NYT Spelling Bee Answers for December 4, 2020

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for December 4, 2020

Game Summary

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for December 4, 2020
Center LetterD
Outer Lettersa, k, o, r, w, y
# of Pangrams4 (Perfect: 2)
Total Words38 words
Total Points186 points
Genius Level130 points
Bingo?No

Table of Contents

As you scroll down this page, the clues get progressively more revealing. So scroll slowly!

  1. Spelling Bee Grid
  2. Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
  3. Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
  4. Extra Letter Hints (Incrementally Revealing) 🤯
  5. Today's Complete Solution
  6. Answer Definitions

If you're just here for a list of NYT Spelling Bee answers, Jump down to the answers ↓ (Spoiler Alert!).

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for December 4, 2020

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>8Σ
A-2-1-3
D8512117
K------
O1----1
R22-116
W32-229
Y1---12
Σ151116538

Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints

The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.

A
AR×1
AW×2
D
DA×3
DO×10
DR×3
DY×1
K
O
OD×1
R
RA×1
RO×5
W
WA×2
WO×7
Y
YA×2

Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints

The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.

A
ARD×1
AWA×1
AWK×1
D
DAD×1
DAR×1
DAY×1
DOD×1
DOO×4
DOR×3
DOW×2
DRA×2
DRY×1
DYA×1
K
O
ODO×1
R
RAD×1
ROA×3
ROO×1
ROW×1
W
WAR×1
WAY×1
WOO×3
WOR×4
Y
YAR×2

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 ().

Word2L RefDefinition (click to reveal)
ar...AR5Great warmth of feeling; fervor; passion.
aw...AW5A judgment, sentence, or final decision. Specifically: The decision of arbitrators in a case submitted.
aw.....AW7In a backwards direction.
da...DA5Father.
da..DA4Having an absolute or (more often) relative lack of light.
da..... DA7The work done in a day; a day's work.
do..DO4A large, flightless bird, †Raphus cucullatus, related to the pigeon, that is now extinct (since the 1600s) and was native to Mauritius.
do....DO6Used to refer to something whose name one cannot recall: an unspecified device, gadget, part, or thing.
do..DO4A portal of entry into a building, room, or vehicle, consisting of a rigid plane movable on a hinge. Doors are frequently made of wood or metal. May have a handle to help open and close, a latch to hold the door closed, and a lock that ensures the door cannot be opened without the key.
do.....DO7The passage of a door; a door-shaped entrance into a house or a room.
do......DO8(Northern New England) the yard near the front or back door of a house
do..DO4A quirky, silly and/or stupid, socially inept person, or one who is out of touch with contemporary trends. Often confused with nerd and geek, but does not imply the same level of intelligence.
do...DO5Like a dork.
do..DO4A small flat-bottomed boat with pointed or somewhat pointed ends, used for fishing both offshore and on rivers.
do...DO5Plain and unfashionable in style or dress.
do...DO5Payment, such as property or money, paid by the bride's family to the groom or his family at the time of marriage.
dr..DR4To move or develop something. To sketch; depict with lines; to produce a picture with pencil, crayon, chalk, etc. on paper, cardboard, etc. To deduce or infer.
dr..DR4A low horse-drawn cart, often without sides, and used especially for heavy loads.
dr...DR5A female tree spirit.
dy..DY4A set of two elements treated as one; a pair.
od..OD4Any smell, whether fragrant or offensive.
ra...RA5A method of detecting distant objects and determining their position, velocity, or other characteristics by analysis of sent radio waves (usually microwaves) reflected from their surfaces
ro..RO4A way used for travelling between places, originally one wide enough to allow foot passengers and horses to travel, now (US) usually one surfaced with asphalt or concrete and designed to accommodate many vehicles travelling in both directions. In the UK both senses are heard: a country road is the same as a country lane.
ro.....RO7A way used as a road.
ro......RO8The construction or maintenance done to roads.
ro..RO4A crucifix, cross, especially in a church.
ro...RO5Loud and disorderly; riotous; boisterous.
wa..WA4A warden; a guard; a guardian or watchman.
wa.....WA7Given to wilful, perverse deviation from the expected norm; tending to stray.
wo..WO4The substance making up the central part of the trunk and branches of a tree. Used as a material for construction, to manufacture various items, etc. or as fuel.
wo......WO8Something made from wood.
wo...WO5Covered in woods; wooded.
wo..WO4The smallest unit of language that has a particular meaning and can be expressed by itself; the smallest discrete, meaningful unit of language. The smallest discrete unit of spoken language with a particular meaning, composed of one or more phonemes and one or more morphemes The smallest discrete unit of written language with a particular meaning, composed of one or more letters or symbols and one or more morphemes A discrete, meaningful unit of language approved by an authority or native speaker (compare non-word).
wo...WO5Using an excessive number of words.
wo...... WO8Suitable for everyday use.
wo..... WO7Any of the days of a week on which work is done. The five workdays in many countries are usually Monday to Friday (and are defined as such in official and legal usage even though many people work on weekends).
ya..YA4A small, usually uncultivated area adjoining or (now especially) within the precincts of a house or other building.
ya...... YA8Work done in maintaining a lawn, and related landscaping activities

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.

