NYT Spelling Bee Answers for December 17, 2020
Game Summary
| Center Letter | O |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | e, g, h, m, n, y |
| # of Pangrams | 2 (Perfect: none) |
| Total Words | 34 words |
| Total Points | 158 points |
| Genius Level | 111 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 | Σ | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1 |
| G | 3 | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | 7 |
| H | 2 | 3 | - | 2 | 3 | 1 | 11 |
| M | 3 | 3 | - | 1 | 1 | - | 8 |
| N | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | 3 |
| O | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | 2 |
| Y | - | - | 2 | - | - | - | 2 | Σ | 13 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 34 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| E | EG×1 |
|---|---|
| G | GE×1 GN×1 GO×5 |
| H | HE×2 HO×9 |
| M | ME×1 MO×7 |
| N | NE×1 NO×2 |
| O | OG×1 OM×1 |
| Y | YE×1 YO×1 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| E | EGG×1 |
|---|---|
| G | GEN×1 GNO×1 GON×2 GOO×3 |
| H | HEG×2 HOM×5 HON×3 HOO×1 |
| M | MEM×1 MOM×1 MON×4 MOO×2 |
| N | NEO×1 NON×1 NOO×1 |
| O | OGE×1 OME×1 |
| Y | YEO×1 YOO×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) |
|---|---|---|
| eg.... | EG6 | A beverage based on milk, eggs, sugar, and nutmeg; often made alcoholic with rum, brandy or whisky; popular at Christmas. |
| ge.... | GE6 | The complete genetic information (either DNA or, in some viruses, RNA) of an organism. |
| gn... | GN5 | A brief reflection or maxim; a pithy saying. |
| go.. | GO4 | past participle of go |
| go.. | GO4 | A percussion instrument consisting of a metal disk that emits a sonorous sound when struck with a soft hammer. |
| go... | GO5 | of or relating to goo |
| go.. | GO4 | A thug; a usually muscular henchman with little intelligence (also known as a 'hired goon'). |
| go... | GO5 | Of or like a goon; thuggish; brutal. |
| he..... | HE7 | A dominating leader or force, especially that which dominates a separate political entity; a hegemonist. |
| he...... † | HE8 | Domination, influence, or authority over another, especially by one political group over a society or by one nation over others. |
| ho.. | HO4 | A dwelling. One’s own dwelling place; the house or structure in which one lives; especially the house in which one lives with one's family; the habitual abode of one’s family; also, one’s birthplace. The place where a person was raised; childhood or parental home; home of one’s parents or guardian. The abiding place of the affections, especially of the domestic affections. A house that has been made home-like, to suit the comfort of those who live there. |
| ho... | HO5 | Alternative form of homie |
| ho...... † | HO8 | Similarity in structure, though of different function, because of genetic relationships |
| ho..... | HO7 | A word that both sounds and is spelled the same as another word. |
| ho...... | HO8 | The property of being a homonym. |
| ho.. | HO4 | A sharpening stone composed of extra-fine grit used for removing the burr or curl from the blade of a razor or some other edge tool. |
| ho... | HO5 | A viscous, sweet fluid produced from plant nectar by bees. Often used to sweeten tea or to spread on baked goods. |
| ho....... | HO9 | The period of time immediately following a marriage. |
| ho... | HO5 | Silly talk or writing; nonsense, silliness, or fake assertion(s). |
| me.. | ME4 | A short note; a memorandum. |
| mo... | MO5 | Mother. |
| mo... | MO5 | A legally or socially binding conceptual contract of entitlement to wealth, void of intrinsic value, payable for all debts and taxes, and regulated in supply. |
| mo...... | MO8 | plural of moneyman |
| mo.. | MO4 | Clipping of mononucleosis. |
| mo..... | MO7 | A single name by which a person, thing, etc., is known. |
| mo.. | MO4 | Alternative letter-case form of Moon (“the Earth's only permanent natural satellite”). |
| mo... | MO5 | Resembling the moon. |
| ne.. | NE4 | The chemical element (symbol Ne) with an atomic number of 10. The second of the noble gases, it is a colourless, odorless inert gas. |
| no.. | NO4 | Not any of a given number or group. |
| no.. | NO4 | The time of day when the sun is in its zenith; twelve o'clock in the day, midday. |
| og.. | OG4 | A double curve in the shape of an elongated S; an object of that shape. |
| om.. | OM4 | Something which portends or is perceived to portend either a good or evil event or circumstance in the future, or which causes a foreboding; a portent or augury. |
| ye.... | YE6 | plural of yeoman |
| yo.... | YO6 | Used to get attention. |
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.
