NYT Spelling Bee Answers for September 17, 2020
Game Summary
| Center Letter | A |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | f, i, l, n, p, u |
| # of Pangrams | 1 (Perfect: 1) |
| Total Words | 43 words |
| Total Points | 152 points |
| Genius Level | 106 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 | Σ | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 8 |
| F | 5 | 3 | 3 | - | 11 |
| I | - | - | - | - | - |
| L | 3 | 1 | 1 | - | 5 |
| N | 4 | - | - | - | 4 |
| P | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 14 |
| U | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | Σ | 21 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 43 |
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×5 AP×2 |
|---|---|
| F | FA×5 FI×3 FL×3 |
| I | |
| L | LA×2 LU×3 |
| N | NA×4 |
| P | PA×9 PI×1 PL×2 PU×2 |
| U | UL×1 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | ALF×1 ANA×1 ANN×4 API×1 APP×1 |
|---|---|
| F | FAI×1 FAL×1 FAU×3 FIL×1 FIN×2 FLA×3 |
| I | |
| L | LAI×1 LAN×1 LUA×1 LUN×2 |
| N | NAA×1 NAI×2 NAN×1 |
| P | PAI×3 PAL×2 PAN×1 PAP×3 PIL×1 PLA×2 PUP×2 |
| U | ULN×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) |
|---|---|---|
| al..... | AL7 | A plant, principally of Medicago sativa, grown as a pasture crop. |
| an.. | AN4 | of, related to, intended for or involving the anus. |
| an... | AN5 | The record of a single event or item. |
| an.... | AN6 | Happening once every year. |
| an... | AN5 | To formally revoke the validity of. |
| an.... | AN6 | plural of annulus |
| ap... | AP5 | Relating to bees. |
| ap.... | AP6 | To fill with horror; to dismay. |
| fa.. | FA4 | To be unsuccessful. |
| fa.. | FA4 | To be moved downwards. To move to a lower position under the effect of gravity. |
| fa.. | FA4 | A woodland creature with pointed ears, legs, and short horns of a goat and a fondness for unrestrained revelry. |
| fa... | FA5 | Animals considered as a group; especially those of a particular country, region, time. |
| fa.... | FA6 | Pertaining to animals. |
| fi.... | FI6 | Pertaining to or befitting a son or daughter. |
| fi... | FI5 | A final examination; a test or examination given at the end of a term or class; the test that concludes a class. |
| fi.... | FI6 | The knot or bunch of foliage, or foliated ornament, that forms the upper extremity of a pinnacle in Gothic architecture. |
| fl... | FL5 | A tool used for threshing, consisting of a long handle with a shorter stick attached with a short piece of chain, thong or similar material. |
| fl.. | FL4 | Baked tart with sweet or savoury filling in an open-topped pastry case. |
| fl.. | FL4 | Anything broad and flexible that hangs loose, or that is attached by one side or end and is easily moved. |
| la.. | LA4 | past participle of lie (“to be oriented in a horizontal position, situated”) |
| la... | LA5 | A Hawaiian-style roofed patio. |
| lu.. | LU4 | An elaborate Hawaiian feast featuring traditional foods and entertainment. |
| lu.. | LU4 | A luna moth: a member of species Actias luna. |
| lu.... | LU6 | Something shaped like a crescent or half-moon; especially the pale area at the base of the fingernail. |
| na.. | NA4 | A type of round, flat bread baked in a tandoor popular in South and Central Asian cuisine. |
| na.. | NA4 | Alternative spelling of naïf. |
| na.. | NA4 | The thin, horny plate at the ends of fingers and toes on humans and some other animals. |
| na.. | NA4 | A banana. |
| pa.. | PA4 | A vessel of wood, tin, plastic, etc., usually cylindrical and having a handle -- used especially for carrying liquids, for example water or milk; a bucket (sometimes with a cover). |
| pa.. | PA4 | An ache or bodily suffering, or an instance of this; an unpleasant sensation, resulting from a derangement of functions, disease, or injury by violence; hurt. |
| pa..... † | PA7 | Causing pain or distress, either physical or mental. |
| pa.. | PA4 | Senses relating to cloth. Fine cloth, especially purple cloth used for robes. A heavy cloth laid over a coffin or tomb; a shroud laid over a corpse. A piece of cardboard, covered with linen and embroidered on one side, used to cover the chalice during the Eucharist. A cloth used for various purposes on the altar in a church, such as a corporal (“cloth on which elements of the Eucharist are placed”) or frontal (“drapery covering the front of an altar”). |
| pa.. | PA4 | Synonym of pedipalp. |
| pa.... | PA6 | A type of grilled sandwich made of a small loaf of bread, cut horizontally, filled with meat such as salami or ham, cheese or other food. |
| pa.. | PA4 | Dad, daddy, father; a familiar or old-fashioned term of address to one’s father. |
| pa... | PA5 | Having to do with the pope or the papacy. |
| pa..... | PA7 | A nipple-like protuberance on a part or organ of the body. A vascular process of connective tissue extending into and nourishing the root of a hair, feather, or developing tooth. Any of the vascular protuberances of the dermal layer of the skin extending into the epidermal layer and often containing tactile corpuscles. Any of the small protuberances on the upper surface of the tongue often containing taste buds. |
| pi... | PI5 | A dish made by browning grain, typically rice, in oil and then cooking it with a seasoned broth, to which meat and/or vegetables may be added. |
| pl... | PL5 | Flat, level. |
| pl.. | PL4 | A drawing showing technical details of a building, machine, etc., with unwanted details omitted, and often using symbols rather than detailed drawing to represent doors, valves, etc. |
| pu.. | PU4 | Used as a specific epithet; resembling an insect in its pupal stage of development. |
| pu... | PU5 | Of or pertaining to the pupa stage of insect metamorphosis. |
| ul.. | UL4 | The bone of the forearm that extends from the elbow to the wrist on the side opposite to the thumb, corresponding to the fibula of the hind limb. Also, the corresponding bone in the forelimb of any vertebrate. |
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.
