NYT Spelling Bee Answers for September 6, 2020
Game Summary
| Center Letter | I |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | a, b, l, n, t, y |
| # of Pangrams | 3 (Perfect: none) |
| Total Words | 51 words |
| Total Points | 243 points |
| Genius Level | 170 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</th><th>11</th><th>12</th><th>13 | Σ | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 8 |
| B | 4 | 3 | - | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | 9 |
| I | 2 | 1 | - | 2 | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | 7 |
| L | 4 | 4 | 2 | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 11 |
| N | 1 | 1 | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 3 |
| T | 6 | 4 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 13 |
| Y | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Σ | 19 | 15 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | - | - | - | 1 | 51 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AB×1 AL×2 AN×1 AT×4 |
|---|---|
| B | BA×3 BI×4 BL×2 |
| I | IL×1 IN×5 IT×1 |
| L | LA×5 LI×6 |
| N | NA×2 NI×1 |
| T | TA×4 TI×9 |
| Y |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | ABI×1 ALI×2 ANT×1 ATI×1 ATT×3 |
|---|---|
| B | BAI×2 BAN×1 BIA×1 BIL×3 BLI×2 |
| I | ILL×1 INA×2 INI×2 INL×1 ITT×1 |
| L | LAB×2 LAI×2 LAN×1 LIA×1 LIL×2 LIN×2 LIT×1 |
| N | NAI×1 NAT×1 NIN×1 |
| T | TAI×2 TAL×1 TAN×1 TIB×2 TIL×2 TIN×4 TIT×1 |
| 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) |
|---|---|---|
| ab..... | AB7 | Suitableness. |
| al... | AL5 | The plea or mode of defense under which a person on trial for a crime proves or attempts to prove being in another place when the alleged act was committed. |
| al.. | AL4 | simple past tense and past participle of alight |
| an.. | AN4 | Opposed to something. |
| at... | AT5 | At an angle from the vertical or horizontal. |
| at.... | AT6 | To gain (an object or desired result). |
| at........... † | AT13 | The state of being attainable. |
| at..... | AT7 | Convicted, attainted. |
| ba.. | BA4 | Security, usually a sum of money, exchanged for the release of an arrested person as a guarantee of that person's appearance for trial. |
| ba.. | BA4 | Any substance, especially food, used in catching fish, or other animals, by alluring them to a hook, snare, trap, or net. |
| ba...... † | BA8 | The quality of being banal. |
| bi... | BI5 | A flat bread roll topped with onion flakes. Instead of a hole like a bagel, it has a depression in the middle. |
| bi...... | BI8 | Articulated with both lips. |
| bi.. | BI4 | 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. |
| bi... | BI5 | A billy club. |
| bl.. | BL4 | To cease (from); to stop; to desist, to let up. |
| bl... | BL5 | A small pancake, of Russian origin, made from buckwheat flour; traditionally served with melted butter, sour cream and caviar or smoked salmon. |
| il.. | IL4 | Badly; poorly. |
| in....... † | IN9 | Lack of the ability to do something; incapability. |
| in..... | IN7 | The property of lacking sense or meaning (often to the point of boredom or annoyance). |
| in..... | IN7 | Chronologically first, early; of or pertaining to the beginning, cause or origin. |
| in....... | IN9 | At the beginning. |
| in... | IN5 | To place (pieces of a foreign material) within another material to form a decorative design. |
| it.. | IT4 | Extremely small. |
| la... | LA5 | The folds of tissue at the opening of the vulva, at either side of the vagina. |
| la.... | LA6 | Of or pertaining to the lips or labia. |
| la.. | LA4 | past participle of lie (“to be oriented in a horizontal position, situated”) |
| la... | LA5 | People of a church who are not ordained clergy or clerics. |
| la... | LA5 | A Hawaiian-style roofed patio. |
| li....... | LI9 | An obligation, debt or responsibility owed to someone. |
| li.. | LI4 | To do something rhythmically, with animation and quickness, usually of music. |
| li.. | LI4 | Any of several flowers in the genus Lilium of the family Liliaceae, which includes a great many ornamental species. |
| li.. | LI4 | Clinging fuzzy fluff that clings to fabric or accumulates in one's pockets or navel etc. |
| li... | LI5 | Covered with lint. |
| li.... | LI6 | A ritual liturgical prayer in which a series of prayers recited by a leader are alternated with responses from the congregation. |
| na.. | NA4 | The thin, horny plate at the ends of fingers and toes on humans and some other animals. |
| na...... | NA8 | The ratio of live births in an area to the population of that area; expressed per 1000 population per year. |
| ni... | NI5 | A silly or foolish person. |
| ta.. | TA4 | The caudal appendage of an animal that is attached to its posterior and near the anus. |
| ta... | TA5 | A contamination, decay or putrefaction, especially in food. |
| ta.. | TA4 | plural of talus |
| ta.... | TA6 | Tannic acid or any of its derivatives. |
| ti... | TI5 | The inner and usually the larger of the two bones of the leg or hind limb below the knee, the shinbone |
| ti.... | TI6 | Of or pertaining to a tibia or a structure associated with a tibia. |
| ti.. | TI4 | Until; to, up to; as late as (a given time). |
| ti.. | TI4 | To slope or incline (something); to slant. |
| ti.... | TI6 | In a tiny way. |
| ti... | TI5 | having a displeasingly thin, metallic sound. |
| ti.. | TI4 | A slight coloring. |
| ti.. | TI4 | Very small. |
| ti... | TI5 | Something or someone of very large stature, greatness, or godliness. |
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.
