NYT Spelling Bee Answers for November 16, 2020
Game Summary
| Center Letter | I |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | e, l, m, n, t, y |
| # of Pangrams | 2 (Perfect: none) |
| Total Words | 70 words |
| Total Points | 296 points |
| Genius Level | 207 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</th><th>11 | Σ | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | - | 1 | - | 1 | 8 |
| I | 3 | 3 | 1 | - | 2 | - | 1 | - | 10 |
| L | 8 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 19 |
| M | 9 | 2 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | 14 |
| N | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 5 |
| T | 7 | 2 | 3 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 13 |
| Y | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | Σ | 31 | 12 | 14 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 70 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| E | EL×1 EM×3 EN×4 |
|---|---|
| I | IL×1 IM×2 IN×5 IT×2 |
| L | LE×4 LI×15 |
| M | MI×13 MY×1 |
| N | NI×5 |
| T | TI×13 |
| Y | YE×1 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| E | ELI×1 EMI×3 ENM×1 ENT×3 |
|---|---|
| I | ILL×1 IMM×2 INL×1 INN×1 INT×3 ITE×1 ITT×1 |
| L | LEN×4 LIE×1 LIL×2 LIM×3 LIN×7 LIT×2 |
| M | MIE×1 MIL×3 MIM×1 MIN×5 MIT×3 MYE×1 |
| N | NIN×4 NIT×1 |
| T | TIL×3 TIM×3 TIN×5 TIT×2 |
| Y | YET×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) |
|---|---|---|
| el... | EL5 | Of high birth or social position; aristocratic or patrician. |
| em..... | EM7 | Noteworthy, remarkable, great. |
| em....... † | EM9 | In an eminent or prominent manner. |
| em.. | EM4 | to send out or give off |
| en.... | EN6 | The quality of being an enemy; hostile or unfriendly disposition. |
| en..... | EN7 | To give a title to. (Can we add an example for this sense?) |
| en......... | EN11 | The right to have something, whether actual or perceived. |
| en.... | EN6 | That which has a distinct existence as an individual unit. Often used for organisations which have no physical form. |
| il.. | IL4 | Badly; poorly. |
| im...... | IM8 | about to happen, occur, or take place very soon, especially of something which won't last long. |
| im........ † | IM10 | In an imminent manner; liable to happen immediately or very soon. |
| in... | IN5 | To let in; admit. |
| in... | IN5 | A navel that is formed of a hollow in the abdomen (as opposed to one that protrudes from the abdomen). |
| in... | IN5 | intelligence (secret information) |
| in.... | IN6 | Something that is intended. |
| in...... | IN8 | In an intent or focused manner. |
| it.. | IT4 | A distinct physical object. |
| it.. | IT4 | Extremely small. |
| le..... | LE7 | Lax; not strict; tolerant of dissent or deviation |
| le....... | LE9 | In a lenient manner. |
| le.... | LE6 | leniency, mercy, forgiveness |
| le.... | LE6 | Any of several plants of the genus Lens, especially Lens culinaris, from southwest Asia, that have edible, lens-shaped seeds within flattened pods. |
| li.. | LI4 | A tendon. |
| 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 | Any inorganic material containing calcium, usually calcium oxide (quicklime) or calcium hydroxide (slaked lime). |
| li... | LI5 | A restriction; a bound beyond which one may not go. |
| li.. | LI4 | To draw or paint; to delineate. |
| li.. | LI4 | A path through two or more points (compare ‘segment’); a continuous mark, including as made by a pen; any path, curved or straight. |
| li..... | LI7 | plural of lineman |
| li... | LI5 | Thread or cloth made from flax fiber. |
| li...... | LI8 | A topical medical preparation intended to be rubbed into the skin with friction, as for example to relieve symptoms of arthritis. |
| li.. | LI4 | Clinging fuzzy fluff that clings to fabric or accumulates in one's pockets or navel etc. |
| li.... | LI6 | A horizontal structural beam spanning an opening, such as between the uprights of a door or a window, and which supports the wall above. |
| li... | LI5 | Covered with lint. |
| li.. | LI4 | Abridged; refers to a simpler or unpaid version of a product. |
| li.... | LI6 | Small in size. |
| mi.. | MI4 | Demeanor; facial expression or attitude, especially one which is intended by its bearer. |
| mi.. | MI4 | The international mile: a unit of length precisely equal to 1.609344 kilometers established by treaty among Anglophone nations in 1959, divided into 5,280 feet or 1,760 yards. |
| mi.. | MI4 | A grinding apparatus for substances such as grains, seeds, etc. |
