NYT Spelling Bee Answers for August 5, 2020
Game Summary
| Center Letter | L |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | a, b, e, m, o, z |
| # of Pangrams | 1 (Perfect: none) |
| Total Words | 54 words |
| Total Points | 190 points |
| Genius Level | 133 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</th><th>9 | Σ | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 2 | 1 | 4 | - | - | - | 7 |
| B | 10 | 6 | 2 | - | - | 1 | 19 |
| E | - | - | 2 | - | 1 | - | 3 |
| L | 9 | 3 | - | 1 | 1 | - | 14 |
| M | 5 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 1 | 9 |
| O | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| Z | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | Σ | 28 | 12 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 54 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AB×3 AL×2 AM×1 AZ×1 |
|---|---|
| B | BA×6 BE×3 BL×6 BO×4 |
| E | EM×3 |
| L | LA×7 LE×1 LL×1 LO×5 |
| M | MA×4 ME×2 MO×3 |
| O | OL×1 |
| Z | ZE×1 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | ABL×3 ALL×1 ALO×1 AMB×1 AZA×1 |
|---|---|
| B | BAB×2 BAL×3 BAM×1 BEL×2 BEZ×1 BLA×4 BLO×2 BOB×1 BOL×3 |
| E | EMB×3 |
| L | LAB×1 LAM×5 LAZ×1 LEM×1 LLA×1 LOA×1 LOB×2 LOL×1 LOO×1 |
| M | MAL×3 MAM×1 MEA×1 MEL×1 MOL×2 MOO×1 |
| O | OLE×1 |
| Z | ZEA×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) |
|---|---|---|
| ab.... | AB6 | Burning fiercely; in a blaze; on fire. |
| ab.. | AB4 | Having the necessary powers or the needed resources to accomplish a task. |
| ab.... | AB6 | In or into bloom; in a blooming state; having flower blooms unfolding. |
| al.... | AL6 | One of a number of alternative forms of the same gene occupying a given position, or locus, on a chromosome. |
| al.. | AL4 | The resins of the tree Aquilaria malaccensis (syn. Aquilaria agallocha), known for their fragrant aroma, produced after infection by the fungus Phialophora parasitica. |
| am... | AM5 | An unhurried leisurely walk or stroll. |
| az.... | AZ6 | A plant of the obsolete genus Azalea. |
| ba.... | BA6 | To utter words indistinctly or unintelligibly; to utter inarticulate sounds |
| ba... | BA5 | Alternative form of Babel |
| ba.. | BA4 | Evil, especially considered as an active force for destruction or death. |
| ba.. | BA4 | A solid or hollow sphere, or roughly spherical mass. |
| ba.. | BA4 | Any of various aromatic resins exuded from certain plants, especially trees of the genus Commiphora of Africa, Arabia and India and Myroxylon of South America. |
| ba....... † | BA9 | To con, defraud, trick, to make a fool of, to humbug or impose on someone. |
| be.. | BE4 | 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. |
| be... | BE5 | An attractive woman. |
| be... | BE5 | The sloping edge or face on a cutting tool. |
| bl.. | BL4 | To tell tales; to gossip without reserve or discretion. |
| bl.. | BL4 | A sudden, explosive sound, such as is made by a gunshot |
| bl... | BL5 | Censure. |
| bl... | BL5 | A fire, especially a fast-burning fire producing a lot of flames and light. |
| bl.. | BL4 | A shapeless or amorphous mass; a vague shape or amount, especially of a liquid or semisolid substance; a clump, group or collection that lacks definite shape. |
| bl... | BL5 | A blossom; the flower of a plant; an expanded bud. |
| bo.... | BO6 | A furry ball attached on top of a hat. |
| bo.. | BO4 | A throwing weapon made of weights on the ends of a cord. |
| bo.. | BO4 | The rounded seed-bearing capsule of a cotton or flax plant. |
| bo.. | BO4 | A long, heavy, single-edged machete. |
| em.... | EM6 | To treat a corpse with preservatives in order to prevent decomposition. |
