NYT Spelling Bee Answers for August 27, 2020
Game Summary
| Center Letter | O |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | a, b, c, l, n, y |
| # of Pangrams | 1 (Perfect: 1) |
| Total Words | 65 words |
| Total Points | 279 points |
| Genius Level | 195 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</th><th>8</th><th>9</th><th>10 | Σ | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | 3 |
| B | 9 | 3 | 6 | 3 | - | - | - | 21 |
| C | 5 | 5 | 8 | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | 21 |
| L | 5 | 5 | - | 2 | - | - | - | 12 |
| N | 2 | 3 | - | - | 1 | - | - | 6 |
| O | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 2 |
| Y | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Σ | 23 | 19 | 14 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 65 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AL×1 AN×2 |
|---|---|
| B | BA×6 BL×3 BO×12 |
| C | CA×7 CL×3 CO×11 |
| L | LL×1 LO×11 |
| N | NA×1 NO×4 NY×1 |
| O | ON×2 |
| Y |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | ALL×1 ANN×1 ANO×1 |
|---|---|
| B | BAB×1 BAC×1 BAL×3 BAO×1 BLO×3 BOB×1 BOL×3 BON×4 BOO×4 |
| C | CAC×1 CAL×1 CAN×5 CLO×3 COA×1 COC×3 COL×4 COO×2 COY×1 |
| L | LLA×1 LOA×1 LOB×2 LOC×3 LOL×1 LOO×2 LOY×2 |
| N | NAB×1 NOB×1 NON×1 NOO×2 NYL×1 |
| O | ONL×2 |
| Y |
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) |
|---|---|---|
| al... | AL5 | A metal that is a combination of two or more elements, at least one of which is a metal. |
| an... | AN5 | To disturb or irritate, especially by continued or repeated acts; to bother with unpleasant deeds. |
| an.. | AN4 | Straight away; at once. |
| ba.... | BA6 | An Old World monkey of the genus Papio, having dog-like muzzles and large canine teeth, cheek pouches, a short tail, and naked callosities on the buttocks. |
| ba... | BA5 | Cured meat from the sides, belly, or back of a pig. |
| ba..... † | BA7 | An accessible structure extending from a building, especially outside a window. |
| ba..... | BA7 | Alternative spelling of ball boy |
| ba..... | BA7 | An inflatable buoyant object, often (but not necessarily) round and flexible. |
| ba.... | BA6 | A tree, Adansonia digitata (and similar species), native to tropical Africa, having a broad swollen trunk and edible gourd-like hanging fruits. |
| 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.... | BL6 | Similar in shape to blobs; amorphous in appearance; partially irregular in appearance like bubbles. |
| bl.. | BL4 | A group of voters or politicians who share common goals. |
| bo.. | BO4 | Synonym of tapioca pearl. |
| 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. |
| bo.... | BO6 | A sweet, especially a small chocolate-covered candy. |
| bo... | BO5 | Alternative spelling of bonnie |
| bo.... | BO6 | The pygmy chimpanzee, Pan paniscus, from Africa south of the Congo river. |
| bo.. | BO4 | resembling, having the appearance or consistence of, or relating to bone; osseous. |
| bo.. | BO4 | An idiot; a fool. |
| bo.... | BO6 | Alternative spelling of boo-boo |
| bo... | BO5 | A stupid person. |
| bo.. | BO4 | A prayer; petition. |
| ca... | CA5 | A tree, Theobroma cacao, whose seed is used to make chocolate. |
| ca...... | CA8 | Any of various tropical plants grown in the Americas, especially of the genera Amaranthus and Xanthosoma, cultivated for their edible leaves. |
| ca.... | CA6 | A complete assembly, consisting of an artillery tube and a breech mechanism, firing mechanism or base cap, which is a component of a gun, howitzer or mortar. It may include muzzle appendages. |
| ca........ | CA10 | A spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon. |
| ca.... | CA6 | Any of a number of cultivars of rapeseed (Brassica napus) and closely related field mustard (Brassica rapa), which have a lower erucic acid and glucosinolate content than traditional rapeseed. |
| ca... | CA5 | A generally accepted principle; a rule. |
| ca.... | CA6 | A valley, especially a long, narrow, steep valley, cut in rock by a river. |
| cl.... | CL6 | A sewer. |
