NYT Spelling Bee Answers for September 3, 2020

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for September 3, 2020

Game Summary

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for September 3, 2020
Center LetterE
Outer Lettersc, l, m, o, p, x
# of Pangrams1 (Perfect: 1)
Total Words29 words
Total Points93 points
Genius Level65 points
Bingo?No

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 September 3, 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>8Σ
C2111-5
E34--18
L1----1
M41---5
O1----1
P6-3--9
X------
Σ17641129

Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints

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

C
CE×2
CO×3
E
EL×1
EM×1
EP×1
EX×5
L
LO×1
M
ME×3
MO×2
O
OL×1
P
PE×3
PO×6
X

Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints

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

C
CEL×2
COM×3
E
ELO×1
EMC×1
EPE×1
EXC×1
EXE×1
EXP×3
L
LOP×1
M
MEL×1
MEM×2
MOL×1
MOP×1
O
OLE×1
P
PEE×2
PEO×1
POE×1
POL×1
POM×3
POP×1
X

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)
ce..CE4A single-room dwelling for a hermit.
ce...CE5A large unfretted stringed instrument of the violin family with four strings tuned (lowest to highest) C-G-D-A and an endpin to support its weight, usually played with a bow.
co..CO4To move from further away to nearer to.
co....CO6To drive together, round up (Can we add an example for this sense?)
co..... CO7Made up of multiple parts; composite; not simple.
el...EL5To run away from home with a paramour.
em...EM5Alternative form of MC in its senses as Master of ceremonies. A rapper.
ep..EP4A sharp-pointed dueling sword with a bell-shaped guard, used (with the end blunted) in sport fencing.
ex...EX5To surpass someone or something; to be better or do better than someone or something.
ex..EX4executive, executive officer
ex...EX5To eject or erupt.
ex......EX8One who is expelled.
ex..EX4An exposition.
lo..LO4To travel an easy pace with long strides.
me...ME5A battle fought at close range; hand-to-hand combat; brawling.
me..ME4Any unit of cultural information, such as a practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another in a comparable way to the transmission of genes.
me..ME4A short note; a memorandum.
mo..MO4A pigmented spot on the skin, a naevus, slightly raised, and sometimes hairy.
mo..MO4To carry oneself in a depressed, lackadaisical manner; to give oneself up to low spirits; to pout, sulk.
ol..OL4A 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.
pe..PE4To remove the skin or outer covering of.
pe..PE4A short, soft, high-pitched sound, as made by a baby bird.
pe....PE6Used as plural of person; a body of human beings considered generally or collectively; a group of two or more persons.
po..PO4A literary piece written in verse.
po..PO4Originally, a stick; now specifically, a long and slender piece of metal or (especially) wood, used for various construction or support purposes.
po..PO4A type of fruit in which the often edible flesh arises from the swollen base of the flower and not from the carpels.
po....PO6The large fruit of the Citrus maxima (syn. C. grandis), native to South Asia and Southeast Asia, with a thick green or yellow rind, a thick white pith, and semi-sweet translucent pale flesh.
po....PO6The upper front brow of a saddle.
po..PO4An honorary title of the Roman Catholic bishop of Rome as father and head of his church, a sovereign of the Vatican city state. Any similarly absolute and 'infallible' authority. Any similar head of a religion. A theocrat, a priest-king, including (at first especially) over the imaginary land of Prester John or (now) in figurative and alliterative uses. An effigy of the pope traditionally burnt in Britain on Guy Fawkes' Day and (occasionally) at other times. Pope Day, the present Guy Fawkes Day.

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.

  • cell  (CE4)
  • cello  (CE5)
  • come  (CO4)
  • compel  (CO6)
  • complex  (CO7)
  • elope  (EL5)
  • emcee  (EM5)
  • epee  (EP4)
  • excel  (EX5)
  • exec  (EX4)
  • expel  (EX5)
  • expellee  (EX8)
  • expo  (EX4)
  • lope  (LO4)
  • melee  (ME5)
  • meme  (ME4)
  • memo  (ME4)
  • mole  (MO4)
  • mope  (MO4)
  • oleo  (OL4)
  • peel  (PE4)
  • peep  (PE4)
  • people  (PE6)
  • poem  (PO4)
  • pole  (PO4)
  • pome  (PO4)
  • pomelo  (PO6)
  • pommel  (PO6)
  • pope  (PO4)

Answer Definitions

  • cell (noun): A single-room dwelling for a hermit.
  • cello (noun): A large unfretted stringed instrument of the violin family with four strings tuned (lowest to highest) C-G-D-A and an endpin to support its weight, usually played with a bow.
  • come (verb): To move from further away to nearer to.
  • compel (verb): To drive together, round up (Can we add an example for this sense?)
  • complex (adjective): Made up of multiple parts; composite; not simple.
  • elope (verb): To run away from home with a paramour.
  • emcee (noun): Alternative form of MC in its senses as Master of ceremonies. A rapper.
  • epee (noun): A sharp-pointed dueling sword with a bell-shaped guard, used (with the end blunted) in sport fencing.
  • excel (verb): To surpass someone or something; to be better or do better than someone or something.
  • exec (noun): executive, executive officer
  • expel (verb): To eject or erupt.
  • expellee (noun): One who is expelled.
  • expo (noun): An exposition.
  • lope (verb): To travel an easy pace with long strides.
  • melee (noun): A battle fought at close range; hand-to-hand combat; brawling.
  • meme (noun): Any unit of cultural information, such as a practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another in a comparable way to the transmission of genes.
  • memo (noun): A short note; a memorandum.
  • mole (noun): A pigmented spot on the skin, a naevus, slightly raised, and sometimes hairy.
  • mope (verb): To carry oneself in a depressed, lackadaisical manner; to give oneself up to low spirits; to pout, sulk.
  • 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.
  • peel (verb): To remove the skin or outer covering of.
  • peep (noun): A short, soft, high-pitched sound, as made by a baby bird.
  • people (noun): Used as plural of person; a body of human beings considered generally or collectively; a group of two or more persons.
  • poem (noun): A literary piece written in verse.
  • pole (noun): Originally, a stick; now specifically, a long and slender piece of metal or (especially) wood, used for various construction or support purposes.
  • pome (noun): A type of fruit in which the often edible flesh arises from the swollen base of the flower and not from the carpels.
  • pomelo (noun): The large fruit of the Citrus maxima (syn. C. grandis), native to South Asia and Southeast Asia, with a thick green or yellow rind, a thick white pith, and semi-sweet translucent pale flesh.
  • pommel (noun): The upper front brow of a saddle.
  • pope (noun): An honorary title of the Roman Catholic bishop of Rome as father and head of his church, a sovereign of the Vatican city state. Any similarly absolute and 'infallible' authority. Any similar head of a religion. A theocrat, a priest-king, including (at first especially) over the imaginary land of Prester John or (now) in figurative and alliterative uses. An effigy of the pope traditionally burnt in Britain on Guy Fawkes' Day and (occasionally) at other times. Pope Day, the present Guy Fawkes Day.