- eggnog (EG6)
- genome (GE6)
- gnome (GN5)
- gone (GO4)
- gong (GO4)
- gooey (GO5)
- goon (GO4)
- goony (GO5)
- hegemon (HE7)
- hegemony† (HE8)
- home (HO4)
- homey (HO5)
- homogeny† (HO8)
- homonym (HO7)
- homonymy (HO8)
- hone (HO4)
- honey (HO5)
- honeymoon (HO9)
- hooey (HO5)
- memo (ME4)
- mommy (MO5)
- money (MO5)
- moneymen (MO8)
- mono (MO4)
- mononym (MO7)
- moon (MO4)
- moony (MO5)
- neon (NE4)
- none (NO4)
- noon (NO4)
- ogee (OG4)
- omen (OM4)
- yeomen (YE6)
- yoohoo (YO6)
Answer Definitions
- eggnog (noun): A beverage based on milk, eggs, sugar, and nutmeg; often made alcoholic with rum, brandy or whisky; popular at Christmas.
- genome (noun): The complete genetic information (either DNA or, in some viruses, RNA) of an organism.
- gnome (noun): A brief reflection or maxim; a pithy saying.
- gone (verb): past participle of go
- gong (noun): A percussion instrument consisting of a metal disk that emits a sonorous sound when struck with a soft hammer.
- gooey (adjective): of or relating to goo
- goon (noun): A thug; a usually muscular henchman with little intelligence (also known as a 'hired goon').
- goony (adjective): Of or like a goon; thuggish; brutal.
- hegemon (noun): A dominating leader or force, especially that which dominates a separate political entity; a hegemonist.
- hegemony† (noun): Domination, influence, or authority over another, especially by one political group over a society or by one nation over others.
- home (noun): A dwelling. One’s own dwelling place; the house or structure in which one lives; especially the house in which one lives with one's family; the habitual abode of one’s family; also, one’s birthplace. The place where a person was raised; childhood or parental home; home of one’s parents or guardian. The abiding place of the affections, especially of the domestic affections. A house that has been made home-like, to suit the comfort of those who live there.
- homey (noun): Alternative form of homie
- homogeny† (noun): Similarity in structure, though of different function, because of genetic relationships
- homonym (noun): A word that both sounds and is spelled the same as another word.
- homonymy (noun): The property of being a homonym.
- hone (noun): A sharpening stone composed of extra-fine grit used for removing the burr or curl from the blade of a razor or some other edge tool.
- honey (noun): A viscous, sweet fluid produced from plant nectar by bees. Often used to sweeten tea or to spread on baked goods.
- honeymoon (noun): The period of time immediately following a marriage.
- hooey (noun): Silly talk or writing; nonsense, silliness, or fake assertion(s).
- memo (noun): A short note; a memorandum.
- mommy (noun): Mother.
- money (noun): A legally or socially binding conceptual contract of entitlement to wealth, void of intrinsic value, payable for all debts and taxes, and regulated in supply.
- moneymen (noun): plural of moneyman
- mono (noun): Clipping of mononucleosis.
- mononym (noun): A single name by which a person, thing, etc., is known.
- moon (proper noun): Alternative letter-case form of Moon (“the Earth's only permanent natural satellite”).
- moony (adjective): Resembling the moon.
- neon (noun): The chemical element (symbol Ne) with an atomic number of 10. The second of the noble gases, it is a colourless, odorless inert gas.
- none (pronoun): Not any of a given number or group.
- noon (noun): The time of day when the sun is in its zenith; twelve o'clock in the day, midday.
- ogee (noun): A double curve in the shape of an elongated S; an object of that shape.
- omen (noun): Something which portends or is perceived to portend either a good or evil event or circumstance in the future, or which causes a foreboding; a portent or augury.
- yeomen (noun): plural of yeoman
- yoohoo (interjection): Used to get attention.