| cl.... | CL6 | Relating to, or created by asexual reproduction (cloning) |
| cl.. | CL4 | To fill up or choke up; to stop up. |
| co.. | CO4 | A black or brownish black rock formed from prehistoric plant remains, composed largely of carbon and burned as a fuel. |
| co.. | CO4 | Any of the four cultivated plants which belong to the family Erythroxylaceae, native to western South America. |
| co... | CO5 | The dried and partially fermented fatty seeds of the cacao tree from which chocolate is made. |
| co.... | CO6 | The silky protective case spun by the larvae of some insects in which they metamorphose, the pupa. |
| co.. | CO4 | The kola plant, genus Cola, famous for its nut, or one of these nuts. |
| co....... | CO9 | A traditional Irish dish made from mashed potatoes and cabbage or kale, with scallions, butter, salt and pepper added. |
| co... | CO5 | The punctuation mark ":". |
| co.... | CO6 | An area under the political control of another country and typically occupied by settlers (colonists) from it, or by their descendants. |
| co.. | CO4 | Having a slightly low temperature; mildly or pleasantly cold. |
| co.... | CO6 | In a cool, unpanicked or collected manner. |
| co... | CO5 | In a coy manner. |
| ll... | LL5 | A plain or steppe in parts of Latin America. |
| lo.. | LO4 | An act or instance of lending, an act or instance of granting something for temporary use. |
| lo... | LO5 | An entryway or reception area; vestibule; passageway; corridor. |
| lo.. | LO4 | A wolf. |
| lo... | LO5 | From or in a nearby location. |
| lo..... | LO7 | With respect to place; in place. |
| lo.. | LO4 | A direction in written or printed music to be returning to the proper pitch after having played an octave higher or lower. |
| lo.. | LO4 | To act lazily or indolently while reclining; to lean; to lie at ease. |
| lo.. | LO4 | An idler, a lout. |
| lo... | LO5 | Insane. |
| lo... | LO5 | Having or demonstrating undivided and constant support for someone or something. |
| lo..... | LO7 | In a loyal manner, faithfully. |
| na... | NA5 | An Indian ruler within the Mogul empire. |
| no... | NO5 | In a noble manner. |
| no...... | NO8 | Not local; not specific to a location |
| no.. | NO4 | A newb or newbie; refers to the idea that someone is new to a game, concept, or idea; implying a lack of experience. Also, in some areas the word noob can mean someone is obsessed with things. |
| no.. | NO4 | The time of day when the sun is in its zenith; twelve o'clock in the day, midday. |
| ny... | NY5 | Originally, the DuPont company trade name for polyamide, a copolymer whose molecules consist of alternating diamine and dicarboxylic acid monomers bonded together; now generically used for this type of polymer. |
| on... | ON5 | To lay or place something on a surface. |
| on.. | ON4 | Alone in a category. |
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.
- alloy (AL5)
- annoy (AN5)
- anon (AN4)
- baboon (BA6)
- bacon (BA5)
- balcony† (BA7)
- ballboy (BA7)
- balloon (BA7)
- baobab (BA6)
- blob (BL4)
- blobby (BL6)
- bloc (BL4)
- boba (BO4)
- bola (BO4)
- boll (BO4)
- bolo (BO4)
- bonbon (BO6)
- bonny (BO5)
- bonobo (BO6)
- bony (BO4)
- boob (BO4)
- booboo (BO6)
- booby (BO5)
- boon (BO4)
- cacao (CA5)
- callaloo (CA8)
- cannon (CA6)
- cannonball (CA10)
- canola (CA6)
- canon (CA5)
- canyon (CA6)
- cloaca (CL6)
- clonal (CL6)
- cloy (CL4)
- coal (CO4)
- coca (CO4)
- cocoa (CO5)
- cocoon (CO6)
- cola (CO4)
- colcannon (CO9)
- colon (CO5)
- colony (CO6)
- cool (CO4)
- coolly (CO6)
- coyly (CO5)
- llano (LL5)
- loan (LO4)
- lobby (LO5)
- lobo (LO4)
- local (LO5)
- locally (LO7)
- loco (LO4)
- loll (LO4)
- loon (LO4)
- loony (LO5)
- loyal (LO5)
- loyally (LO7)
- nabob (NA5)
- nobly (NO5)
- nonlocal (NO8)
- noob (NO4)
- noon (NO4)
- nylon (NY5)
- onlay (ON5)
- only (ON4)
Answer Definitions
- alloy (noun): A metal that is a combination of two or more elements, at least one of which is a metal.
- annoy (verb): To disturb or irritate, especially by continued or repeated acts; to bother with unpleasant deeds.
- anon (adverb): Straight away; at once.
