NYT Spelling Bee Answers for September 15, 2020
Game Summary
| Center Letter | R |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | a, c, f, k, o, t |
| # of Pangrams | 1 (Perfect: none) |
| Total Words | 60 words |
| Total Points | 235 points |
| Genius Level | 165 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</th><th>10 | Σ | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 3 | 3 | - | 1 | - | 1 | - | 8 |
| C | 3 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 3 | - | - | 14 |
| F | 5 | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 9 |
| K | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 2 |
| O | 2 | - | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | 4 |
| R | 8 | 1 | 1 | 2 | - | - | 1 | 13 |
| T | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | 10 | Σ | 27 | 17 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 60 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AC×1 AF×2 AO×1 AR×1 AT×3 |
|---|---|
| C | CA×4 CO×4 CR×6 |
| F | FA×3 FO×3 FR×3 |
| K | KA×2 |
| O | OF×1 OK×1 OR×2 |
| R | RA×3 RO×10 |
| T | TA×4 TO×2 TR×4 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | ACT×1 AFA×1 AFR×1 AOR×1 ARC×1 ATT×3 |
|---|---|
| C | CAR×3 CAT×1 COA×2 COF×1 COR×1 CRA×2 CRO×4 |
| F | FAC×1 FAR×2 FOR×3 FRA×2 FRO×1 |
| K | KAR×2 |
| O | OFF×1 OKR×1 ORA×1 ORC×1 |
| R | RAC×1 RAF×1 RAT×1 ROA×1 ROC×2 ROO×3 ROT×4 |
| T | TAR×4 TOR×2 TRA×3 TRO×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) |
|---|---|---|
| ac... | AC5 | Someone who institutes a legal suit; a plaintiff or complainant. |
| af.. | AF4 | At, to, or from a great distance; far away. |
| af.. | AF4 | hairstyle characterized by tightly curled locks and a rounded shape. |
| ao... | AO5 | The great artery which carries the blood from the heart to all parts of the body except the lungs; the main trunk of the arterial system. |
| ar.. | AR4 | 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. |
| at... | AT5 | An essential oil extracted from flowers. |
| at..... | AT7 | To pull toward without touching. |
| at....... | AT9 | Something which attracts. |
| ca... | CA5 | A unit of weight for precious stones and pearls, equivalent to 200 milligrams. |
| ca.... | CA6 | A vegetable with a nutritious, juicy, sweet root that is often orange in colour, Daucus carota, especially the subspecies sativus in the family Apiaceae. |
| ca.. | CA4 | A small, open, wheeled vehicle, drawn or pushed by a person or animal, more often used for transporting goods than passengers. |
| ca...... | CA8 | A waterspout. |
| co..... | CO7 | An organism that participates in coaction |
| co...... | CO8 | Alternative spelling of coat rack |
| co...... | CO8 | A contributing factor. |
| co.. | CO4 | The bark of the cork oak, which is very light and porous and used for making bottle stoppers, flotation devices, and insulation material. |
| cr... | CR5 | To form cracks. |
| cr... | CR5 | Strength; power; might; force . |
| cr... | CR5 | A faint, harsh sound made in the throat. |
| cr.. | CR4 | A crocodile. |
| cr... | CR5 | A stoneware or earthenware jar or storage container. |
| cr... | CR5 | A bend; turn; curve; curvature; a flexure. |
| fa.... | FA6 | A doer, maker; a person who does things for another person or organization. |
| fa... | FA5 | Emmer wheat (Triticum turgidum). |
| fa.. | FA4 | To emit digestive gases from the anus; to flatulate. |
| fo.. | FO4 | plural of forum (alternative form of forums). |
| fo.. | FO4 | Any of several types of pronged (tined) tools (physical tools), as follows: A utensil with spikes used to put solid food into the mouth, or to hold food down while cutting. |
| fo.. | FO4 | A fortified defensive structure stationed with troops. |
| fr... | FR5 | To employ hydraulic fracturing (fracking). |
