NYT Spelling Bee Answers for October 30, 2020
Game Summary
| Center Letter | I |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | a, f, l, m, r, y |
| # of Pangrams | 1 (Perfect: none) |
| Total Words | 54 words |
| Total Points | 219 points |
| Genius Level | 153 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 | 3 | - | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | 7 |
| F | 5 | 8 | 6 | - | 4 | - | 1 | 24 |
| I | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 |
| L | 5 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 5 |
| M | 4 | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | - | - | 7 |
| R | 4 | 1 | 2 | - | 1 | - | - | 8 |
| Y | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Σ | 24 | 10 | 11 | 2 | 6 | - | 1 | 54 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AF×2 AI×3 AR×2 |
|---|---|
| F | FA×8 FI×8 FL×3 FR×5 |
| I | IF×1 IL×1 IM×1 |
| L | LA×1 LI×4 |
| M | MA×5 MI×2 |
| R | RA×3 RI×5 |
| Y |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | AFF×2 AIR×3 ARI×2 |
|---|---|
| F | FAI×4 FAM×4 FIL×6 FIR×2 FLA×2 FLI×1 FRA×1 FRI×4 |
| I | IFF×1 ILL×1 IMA×1 |
| L | LAI×1 LIA×1 LIL×1 LIM×1 LIR×1 |
| M | MAF×1 MAI×2 MAL×2 MIF×1 MIL×1 |
| R | RAF×1 RAI×1 RAM×1 RIA×1 RIF×2 RIL×1 RIY×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) |
|---|---|---|
| af.... | AF6 | Something which is done or is to be done; business of any kind, commercial, professional, or public. |
| af.... | AF6 | To agree, verify or concur; to answer positively. |
| ai.... | AI6 | In an airy manner. |
| ai..... | AI7 | The system of conveying mail using aircraft. |
| ai.. | AI4 | (of a room or building) spacious, well lit, and well ventilated. |
| ar.. | AR4 | A musical piece written typically for a solo voice with orchestral accompaniment in an opera or cantata. |
| ar.. | AR4 | A tissue surrounding the seed in certain fruits such as pomegranates. |
| fa.. | FA4 | To be unsuccessful. |
| fa.. | FA4 | Beautiful, of a pleasing appearance, with a pure and fresh quality. |
| fa.... | FA6 | In a fair manner; fair; not biased or skewed or favouring a certain party |
| fa... | FA5 | a small imaginary being of human form that has magical powers, especially a female one. E.g., Tinkerbell. |
| fa...... | FA8 | Of or pertaining to a human family. |
| fa...... | FA8 | Known to one, or generally known; commonplace. |
| fa........ † | FA10 | In a familiar or easily recognised manner. |
| fa.... | FA6 | A group of people who are closely related to one another (by blood, marriage or adoption); kin; in particular, a set of parents and their children; an immediate family. |
| fi.... | FI6 | Pertaining to or befitting a son or daughter. |
| fi...... | FI8 | In a filial manner. |
| fi.. | FI4 | To occupy fully, to take up all of. |
| fi... | FI5 | A young female horse. |
| fi.. | FI4 | A thin layer of some substance; a pellicle; a membranous covering, causing opacity. |
| fi... | FI5 | Resembling or made of a thin film; gauzy |
| fi.. | FI4 | A business partnership; the name under which it trades. |
| fi.... | FI6 | In a firm or definite or strong manner. |
| 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... | FL5 | A natural or innate talent or aptitude. |
| fl...... | FL8 | Alternative form of flim-flam |
| fr... | FR5 | Easily broken physically; not firm or durable; liable to fail and perish. |
| fr... | FR5 | A member of a mendicant Christian order such as the Augustinians, Carmelites, Franciscans, or the Dominicans. |
| fr.... | FR6 | house or dwelling where monks or members of certain religious communities live |
| fr... | FR5 | A strip of pleated fabric or paper used as decoration or trim. |
| fr.... | FR6 | Having frills; frilled. |
| if.. | IF4 | Of dubious authenticity, legitimacy or legality. |
| il.. | IL4 | Badly; poorly. |
| im.. | IM4 | One who leads the salat prayers in a mosque. |
| la.. | LA4 | A place inhabited by a wild animal, often a cave or a hole in the ground. |
| li.. | LI4 | One who frequently tells lies. |
| li.. | LI4 | Any of several flowers in the genus Lilium of the family Liliaceae, which includes a great many ornamental species. |
| li.. | LI4 | lima bean |
| li.. | LI4 | The basic unit of currency in Turkey. |
| ma... | MA5 | A hierarchically structured secret organisation engaged in illegal activities like distribution of narcotics, gambling and extortion. |
| ma.. | MA4 | A bag or wallet. |
| ma.. | MA4 | To wound seriously; to cause permanent loss of function of a limb or part of the body. |
| ma..... | MA7 | A disease spread by mosquito, in which a protozoan, Plasmodium, multiplies in blood every few days. |
| ma...... | MA8 | Of, relating to, or infected by malaria. |
| mi.. | MI4 | A small argument; a quarrel. |
| mi.. | MI4 | A grinding apparatus for substances such as grains, seeds, etc. |
| ra.... | RA6 | A fibrous material used for tying plants, originating from the leaves of the raffia palm tree (genus Raphia). |
| ra.. | RA4 | A horizontal bar extending between supports and used for support or as a barrier; a railing. |
| ra.... | RA6 | To divide into branches or subdivisions. |
| ri.. | RI4 | The official currencies of Iran, Oman, and Yemen. |
| ri.. | RI4 | A repeated instrumental melody line in a song. |
| ri...... | RI8 | The rabble; crowds; the common people. |
| ri.. | RI4 | A very small brook; a streamlet; a creek, rivulet. |
| ri... | RI5 | The official currency of Qatar and Saudi Arabia. |
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.