- baboon (noun): An Old World monkey of the genus Papio, having dog-like muzzles and large canine teeth, cheek pouches, a short tail, and naked callosities on the buttocks.
- bacon (noun): Cured meat from the sides, belly, or back of a pig.
- balcony† (noun): An accessible structure extending from a building, especially outside a window.
- ballboy (noun): Alternative spelling of ball boy
- balloon (noun): An inflatable buoyant object, often (but not necessarily) round and flexible.
- baobab (noun): A tree, Adansonia digitata (and similar species), native to tropical Africa, having a broad swollen trunk and edible gourd-like hanging fruits.
- 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.
- blobby (adjective): Similar in shape to blobs; amorphous in appearance; partially irregular in appearance like bubbles.
- bloc (noun): A group of voters or politicians who share common goals.
- boba (noun): Synonym of tapioca pearl.
- 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.
- bonbon (noun): A sweet, especially a small chocolate-covered candy.
- bonny (adjective): Alternative spelling of bonnie
- bonobo (noun): The pygmy chimpanzee, Pan paniscus, from Africa south of the Congo river.
- bony (adjective): resembling, having the appearance or consistence of, or relating to bone; osseous.
- boob (noun): An idiot; a fool.
- booboo (noun): Alternative spelling of boo-boo
- booby (noun): A stupid person.
- boon (noun): A prayer; petition.
- cacao (noun): A tree, Theobroma cacao, whose seed is used to make chocolate.
- callaloo (noun): Any of various tropical plants grown in the Americas, especially of the genera Amaranthus and Xanthosoma, cultivated for their edible leaves.
- cannon (noun): A complete assembly, consisting of an artillery tube and a breech mechanism, firing mechanism or base cap, which is a component of a gun, howitzer or mortar. It may include muzzle appendages.
- cannonball (noun): A spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon.
- canola (noun): Any of a number of cultivars of rapeseed (Brassica napus) and closely related field mustard (Brassica rapa), which have a lower erucic acid and glucosinolate content than traditional rapeseed.
- canon (noun): A generally accepted principle; a rule.
- canyon (noun): A valley, especially a long, narrow, steep valley, cut in rock by a river.
- cloaca (noun): A sewer.
- clonal (adjective): Relating to, or created by asexual reproduction (cloning)
- cloy (verb): To fill up or choke up; to stop up.
- 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.
- cocoon (noun): The silky protective case spun by the larvae of some insects in which they metamorphose, the pupa.
- cola (noun): The kola plant, genus Cola, famous for its nut, or one of these nuts.
- colcannon (noun): A traditional Irish dish made from mashed potatoes and cabbage or kale, with scallions, butter, salt and pepper added.
- colon (noun): The punctuation mark ":".
- colony (noun): An area under the political control of another country and typically occupied by settlers (colonists) from it, or by their descendants.
- cool (adjective): Having a slightly low temperature; mildly or pleasantly cold.
- coolly (adverb): In a cool, unpanicked or collected manner.
- coyly (adverb): In a coy manner.
- llano (noun): A plain or steppe in parts of Latin America.
- loan (noun): An act or instance of lending, an act or instance of granting something for temporary use.
- lobby (noun): An entryway or reception area; vestibule; passageway; corridor.
- lobo (noun): A wolf.
- local (adjective): From or in a nearby location.
- locally (adverb): With respect to place; in place.
- loco (adverb): A direction in written or printed music to be returning to the proper pitch after having played an octave higher or lower.
- loll (verb): To act lazily or indolently while reclining; to lean; to lie at ease.
- loon (noun): An idler, a lout.
- loony (adjective): Insane.
- loyal (adjective): Having or demonstrating undivided and constant support for someone or something.
- loyally (adverb): In a loyal manner, faithfully.
- nabob (noun): An Indian ruler within the Mogul empire.
- nobly (adverb): In a noble manner.
- nonlocal (adjective): Not local; not specific to a location
- noob (noun): A newb or newbie; refers to the idea that someone is new to a game, concept, or idea; implying a lack of experience. Also, in some areas the word noob can mean someone is obsessed with things.
- noon (noun): The time of day when the sun is in its zenith; twelve o'clock in the day, midday.
- nylon (noun): Originally, the DuPont company trade name for polyamide, a copolymer whose molecules consist of alternating diamine and dicarboxylic acid monomers bonded together; now generically used for this type of polymer.
- onlay (verb): To lay or place something on a surface.
- only (adjective): Alone in a category.