| em...... | EM8 | To steal or misappropriate money that one has been trusted with, especially to steal money from the organisation for which one works. |
| em.... | EM6 | A representative symbol, such as a trademark or logo. |
| la... | LA5 | A small ticket or sign giving information about something to which it is attached or intended to be attached. |
| la.. | LA4 | A master of Tibetan Buddhism. |
| la.. | LA4 | A young sheep. |
| la.. | LA4 | Unable to walk properly because of a problem with one's feet or legs. |
| la..... | LA7 | A thin, plate-like structure. |
| la...... | LA8 | plural of lamella |
| la.. | LA4 | To be lazy, waste time. |
| le... | LE5 | A proposition proved or accepted for immediate use in the proof of some other proposition. |
| ll... | LL5 | A South American mammal of the camel family, Lama glama, used as a domestic beast of burden and a source of wool and meat. |
| lo.. | LO4 | A type of soil; an earthy mixture of sand, silt and clay, with organic matter to which its fertility is chiefly due. |
| lo.. | LO4 | Any projection or division, especially one of a somewhat rounded form. |
| lo.. | LO4 | A wolf. |
| lo.. | LO4 | To act lazily or indolently while reclining; to lean; to lie at ease. |
| lo.. | LO4 | A utensil; tool; a weapon; an article in general. |
| ma.. | MA4 | Belonging to the sex which typically produces sperm, or to the gender which is typically associated with it. |
| ma.. | MA4 | A pedestrianised street, especially a shopping precinct. |
| ma....... | MA9 | Able to be hammered into thin sheets; capable of being extended or shaped by beating with a hammer, or by the pressure of rollers. |
| ma.... | MA6 | An animal of the class Mammalia, characterized by being warm-blooded, having hair and producing milk with which to feed its young. |
| me.. | ME4 | Correct quotes |
| me... | ME5 | A battle fought at close range; hand-to-hand combat; brawling. |
| mo.. | MO4 | A pigmented spot on the skin, a naevus, slightly raised, and sometimes hairy. |
| mo.. | MO4 | A female companion of a gangster, especially a former or current prostitute. |
| mo... | MO5 | Money, cash. |
| ol.. | OL4 | A type of energy-absorbing landing gear strut in which sudden compression or extension of the strut causes a gas-filled chamber to push or pull a piston which forces oil through a small orifice, resulting in absorption of energy through viscous effects. |
| ze.. | ZE4 | The fervour or tireless devotion for a person, cause, or ideal and determination in its furtherance; diligent enthusiasm; powerful interest. |
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.
- ablaze (AB6)
- able (AB4)
- abloom (AB6)
- allele (AL6)
- aloe (AL4)
- amble (AM5)
- azalea (AZ6)
- babble (BA6)
- babel (BA5)
- bale (BA4)
- ball (BA4)
- balm (BA4)
- bamboozle† (BA9)
- bell (BE4)
- belle (BE5)
- bezel (BE5)
- blab (BL4)
- blam (BL4)
- blame (BL5)
- blaze (BL5)
- blob (BL4)
- bloom (BL5)
- bobble (BO6)
- bola (BO4)
- boll (BO4)
- bolo (BO4)
- embalm (EM6)
- embezzle (EM8)
- emblem (EM6)
- label (LA5)
- lama (LA4)
- lamb (LA4)
- lame (LA4)
- lamella (LA7)
- lamellae (LA8)
- laze (LA4)
- lemma (LE5)
- llama (LL5)
- loam (LO4)
- lobe (LO4)
- lobo (LO4)
- loll (LO4)
- loom (LO4)
- male (MA4)
- mall (MA4)
- malleable (MA9)
- mammal (MA6)
- meal (ME4)
- melee (ME5)
- mole (MO4)
- moll (MO4)
- moola (MO5)
- oleo (OL4)
- zeal (ZE4)
Answer Definitions
- ablaze (adjective): Burning fiercely; in a blaze; on fire.
- able (adjective): Having the necessary powers or the needed resources to accomplish a task.
- abloom (adverb): In or into bloom; in a blooming state; having flower blooms unfolding.