| fr.. | FR4 | Shortened form of fraternity, college organization. |
| fr... | FR5 | A dress, a piece of clothing for a female, which consists of a skirt and a cover for the upper body. |
| ka... | KA5 | A unit of fineness or concentration of gold equalling 1/24 part of gold in an alloy. |
| ka.. | KA4 | A go-cart. |
| of...... † | OF8 | Alternative spelling of off-track |
| ok.. | OK4 | The edible immature mucilaginous seed pod (properly, capsule) of the Abelmoschus esculentus. |
| or.... | OR6 | Someone who orates or delivers an oration. |
| or.. | OR4 | A sea mammal (Orcinus orca) related to dolphins and porpoises, commonly called the killer whale. |
| ra.. | RA4 | A series of one or more shelves, stacked one above the other |
| ra.. | RA4 | A flat-bottomed craft able to float and drift on water, used for transport or as a waterborne platform. |
| ra..... | RA7 | A swiftly repeated knocking sound. |
| ro.. | RO4 | To make a loud, deep cry, especially from pain, anger, or other strong emotion. |
| ro.. | RO4 | A formation of minerals, specifically: The naturally occurring aggregate of solid mineral matter that constitutes a significant part of the earth's crust. |
| ro.... | RO6 | A style of baroque architecture and decorative art, from 18th-century France, having elaborate ornamentation. |
| ro.. | RO4 | The external covering at the top of a building. |
| ro.. | RO4 | A European bird, Corvus frugilegus, of the crow family. |
| ro.. | RO4 | The part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors and supports the plant body, absorbs and stores water and nutrients, and in some plants is able to perform vegetative reproduction. |
| ro..... | RO7 | One who or that which rotates. |
| ro.. | RO4 | Clipping of rotogravure. |
| ro... | RO5 | A rotating part of a mechanical device; for example, in an electric motor, generator, alternator, or pump. |
| ro........ | RO10 | Any aircraft that obtains its lift from rotors. |
| ta.. | TA4 | Colocasia esculenta, raised as a food primarily for its corm, which distantly resembles potato. |
| ta... | TA5 | A card game played in various different variations. |
| ta.. | TA4 | Sharp to the taste; acid; sour. |
| ta.... | TA6 | A red compound deposited during wine making; mostly potassium hydrogen tartrate — a source of cream of tartar. |
| to.. | TO4 | A traditional Japanese lantern. |
| to.. | TO4 | An injury or wrong. |
| tr... | TR5 | A mark left by something that has passed along. |
| tr... | TR5 | An area or expanse. |
| tr..... | TR7 | A vehicle used in farms e.g. for pulling farm equipment and preparing the fields. |
| tr.. | TR4 | An ugly old woman, a hag. |
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.
- actor (AC5)
- afar (AF4)
- afro (AF4)
- aorta (AO5)
- arco (AR4)
- attar (AT5)
- attract (AT7)
- attractor (AT9)
- carat (CA5)
- carrot (CA6)
- cart (CA4)
- cataract (CA8)
- coactor (CO7)
- coatrack (CO8)
- cofactor (CO8)
- cork (CO4)
- crack (CR5)
- craft (CR5)
- croak (CR5)
- croc (CR4)
- crock (CR5)
- crook (CR5)
- factor (FA6)
- farro (FA5)
- fart (FA4)
- fora (FO4)
- fork (FO4)
- fort (FO4)
- frack (FR5)
- frat (FR4)
- frock (FR5)
- karat (KA5)
- kart (KA4)
- offtrack† (OF8)
- okra (OK4)
- orator (OR6)
- orca (OR4)
- rack (RA4)
- raft (RA4)
- ratatat (RA7)
- roar (RO4)
- rock (RO4)
- rococo (RO6)
- roof (RO4)
- rook (RO4)
- root (RO4)
- rotator (RO7)
- roto (RO4)
- rotor (RO5)
- rotorcraft (RO10)
- taro (TA4)
- tarot (TA5)
- tart (TA4)
- tartar (TA6)
- toro (TO4)
- tort (TO4)
- track (TR5)
- tract (TR5)
- tractor (TR7)
- trot (TR4)
Answer Definitions
- actor (noun): Someone who institutes a legal suit; a plaintiff or complainant.
- afar (adverb): At, to, or from a great distance; far away.
- afro (noun): hairstyle characterized by tightly curled locks and a rounded shape.