- alfalfa (AL7)
- anal (AN4)
- annal (AN5)
- annual (AN6)
- annul (AN5)
- annuli (AN6)
- apian (AP5)
- appall (AP6)
- fail (FA4)
- fall (FA4)
- faun (FA4)
- fauna (FA5)
- faunal (FA6)
- filial (FI6)
- final (FI5)
- finial (FI6)
- flail (FL5)
- flan (FL4)
- flap (FL4)
- lain (LA4)
- lanai (LA5)
- luau (LU4)
- luna (LU4)
- lunula (LU6)
- naan (NA4)
- naif (NA4)
- nail (NA4)
- nana (NA4)
- pail (PA4)
- pain (PA4)
- painful† (PA7)
- pall (PA4)
- palp (PA4)
- panini (PA6)
- papa (PA4)
- papal (PA5)
- papilla (PA7)
- pilaf (PI5)
- plain (PL5)
- plan (PL4)
- pupa (PU4)
- pupal (PU5)
- ulna (UL4)
Answer Definitions
- alfalfa (noun): A plant, principally of Medicago sativa, grown as a pasture crop.
- anal (adjective): of, related to, intended for or involving the anus.
- annal (noun): The record of a single event or item.
- annual (adjective): Happening once every year.
- annul (verb): To formally revoke the validity of.
- annuli (noun): plural of annulus
- apian (adjective): Relating to bees.
- appall (verb): To fill with horror; to dismay.
- fail (verb): To be unsuccessful.
- fall (verb): To be moved downwards. To move to a lower position under the effect of gravity.
- faun (noun): A woodland creature with pointed ears, legs, and short horns of a goat and a fondness for unrestrained revelry.
- fauna (noun): Animals considered as a group; especially those of a particular country, region, time.
- faunal (adjective): Pertaining to animals.
- filial (adjective): Pertaining to or befitting a son or daughter.
- final (noun): A final examination; a test or examination given at the end of a term or class; the test that concludes a class.
- finial (noun): The knot or bunch of foliage, or foliated ornament, that forms the upper extremity of a pinnacle in Gothic architecture.
- flail (noun): A tool used for threshing, consisting of a long handle with a shorter stick attached with a short piece of chain, thong or similar material.
- flan (noun): Baked tart with sweet or savoury filling in an open-topped pastry case.
- flap (noun): Anything broad and flexible that hangs loose, or that is attached by one side or end and is easily moved.
- lain (verb): past participle of lie (“to be oriented in a horizontal position, situated”)
- lanai (noun): A Hawaiian-style roofed patio.
- luau (noun): An elaborate Hawaiian feast featuring traditional foods and entertainment.
- luna (noun): A luna moth: a member of species Actias luna.
- lunula (noun): Something shaped like a crescent or half-moon; especially the pale area at the base of the fingernail.
- naan (noun): A type of round, flat bread baked in a tandoor popular in South and Central Asian cuisine.
- naif (adjective): Alternative spelling of naïf.
- nail (noun): The thin, horny plate at the ends of fingers and toes on humans and some other animals.
- nana (noun): A banana.
- pail (noun): A vessel of wood, tin, plastic, etc., usually cylindrical and having a handle -- used especially for carrying liquids, for example water or milk; a bucket (sometimes with a cover).
- pain (noun): An ache or bodily suffering, or an instance of this; an unpleasant sensation, resulting from a derangement of functions, disease, or injury by violence; hurt.
- painful† (adjective): Causing pain or distress, either physical or mental.
- pall (noun): Senses relating to cloth. Fine cloth, especially purple cloth used for robes. A heavy cloth laid over a coffin or tomb; a shroud laid over a corpse. A piece of cardboard, covered with linen and embroidered on one side, used to cover the chalice during the Eucharist. A cloth used for various purposes on the altar in a church, such as a corporal (“cloth on which elements of the Eucharist are placed”) or frontal (“drapery covering the front of an altar”).
- palp (noun): Synonym of pedipalp.
- panini (noun): A type of grilled sandwich made of a small loaf of bread, cut horizontally, filled with meat such as salami or ham, cheese or other food.
- papa (noun): Dad, daddy, father; a familiar or old-fashioned term of address to one’s father.
- papal (adjective): Having to do with the pope or the papacy.
- papilla (noun): A nipple-like protuberance on a part or organ of the body. A vascular process of connective tissue extending into and nourishing the root of a hair, feather, or developing tooth. Any of the vascular protuberances of the dermal layer of the skin extending into the epidermal layer and often containing tactile corpuscles. Any of the small protuberances on the upper surface of the tongue often containing taste buds.
- pilaf (noun): A dish made by browning grain, typically rice, in oil and then cooking it with a seasoned broth, to which meat and/or vegetables may be added.
- plain (adjective): Flat, level.
- plan (noun): A drawing showing technical details of a building, machine, etc., with unwanted details omitted, and often using symbols rather than detailed drawing to represent doors, valves, etc.
- pupa (noun): Used as a specific epithet; resembling an insect in its pupal stage of development.
- pupal (adjective): Of or pertaining to the pupa stage of insect metamorphosis.
- ulna (noun): The bone of the forearm that extends from the elbow to the wrist on the side opposite to the thumb, corresponding to the fibula of the hind limb. Also, the corresponding bone in the forelimb of any vertebrate.