A layperson, as opposed to a member of the clergy.
• laical (adjective): Of or pertaining to a layperson, layman, laywoman, or laypeople (laity).
• lair (noun): A place inhabited by a wild animal, often a cave or a hole in the ground.
• liar (noun): One who frequently tells lies.
• lilac (noun): A large shrub of the genus Syringa, especially Syringa vulgaris, bearing white, pale-pink, or purple flowers.
• lira (noun): The basic unit of currency in Turkey.
• loaf (noun): (also loaf of bread) A block of bread after baking.
• local (adjective): From or in a nearby location.
• loofa (noun): Alternative form of loofah
• offal (noun): The internal organs of an animal, used as animal food.
• official (adjective): Of or pertaining to an office or public trust.
• oral (adjective): Relating to the mouth.
• orca (noun): A sea mammal (Orcinus orca) related to dolphins and porpoises, commonly called the killer whale.
• racial (adjective): Of or relating to a race (or a people).
• raffia (noun): A fibrous material used for tying plants, originating from the leaves of the raffia palm tree (genus Raphia).
• rail (noun): A horizontal bar extending between supports and used for support or as a barrier; a railing.
• railcar (noun): A self-propelled railway vehicle for passengers, similar to a bus.
• rial (noun): The official currencies of Iran, Oman, and Yemen.
• riffraff (noun): The rabble; crowds; the common people.
• roar (verb): To make a loud, deep cry, especially from pain, anger, or other strong emotion.