- aorta (noun): The great artery which carries the blood from the heart to all parts of the body except the lungs; the main trunk of the arterial system.
- 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.
- attar (noun): An essential oil extracted from flowers.
- attract (verb): To pull toward without touching.
- attractor (noun): Something which attracts.
- carat (noun): A unit of weight for precious stones and pearls, equivalent to 200 milligrams.
- carrot (noun): A vegetable with a nutritious, juicy, sweet root that is often orange in colour, Daucus carota, especially the subspecies sativus in the family Apiaceae.
- cart (noun): A small, open, wheeled vehicle, drawn or pushed by a person or animal, more often used for transporting goods than passengers.
- cataract (noun): A waterspout.
- coactor (noun): An organism that participates in coaction
- coatrack (noun): Alternative spelling of coat rack
- cofactor (noun): A contributing factor.
- cork (noun): The bark of the cork oak, which is very light and porous and used for making bottle stoppers, flotation devices, and insulation material.
- crack (verb): To form cracks.
- craft (noun): Strength; power; might; force .
- croak (noun): A faint, harsh sound made in the throat.
- croc (noun): A crocodile.
- crock (noun): A stoneware or earthenware jar or storage container.
- crook (noun): A bend; turn; curve; curvature; a flexure.
- factor (noun): A doer, maker; a person who does things for another person or organization.
- farro (noun): Emmer wheat (Triticum turgidum).
- fart (verb): To emit digestive gases from the anus; to flatulate.
- fora (noun): plural of forum (alternative form of forums).
- fork (noun): Any of several types of pronged (tined) tools (physical tools), as follows: A utensil with spikes used to put solid food into the mouth, or to hold food down while cutting.
- fort (noun): A fortified defensive structure stationed with troops.
- frack (verb): To employ hydraulic fracturing (fracking).
- frat (noun): Shortened form of fraternity, college organization.
- frock (noun): A dress, a piece of clothing for a female, which consists of a skirt and a cover for the upper body.
- karat (noun): A unit of fineness or concentration of gold equalling 1/24 part of gold in an alloy.
- kart (noun): A go-cart.
- offtrack† (adjective): Alternative spelling of off-track
- okra (noun): The edible immature mucilaginous seed pod (properly, capsule) of the Abelmoschus esculentus.
- orator (noun): Someone who orates or delivers an oration.
- orca (noun): A sea mammal (Orcinus orca) related to dolphins and porpoises, commonly called the killer whale.
- rack (noun): A series of one or more shelves, stacked one above the other
- raft (noun): A flat-bottomed craft able to float and drift on water, used for transport or as a waterborne platform.
- ratatat (noun): A swiftly repeated knocking sound.
- roar (verb): To make a loud, deep cry, especially from pain, anger, or other strong emotion.
- rock (noun): A formation of minerals, specifically: The naturally occurring aggregate of solid mineral matter that constitutes a significant part of the earth's crust.
- rococo (noun): A style of baroque architecture and decorative art, from 18th-century France, having elaborate ornamentation.
- roof (noun): The external covering at the top of a building.
- rook (noun): A European bird, Corvus frugilegus, of the crow family.
- root (noun): The part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors and supports the plant body, absorbs and stores water and nutrients, and in some plants is able to perform vegetative reproduction.
- rotator (noun): One who or that which rotates.
- roto (noun): Clipping of rotogravure.
- rotor (noun): A rotating part of a mechanical device; for example, in an electric motor, generator, alternator, or pump.
- rotorcraft (noun): Any aircraft that obtains its lift from rotors.
- taro (noun): Colocasia esculenta, raised as a food primarily for its corm, which distantly resembles potato.
- tarot (noun): A card game played in various different variations.
- tart (adjective): Sharp to the taste; acid; sour.
- tartar (noun): A red compound deposited during wine making; mostly potassium hydrogen tartrate — a source of cream of tartar.
- toro (noun): A traditional Japanese lantern.
- tort (noun): An injury or wrong.
- track (noun): A mark left by something that has passed along.
- tract (noun): An area or expanse.
- tractor (noun): A vehicle used in farms e.g. for pulling farm equipment and preparing the fields.
- trot (noun): An ugly old woman, a hag.