NYT Spelling Bee Answers for December 23, 2020

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for December 23, 2020

Game Summary

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for December 23, 2020
Center LetterM
Outer Lettersa, h, n, o, p, t
# of Pangrams1 (Perfect: 1)
Total Words33 words
Total Points147 points
Genius Level103 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 23, 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>8</th><th>9Σ
A2-----2
H-------
M8612-118
N-------
O-111--3
P11221-7
T1-2---3
Σ128651133

Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints

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

A
AM×1
AT×1
H
M
MA×9
MO×9
N
O
OO×2
OT×1
P
PA×2
PH×2
PO×3
T
TA×2
TO×1

Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints

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

A
AMM×1
ATO×1
H
M
MAH×1
MAM×4
MAN×3
MAT×1
MOA×2
MOM×1
MON×2
MOO×2
MOT×2
N
O
OOM×2
OTT×1
P
PAM×1
PAN×1
PHA×1
PHO×1
POM×3
T
TAM×2
TOM×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 ().

Word2L RefDefinition (click to reveal)
am..AM4Ammunition.
at..AT4The smallest possible amount of matter which still retains its identity as a chemical element, now known to consist of a nucleus surrounded by electrons.
ma.....MA7An epithet granted in India and Tibet to people thought to have great knowledge and love of humanity
ma..MA4Mother, female parent.
ma...MA5The milk-secreting organ of female humans and other mammals which includes the mammary gland and the nipple or teat; a breast; an udder.
ma....MA6Alternative letter-case form of Mammon (wealth, material avarice).
ma.....MA7Any species of the extinct genus Mammuthus, of large, usually hairy, elephant-like mammals with long curved tusks and an inclined back, which became extinct with the last retreat of ice age glaciers during the late Pleistocene period, and are known from fossils, frozen carcasses, and Paleolithic cave paintings found in North America and Eurasia.
ma.......MA9Alternative spelling of Manhattan (“cocktail”).
ma...MA5Food miraculously produced for the Israelites in the desert in the book of Exodus.
ma...MA5A kind of fabric or blanket used in Latin America and southwestern United States.
ma..MA4Clipping of mathematics.
mo..MO4a low, mournful cry of pain, sorrow or pleasure
mo..MO4A deep, wide defensive ditch, normally filled with water, surrounding a fortified habitation.
mo...MO5mother
mo..MO4Clipping of mononucleosis.
mo...MO5A period into which a year is divided, historically based on the phases of the moon.
mo..MO4Alternative letter-case form of Moon (“the Earth's only permanent natural satellite”).
mo..MO4Subject to discussion (originally at a moot); arguable, debatable, unsolved or impossible to solve.
mo..MO4A usually nocturnal insect of the order Lepidoptera, distinguished from butterflies by feather-like antennae.
mo...MO5A sentence, phrase, or word, forming part of an heraldic achievement.
oo....OO6Alternative spelling of oom-pah
oo...OO5Strength, power, passion or effectiveness; clout.
ot.....OT7An upholstered sofa, without arms or a back, sometimes with a compartment for storing linen etc.
pa...PA5singular of pampas
pa....PA6a lightweight hat of natural-colored straw hand-plaited of narrow strips from the young leaves of the jipijapa
ph..... PH7A ghost or apparition.
ph......PH8a map made by the superimposition of aerial photographs onto grid lines, contours and other normal map features
po..PO4Show of magnificence; parade; display; power.
po.....PO7Any of various carangid fish, of the genus Trachinotus or species Alectis ciliaris, the African pompano, from coastal parts of the North Atlantic.
po....PO6A decorative ball made of pieces of soft fabric bound at the centre, most notably used in cheerleading.
ta..TA4To plug up with clay, earth, dry sand, sod, or other material, as a hole bored in a rock.
ta....TA6A plug of cotton or other absorbent material inserted into a body cavity or wound to absorb fluid, especially one inserted in the vagina during menstruation.
to....TO6A widely cultivated plant, Solanum lycopersicum, having edible fruit.

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.