| mi.... | MI6 | Any of a group of various types of grass or its grains used as food, widely cultivated in the developing world. |
| mi.. | MI4 | A form of acting without words; pantomime. |
| mi.. | MI4 | That which belongs to me. Used predicatively. |
| mi.. | MI4 | Miniature, tiny, small. |
| mi... | MI5 | A half note, drawn as a semibreve with a stem. |
| mi.. | MI4 | A building or institution where money (originally, only coins) is produced under government licence. |
| mi... | MI5 | Having a flavour or essence of mint. |
| mi.. | MI4 | Any of many minute arachnids which, along with the ticks, comprise subclass Acarina (aka Acari). |
| mi.. | MI4 | A mitten |
| mi.... | MI6 | A type of glove or garment that covers a hand with a separate sheath for the thumb, but not for other fingers, which are either enclosed in a single section or left uncovered. |
| my.... | MY6 | A white, fatty material, composed of lipids and lipoproteins, that surrounds the axons of nerves. |
| ni.. | NI4 | NATO & ICAO phonetic alphabet code for the numeral 9. |
| ni...... | NI8 | The cardinal number occurring after eighteen and before twenty, represented in Roman numerals as XIX and in Arabic numerals as 19. It is the last/largest of the "teens". |
| ni.... | NI6 | The cardinal number occurring after eighty-nine and before ninety-one, represented in Roman numerals as XC and in Arabic numerals as 90. |
| ni... | NI5 | A silly or foolish person. |
| ni.. | NI4 | Informal spelling of night. |
| ti.. | TI4 | A regularly-shaped slab of clay or other material, affixed to cover or decorate a surface, as in a roof-tile, glazed tile, stove tile, carpet tile etc. |
| ti.. | TI4 | Until; to, up to; as late as (a given time). |
| ti.. | TI4 | To slope or incline (something); to slant. |
| ti.. | TI4 | The inevitable progression into the future with the passing of present and past events. |
| ti...... | TI8 | A graphical representation of a chronological sequence of events (past or future); a chronology. |
| ti.... | TI6 | Done at the proper time or within the proper time limits; prompt. |
| ti.. | TI4 | A spike or point on an implement or tool, especially a prong of a fork or a tooth of a comb. |
| 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 | An appellation given to a person or family to signify either veneration, official position, social rank, the possession of assets or properties, or a professional or academic qualification. See also Category:Titles |
| ti.... | TI6 | Any small dot, stroke, or diacritical mark, especially if part of a letter, or if a letter-like abbreviation; in particular, the dots over the Latin letters i and j. |
| ye.. | YE4 | An unidentified humanoid animal said to live in the Himalayas. |
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.
- elite (EL5)
- eminent (EM7)
- eminently† (EM9)
- emit (EM4)
- enmity (EN6)
- entitle (EN7)
- entitlement (EN11)
- entity (EN6)
- illy (IL4)
- imminent (IM8)
- imminently† (IM10)
- inlet (IN5)
- innie (IN5)
- intel (IN5)
- intent (IN6)
- intently (IN8)
- item (IT4)
- itty (IT4)
- lenient (LE7)
- leniently (LE9)
- lenity (LE6)
- lentil (LE6)
- lien (LI4)
- lilt (LI4)
- lily (LI4)
- lime (LI4)
- limit (LI5)
- limn (LI4)
- line (LI4)
- linemen (LI7)
- linen (LI5)
- liniment (LI8)
- lint (LI4)
- lintel (LI6)
- linty (LI5)
- lite (LI4)
- little (LI6)
- mien (MI4)
- mile (MI4)
- mill (MI4)
- millet (MI6)
- mime (MI4)
- mine (MI4)
- mini (MI4)
- minim (MI5)
- mint (MI4)
- minty (MI5)
- mite (MI4)
- mitt (MI4)
- mitten (MI6)
- myelin (MY6)
- nine (NI4)
- nineteen (NI8)
- ninety (NI6)
- ninny (NI5)
- nite (NI4)
- tile (TI4)
- till (TI4)
- tilt (TI4)
- time (TI4)
- timeline (TI8)
- timely (TI6)
- tine (TI4)
- tinily (TI6)
- tinny (TI5)
- tint (TI4)
- tiny (TI4)
- title (TI5)
- tittle (TI6)
- yeti (YE4)
Answer Definitions
- elite (adjective): Of high birth or social position; aristocratic or patrician.
- eminent (adjective): Noteworthy, remarkable, great.
- eminently† (adverb): In an eminent or prominent manner.
- emit (verb): to send out or give off
- enmity (noun): The quality of being an enemy; hostile or unfriendly disposition.
- entitle (verb): To give a title to. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
- entitlement (noun): The right to have something, whether actual or perceived.
- entity (noun): That which has a distinct existence as an individual unit. Often used for organisations which have no physical form.
- illy (adverb): Badly; poorly.