  • ardor  (AR5)
  • award  (AW5)
  • awkward  (AW7)
  • daddy  (DA5)
  • dark  (DA4)
  • daywork  (DA7)
  • dodo  (DO4)
  • doodad  (DO6)
  • door  (DO4)
  • doorway  (DO7)
  • dooryard  (DO8)
  • dork  (DO4)
  • dorky  (DO5)
  • dory  (DO4)
  • dowdy  (DO5)
  • dowry  (DO5)
  • draw  (DR4)
  • dray  (DR4)
  • dryad  (DR5)
  • dyad  (DY4)
  • odor  (OD4)
  • radar  (RA5)
  • road  (RO4)
  • roadway  (RO7)
  • roadwork  (RO8)
  • rood  (RO4)
  • rowdy  (RO5)
  • ward  (WA4)
  • wayward  (WA7)
  • wood  (WO4)
  • woodwork  (WO8)
  • woody  (WO5)
  • word  (WO4)
  • wordy  (WO5)
  • workaday  (WO8)
  • workday  (WO7)
  • yard  (YA4)
  • yardwork  (YA8)

Answer Definitions

  • ardor (noun): Great warmth of feeling; fervor; passion.
  • award (noun): A judgment, sentence, or final decision. Specifically: The decision of arbitrators in a case submitted.
  • awkward (adverb): In a backwards direction.
  • daddy (noun): Father.
  • dark (adjective): Having an absolute or (more often) relative lack of light.
  • daywork (noun): The work done in a day; a day's work.
  • dodo (noun): A large, flightless bird, †Raphus cucullatus, related to the pigeon, that is now extinct (since the 1600s) and was native to Mauritius.
  • doodad (noun): Used to refer to something whose name one cannot recall: an unspecified device, gadget, part, or thing.
  • door (noun): A portal of entry into a building, room, or vehicle, consisting of a rigid plane movable on a hinge. Doors are frequently made of wood or metal. May have a handle to help open and close, a latch to hold the door closed, and a lock that ensures the door cannot be opened without the key.
  • doorway (noun): The passage of a door; a door-shaped entrance into a house or a room.
  • dooryard (noun): (Northern New England) the yard near the front or back door of a house
  • dork (noun): A quirky, silly and/or stupid, socially inept person, or one who is out of touch with contemporary trends. Often confused with nerd and geek, but does not imply the same level of intelligence.
  • dorky (adjective): Like a dork.
  • dory (noun): A small flat-bottomed boat with pointed or somewhat pointed ends, used for fishing both offshore and on rivers.
  • dowdy (adjective): Plain and unfashionable in style or dress.
  • dowry (noun): Payment, such as property or money, paid by the bride's family to the groom or his family at the time of marriage.
  • draw (verb): To move or develop something. To sketch; depict with lines; to produce a picture with pencil, crayon, chalk, etc. on paper, cardboard, etc. To deduce or infer.
  • dray (noun): A low horse-drawn cart, often without sides, and used especially for heavy loads.
  • dryad (noun): A female tree spirit.
  • dyad (noun): A set of two elements treated as one; a pair.
  • odor (noun): Any smell, whether fragrant or offensive.
  • radar (noun): A method of detecting distant objects and determining their position, velocity, or other characteristics by analysis of sent radio waves (usually microwaves) reflected from their surfaces
  • road (noun): A way used for travelling between places, originally one wide enough to allow foot passengers and horses to travel, now (US) usually one surfaced with asphalt or concrete and designed to accommodate many vehicles travelling in both directions. In the UK both senses are heard: a country road is the same as a country lane.
  • roadway (noun): A way used as a road.
  • roadwork (noun): The construction or maintenance done to roads.
  • rood (noun): A crucifix, cross, especially in a church.
  • rowdy (adjective): Loud and disorderly; riotous; boisterous.
  • ward (noun): A warden; a guard; a guardian or watchman.
  • wayward (adjective): Given to wilful, perverse deviation from the expected norm; tending to stray.
  • wood (noun): The substance making up the central part of the trunk and branches of a tree. Used as a material for construction, to manufacture various items, etc. or as fuel.
  • woodwork (noun): Something made from wood.
  • woody (adjective): Covered in woods; wooded.
  • word (noun): The smallest unit of language that has a particular meaning and can be expressed by itself; the smallest discrete, meaningful unit of language. The smallest discrete unit of spoken language with a particular meaning, composed of one or more phonemes and one or more morphemes The smallest discrete unit of written language with a particular meaning, composed of one or more letters or symbols and one or more morphemes A discrete, meaningful unit of language approved by an authority or native speaker (compare non-word).
  • wordy (adjective): Using an excessive number of words.
  • workaday (adjective): Suitable for everyday use.
  • workday (noun): Any of the days of a week on which work is done. The five workdays in many countries are usually Monday to Friday (and are defined as such in official and legal usage even though many people work on weekends).
  • yard (noun): A small, usually uncultivated area adjoining or (now especially) within the precincts of a house or other building.
  • yardwork (noun): Work done in maintaining a lawn, and related landscaping activities