- ability (AB7)
- alibi (AL5)
- alit (AL4)
- anti (AN4)
- atilt (AT5)
- attain (AT6)
- attainability† (AT13)
- attaint (AT7)
- bail (BA4)
- bait (BA4)
- banality† (BA8)
- bialy (BI5)
- bilabial (BI8)
- bill (BI4)
- billy (BI5)
- blin (BL4)
- blini (BL5)
- illy (IL4)
- inability† (IN9)
- inanity (IN7)
- initial (IN7)
- initially (IN9)
- inlay (IN5)
- itty (IT4)
- labia (LA5)
- labial (LA6)
- lain (LA4)
- laity (LA5)
- lanai (LA5)
- liability (LI9)
- lilt (LI4)
- lily (LI4)
- lint (LI4)
- linty (LI5)
- litany (LI6)
- nail (NA4)
- natality (NA8)
- ninny (NI5)
- tail (TA4)
- taint (TA5)
- tali (TA4)
- tannin (TA6)
- tibia (TI5)
- tibial (TI6)
- till (TI4)
- tilt (TI4)
- tinily (TI6)
- tinny (TI5)
- tint (TI4)
- tiny (TI4)
- titan (TI5)
Answer Definitions
- ability (noun): Suitableness.
- alibi (noun): The plea or mode of defense under which a person on trial for a crime proves or attempts to prove being in another place when the alleged act was committed.
- alit (verb): simple past tense and past participle of alight
- anti (adjective): Opposed to something.
- atilt (adjective): At an angle from the vertical or horizontal.
- attain (verb): To gain (an object or desired result).
- attainability† (noun): The state of being attainable.
- attaint (adjective): Convicted, attainted.
- bail (noun): Security, usually a sum of money, exchanged for the release of an arrested person as a guarantee of that person's appearance for trial.
- bait (noun): Any substance, especially food, used in catching fish, or other animals, by alluring them to a hook, snare, trap, or net.
- banality† (noun): The quality of being banal.
- bialy (noun): A flat bread roll topped with onion flakes. Instead of a hole like a bagel, it has a depression in the middle.
- bilabial (adjective): Articulated with both lips.
- 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.
- billy (noun): A billy club.
- 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.
- illy (adverb): Badly; poorly.
- inability† (noun): Lack of the ability to do something; incapability.
- inanity (noun): The property of lacking sense or meaning (often to the point of boredom or annoyance).
- initial (adjective): Chronologically first, early; of or pertaining to the beginning, cause or origin.
- initially (adverb): At the beginning.
- inlay (verb): To place (pieces of a foreign material) within another material to form a decorative design.
- itty (adjective): Extremely small.
- labia (noun): The folds of tissue at the opening of the vulva, at either side of the vagina.
- labial (adjective): Of or pertaining to the lips or labia.
- lain (verb): past participle of lie (“to be oriented in a horizontal position, situated”)
- laity (noun): People of a church who are not ordained clergy or clerics.
- lanai (noun): A Hawaiian-style roofed patio.
- liability (noun): An obligation, debt or responsibility owed to someone.
- lilt (verb): To do something rhythmically, with animation and quickness, usually of music.
- lily (noun): Any of several flowers in the genus Lilium of the family Liliaceae, which includes a great many ornamental species.
- lint (noun): Clinging fuzzy fluff that clings to fabric or accumulates in one's pockets or navel etc.
- linty (adjective): Covered with lint.
- litany (noun): A ritual liturgical prayer in which a series of prayers recited by a leader are alternated with responses from the congregation.
- nail (noun): The thin, horny plate at the ends of fingers and toes on humans and some other animals.
- natality (noun): The ratio of live births in an area to the population of that area; expressed per 1000 population per year.
- ninny (noun): A silly or foolish person.
- tail (noun): The caudal appendage of an animal that is attached to its posterior and near the anus.
- taint (noun): A contamination, decay or putrefaction, especially in food.
- tali (noun): plural of talus
- tannin (noun): Tannic acid or any of its derivatives.
- tibia (noun): The inner and usually the larger of the two bones of the leg or hind limb below the knee, the shinbone
- tibial (adjective): Of or pertaining to a tibia or a structure associated with a tibia.
- till (preposition): Until; to, up to; as late as (a given time).
- tilt (verb): To slope or incline (something); to slant.
- tinily (adverb): In a tiny way.
- tinny (adjective): having a displeasingly thin, metallic sound.
- tint (noun): A slight coloring.
- tiny (adjective): Very small.
- titan (noun): Something or someone of very large stature, greatness, or godliness.