- imminent (adjective): about to happen, occur, or take place very soon, especially of something which won't last long.
- imminently† (adverb): In an imminent manner; liable to happen immediately or very soon.
- inlet (verb): To let in; admit.
- innie (noun): A navel that is formed of a hollow in the abdomen (as opposed to one that protrudes from the abdomen).
- intel (noun): intelligence (secret information)
- intent (noun): Something that is intended.
- intently (adverb): In an intent or focused manner.
- item (noun): A distinct physical object.
- itty (adjective): Extremely small.
- lenient (adjective): Lax; not strict; tolerant of dissent or deviation
- leniently (adverb): In a lenient manner.
- lenity (noun): leniency, mercy, forgiveness
- lentil (noun): Any of several plants of the genus Lens, especially Lens culinaris, from southwest Asia, that have edible, lens-shaped seeds within flattened pods.
- lien (noun): A tendon.
- 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.
- lime (noun): Any inorganic material containing calcium, usually calcium oxide (quicklime) or calcium hydroxide (slaked lime).
- limit (noun): A restriction; a bound beyond which one may not go.
- limn (verb): To draw or paint; to delineate.
- line (noun): A path through two or more points (compare ‘segment’); a continuous mark, including as made by a pen; any path, curved or straight.
- linemen (noun): plural of lineman
- linen (noun): Thread or cloth made from flax fiber.
- liniment (noun): A topical medical preparation intended to be rubbed into the skin with friction, as for example to relieve symptoms of arthritis.
- lint (noun): Clinging fuzzy fluff that clings to fabric or accumulates in one's pockets or navel etc.
- lintel (noun): A horizontal structural beam spanning an opening, such as between the uprights of a door or a window, and which supports the wall above.
- linty (adjective): Covered with lint.
- lite (adjective): Abridged; refers to a simpler or unpaid version of a product.
- little (adjective): Small in size.
- mien (noun): Demeanor; facial expression or attitude, especially one which is intended by its bearer.
- mile (noun): The international mile: a unit of length precisely equal to 1.609344 kilometers established by treaty among Anglophone nations in 1959, divided into 5,280 feet or 1,760 yards.
- mill (noun): A grinding apparatus for substances such as grains, seeds, etc.
- millet (noun): Any of a group of various types of grass or its grains used as food, widely cultivated in the developing world.
- mime (noun): A form of acting without words; pantomime.
- mine (pronoun): That which belongs to me. Used predicatively.
- mini (adjective): Miniature, tiny, small.
- minim (noun): A half note, drawn as a semibreve with a stem.
- mint (noun): A building or institution where money (originally, only coins) is produced under government licence.
- minty (adjective): Having a flavour or essence of mint.
- mite (noun): Any of many minute arachnids which, along with the ticks, comprise subclass Acarina (aka Acari).
- mitt (noun): A mitten
- mitten (noun): A type of glove or garment that covers a hand with a separate sheath for the thumb, but not for other fingers, which are either enclosed in a single section or left uncovered.
- myelin (noun): A white, fatty material, composed of lipids and lipoproteins, that surrounds the axons of nerves.
- nine (numeral): NATO & ICAO phonetic alphabet code for the numeral 9.
- nineteen (numeral): The cardinal number occurring after eighteen and before twenty, represented in Roman numerals as XIX and in Arabic numerals as 19. It is the last/largest of the "teens".
- ninety (numeral): The cardinal number occurring after eighty-nine and before ninety-one, represented in Roman numerals as XC and in Arabic numerals as 90.
- ninny (noun): A silly or foolish person.
- nite (noun): Informal spelling of night.
- tile (noun): A regularly-shaped slab of clay or other material, affixed to cover or decorate a surface, as in a roof-tile, glazed tile, stove tile, carpet tile etc.
- till (preposition): Until; to, up to; as late as (a given time).
- tilt (verb): To slope or incline (something); to slant.
- time (noun): The inevitable progression into the future with the passing of present and past events.
- timeline (noun): A graphical representation of a chronological sequence of events (past or future); a chronology.
- timely (adjective): Done at the proper time or within the proper time limits; prompt.
- tine (noun): A spike or point on an implement or tool, especially a prong of a fork or a tooth of a comb.
- tinily (adverb): In a tiny way.
- tinny (adjective): having a displeasingly thin, metallic sound.
- tint (noun): A slight coloring.
- tiny (adjective): Very small.
- title (noun): An appellation given to a person or family to signify either veneration, official position, social rank, the possession of assets or properties, or a professional or academic qualification. See also Category:Titles
- tittle (noun): Any small dot, stroke, or diacritical mark, especially if part of a letter, or if a letter-like abbreviation; in particular, the dots over the Latin letters i and j.
- yeti (noun): An unidentified humanoid animal said to live in the Himalayas.