- allele (noun): One of a number of alternative forms of the same gene occupying a given position, or locus, on a chromosome.
- aloe (noun): The resins of the tree Aquilaria malaccensis (syn. Aquilaria agallocha), known for their fragrant aroma, produced after infection by the fungus Phialophora parasitica.
- amble (noun): An unhurried leisurely walk or stroll.
- azalea (noun): A plant of the obsolete genus Azalea.
- babble (verb): To utter words indistinctly or unintelligibly; to utter inarticulate sounds
- babel (noun): Alternative form of Babel
- bale (noun): Evil, especially considered as an active force for destruction or death.
- ball (noun): A solid or hollow sphere, or roughly spherical mass.
- balm (noun): Any of various aromatic resins exuded from certain plants, especially trees of the genus Commiphora of Africa, Arabia and India and Myroxylon of South America.
- bamboozle† (verb): To con, defraud, trick, to make a fool of, to humbug or impose on someone.
- 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.
- bezel (noun): The sloping edge or face on a cutting tool.
- blab (verb): To tell tales; to gossip without reserve or discretion.
- blam (noun): A sudden, explosive sound, such as is made by a gunshot
- blame (noun): Censure.
- blaze (noun): A fire, especially a fast-burning fire producing a lot of flames and light.
- blob (noun): A shapeless or amorphous mass; a vague shape or amount, especially of a liquid or semisolid substance; a clump, group or collection that lacks definite shape.
- bloom (noun): A blossom; the flower of a plant; an expanded bud.
- bobble (noun): A furry ball attached on top of a hat.
- bola (noun): A throwing weapon made of weights on the ends of a cord.
- boll (noun): The rounded seed-bearing capsule of a cotton or flax plant.
- bolo (noun): A long, heavy, single-edged machete.
- embalm (verb): To treat a corpse with preservatives in order to prevent decomposition.
- embezzle (verb): To steal or misappropriate money that one has been trusted with, especially to steal money from the organisation for which one works.
- emblem (noun): A representative symbol, such as a trademark or logo.
- label (noun): A small ticket or sign giving information about something to which it is attached or intended to be attached.
- lama (noun): A master of Tibetan Buddhism.
- lamb (noun): A young sheep.
- lame (adjective): Unable to walk properly because of a problem with one's feet or legs.
- lamella (noun): A thin, plate-like structure.
- lamellae (noun): plural of lamella
- laze (verb): To be lazy, waste time.
- lemma (noun): A proposition proved or accepted for immediate use in the proof of some other proposition.
- llama (noun): A South American mammal of the camel family, Lama glama, used as a domestic beast of burden and a source of wool and meat.
- loam (noun): A type of soil; an earthy mixture of sand, silt and clay, with organic matter to which its fertility is chiefly due.
- lobe (noun): Any projection or division, especially one of a somewhat rounded form.
- lobo (noun): A wolf.
- loll (verb): To act lazily or indolently while reclining; to lean; to lie at ease.
- loom (noun): A utensil; tool; a weapon; an article in general.
- male (adjective): Belonging to the sex which typically produces sperm, or to the gender which is typically associated with it.
- mall (noun): A pedestrianised street, especially a shopping precinct.
- malleable (adjective): Able to be hammered into thin sheets; capable of being extended or shaped by beating with a hammer, or by the pressure of rollers.
- mammal (noun): An animal of the class Mammalia, characterized by being warm-blooded, having hair and producing milk with which to feed its young.
- meal (noun): Correct quotes
- melee (noun): A battle fought at close range; hand-to-hand combat; brawling.
- mole (noun): A pigmented spot on the skin, a naevus, slightly raised, and sometimes hairy.
- moll (noun): A female companion of a gangster, especially a former or current prostitute.
- moola (noun): Money, cash.
- oleo (noun): A type of energy-absorbing landing gear strut in which sudden compression or extension of the strut causes a gas-filled chamber to push or pull a piston which forces oil through a small orifice, resulting in absorption of energy through viscous effects.
- zeal (noun): The fervour or tireless devotion for a person, cause, or ideal and determination in its furtherance; diligent enthusiasm; powerful interest.