  • ammo  (AM4)
  • atom  (AT4)
  • mahatma  (MA7)
  • mama  (MA4)
  • mamma  (MA5)
  • mammon  (MA6)
  • mammoth  (MA7)
  • manhattan  (MA9)
  • manna  (MA5)
  • manta  (MA5)
  • math  (MA4)
  • moan  (MO4)
  • moat  (MO4)
  • momma  (MO5)
  • mono  (MO4)
  • month  (MO5)
  • moon  (MO4)
  • moot  (MO4)
  • moth  (MO4)
  • motto  (MO5)
  • oompah  (OO6)
  • oomph  (OO5)
  • ottoman  (OT7)
  • pampa  (PA5)
  • panama  (PA6)
  • phantom  (PH7)
  • photomap  (PH8)
  • pomp  (PO4)
  • pompano  (PO7)
  • pompom  (PO6)
  • tamp  (TA4)
  • tampon  (TA6)
  • tomato  (TO6)

Answer Definitions

  • ammo (noun): Ammunition.
  • atom (noun): The smallest possible amount of matter which still retains its identity as a chemical element, now known to consist of a nucleus surrounded by electrons.
  • mahatma (noun): An epithet granted in India and Tibet to people thought to have great knowledge and love of humanity
  • mama (noun): Mother, female parent.
  • mamma (noun): The milk-secreting organ of female humans and other mammals which includes the mammary gland and the nipple or teat; a breast; an udder.
  • mammon (proper noun): Alternative letter-case form of Mammon (wealth, material avarice).
  • mammoth (noun): Any species of the extinct genus Mammuthus, of large, usually hairy, elephant-like mammals with long curved tusks and an inclined back, which became extinct with the last retreat of ice age glaciers during the late Pleistocene period, and are known from fossils, frozen carcasses, and Paleolithic cave paintings found in North America and Eurasia.
  • manhattan (noun): Alternative spelling of Manhattan (“cocktail”).
  • manna (noun): Food miraculously produced for the Israelites in the desert in the book of Exodus.
  • manta (noun): A kind of fabric or blanket used in Latin America and southwestern United States.
  • math (noun): Clipping of mathematics.
  • moan (noun): a low, mournful cry of pain, sorrow or pleasure
  • moat (noun): A deep, wide defensive ditch, normally filled with water, surrounding a fortified habitation.
  • momma (noun): mother
  • mono (noun): Clipping of mononucleosis.
  • month (noun): A period into which a year is divided, historically based on the phases of the moon.
  • moon (proper noun): Alternative letter-case form of Moon (“the Earth's only permanent natural satellite”).
  • moot (adjective): Subject to discussion (originally at a moot); arguable, debatable, unsolved or impossible to solve.
  • moth (noun): A usually nocturnal insect of the order Lepidoptera, distinguished from butterflies by feather-like antennae.
  • motto (noun): A sentence, phrase, or word, forming part of an heraldic achievement.
  • oompah (noun): Alternative spelling of oom-pah
  • oomph (noun): Strength, power, passion or effectiveness; clout.
  • ottoman (noun): An upholstered sofa, without arms or a back, sometimes with a compartment for storing linen etc.
  • pampa (noun): singular of pampas
  • panama (noun): a lightweight hat of natural-colored straw hand-plaited of narrow strips from the young leaves of the jipijapa
  • phantom (noun): A ghost or apparition.
  • photomap (noun): a map made by the superimposition of aerial photographs onto grid lines, contours and other normal map features
  • pomp (noun): Show of magnificence; parade; display; power.
  • pompano (noun): Any of various carangid fish, of the genus Trachinotus or species Alectis ciliaris, the African pompano, from coastal parts of the North Atlantic.
  • pompom (noun): A decorative ball made of pieces of soft fabric bound at the centre, most notably used in cheerleading.
  • tamp (verb): To plug up with clay, earth, dry sand, sod, or other material, as a hole bored in a rock.
  • tampon (noun): A plug of cotton or other absorbent material inserted into a body cavity or wound to absorb fluid, especially one inserted in the vagina during menstruation.
  • tomato (noun): A widely cultivated plant, Solanum lycopersicum, having edible fruit.