- affair (AF6)
- affirm (AF6)
- airily (AI6)
- airmail (AI7)
- airy (AI4)
- aria (AR4)
- aril (AR4)
- fail (FA4)
- fair (FA4)
- fairly (FA6)
- fairy (FA5)
- familial (FA8)
- familiar (FA8)
- familiarly† (FA10)
- family (FA6)
- filial (FI6)
- filially (FI8)
- fill (FI4)
- filly (FI5)
- film (FI4)
- filmy (FI5)
- firm (FI4)
- firmly (FI6)
- flail (FL5)
- flair (FL5)
- flimflam (FL8)
- frail (FR5)
- friar (FR5)
- friary (FR6)
- frill (FR5)
- frilly (FR6)
- iffy (IF4)
- illy (IL4)
- imam (IM4)
- lair (LA4)
- liar (LI4)
- lily (LI4)
- lima (LI4)
- lira (LI4)
- mafia (MA5)
- mail (MA4)
- maim (MA4)
- malaria (MA7)
- malarial (MA8)
- miff (MI4)
- mill (MI4)
- raffia (RA6)
- rail (RA4)
- ramify (RA6)
- rial (RI4)
- riff (RI4)
- riffraff (RI8)
- rill (RI4)
- riyal (RI5)
Answer Definitions
- affair (noun): Something which is done or is to be done; business of any kind, commercial, professional, or public.
- affirm (verb): To agree, verify or concur; to answer positively.
- airily (adverb): In an airy manner.
- airmail (noun): The system of conveying mail using aircraft.
- airy (adjective): (of a room or building) spacious, well lit, and well ventilated.
- aria (noun): A musical piece written typically for a solo voice with orchestral accompaniment in an opera or cantata.
- aril (noun): A tissue surrounding the seed in certain fruits such as pomegranates.
- fail (verb): To be unsuccessful.
- fair (adjective): Beautiful, of a pleasing appearance, with a pure and fresh quality.
- fairly (adverb): In a fair manner; fair; not biased or skewed or favouring a certain party
- fairy (noun): a small imaginary being of human form that has magical powers, especially a female one. E.g., Tinkerbell.
- familial (adjective): Of or pertaining to a human family.
- familiar (adjective): Known to one, or generally known; commonplace.
- familiarly† (adverb): In a familiar or easily recognised manner.
- family (noun): A group of people who are closely related to one another (by blood, marriage or adoption); kin; in particular, a set of parents and their children; an immediate family.
- filial (adjective): Pertaining to or befitting a son or daughter.
- filially (adverb): In a filial manner.
- fill (verb): To occupy fully, to take up all of.
- filly (noun): A young female horse.
- film (noun): A thin layer of some substance; a pellicle; a membranous covering, causing opacity.
- filmy (adjective): Resembling or made of a thin film; gauzy
- firm (noun): A business partnership; the name under which it trades.
- firmly (adverb): In a firm or definite or strong manner.
- 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.
- flair (noun): A natural or innate talent or aptitude.
- flimflam (noun): Alternative form of flim-flam
- frail (adjective): Easily broken physically; not firm or durable; liable to fail and perish.
- friar (noun): A member of a mendicant Christian order such as the Augustinians, Carmelites, Franciscans, or the Dominicans.
- friary (noun): house or dwelling where monks or members of certain religious communities live
- frill (noun): A strip of pleated fabric or paper used as decoration or trim.
- frilly (adjective): Having frills; frilled.
- iffy (adjective): Of dubious authenticity, legitimacy or legality.
- illy (adverb): Badly; poorly.
- imam (noun): One who leads the salat prayers in a mosque.
- lair (noun): A place inhabited by a wild animal, often a cave or a hole in the ground.
- liar (noun): One who frequently tells lies.
- lily (noun): Any of several flowers in the genus Lilium of the family Liliaceae, which includes a great many ornamental species.
- lima (noun): lima bean
- lira (noun): The basic unit of currency in Turkey.
- mafia (noun): A hierarchically structured secret organisation engaged in illegal activities like distribution of narcotics, gambling and extortion.
- mail (noun): A bag or wallet.
- maim (verb): To wound seriously; to cause permanent loss of function of a limb or part of the body.
- malaria (noun): A disease spread by mosquito, in which a protozoan, Plasmodium, multiplies in blood every few days.
- malarial (adjective): Of, relating to, or infected by malaria.
- miff (noun): A small argument; a quarrel.
- mill (noun): A grinding apparatus for substances such as grains, seeds, etc.
- raffia (noun): A fibrous material used for tying plants, originating from the leaves of the raffia palm tree (genus Raphia).
- rail (noun): A horizontal bar extending between supports and used for support or as a barrier; a railing.
- ramify (verb): To divide into branches or subdivisions.
- rial (noun): The official currencies of Iran, Oman, and Yemen.
- riff (noun): A repeated instrumental melody line in a song.
- riffraff (noun): The rabble; crowds; the common people.
- rill (noun): A very small brook; a streamlet; a creek, rivulet.
- riyal (noun): The official currency of Qatar and Saudi Arabia.