NYT Spelling Bee Answers for December 31, 2020

calendar Dec 31, 2020 · 12 min read · spelling bee  ·
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Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for December 31, 2020
Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for December 31, 2020

Game Summary

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for December 31, 2020
Center LetterI
Outer Letterse, h, l, n, o, t
# of Pangrams2 (Perfect: 2)
Total Words65 words
Total Points313 points
Genius Level219 points
Bingo?Yes

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 31, 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>9</th><th>10</th><th>11Σ
E-111----3
H3-22----7
I132--1--7
L7352----17
N2111121110
O121-----4
T75311---17
Σ2115157231165

Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints

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

E
EL×1
EN×1
EO×1
H
HE×2
HI×3
HO×2
I
IN×7
L
LE×3
LI×11
LO×3
N
NE×1
NI×6
NO×3
O
OL×2
ON×2
T
TH×2
TI×9
TO×6

Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints

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

E
ELI×1
ENT×1
EOL×1
H
HEI×1
HEL×1
HIL×2
HIN×1
HOT×2
I
INL×1
INN×1
INT×5
L
LEN×2
LEO×1
LIE×1
LIL×1
LIN×4
LIO×1
LIT×4
LOI×1
LOO×1
LOT×1
N
NEO×1
NIN×5
NIT×1
NON×2
NOT×1
O
OLI×1
OLL×1
ONI×1
ONL×1
T
THI×2
TIL×4
TIN×2
TIT×3
TOI×4
TON×1
TOO×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)
el...EL5Of high birth or social position; aristocratic or patrician.
en.....EN7To give a title to. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
eo....EO6Crudely chopped flints, believed to be naturally produced by geological processes such as glaciation.
he....HE6The buttocks.
he.....HE7An unruly, rowdy or mischievous person.
hi..HI4An elevated landmass smaller than a mountain.
hi..HI4The handle of a sword, consisting of grip, guard, and pommel, designed to facilitate use of the blade and afford protection to the hand.
hi..HI4A clue.
ho..... †HO7A telephone line that is always staffed and able to give immediate assistance.
ho....HO6A hot water bottle.
in...IN5To let in; admit.
in...IN5A navel that is formed of a hollow in the abdomen (as opposed to one that protrudes from the abdomen).
in...IN5intelligence (secret information)
in....IN6Something that is intended.
in.......IN9A course of action that a person intends to follow.
in..IN4To or towards the inside of.
in....IN6To give tone or variety of tone to; to vocalize.
le.....LE7Lax; not strict; tolerant of dissent or deviation
le....LE6Any of several plants of the genus Lens, especially Lens culinaris, from southwest Asia, that have edible, lens-shaped seeds within flattened pods.
le.....LE7Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of a lion.
li..LI4A tendon.
li..LI4To do something rhythmically, with animation and quickness, usually of music.
li..LI4A path through two or more points (compare ‘segment’); a continuous mark, including as made by a pen; any path, curved or straight.
li...LI5Thread or cloth made from flax fiber.
li..LI4Clinging fuzzy fluff that clings to fabric or accumulates in one's pockets or navel etc.
li....LI6A horizontal structural beam spanning an opening, such as between the uprights of a door or a window, and which supports the wall above.
li..LI4A big cat, Panthera leo, native to Africa, India and formerly much of Europe.
li..LI4Abridged; refers to a simpler or unpaid version of a product.
li...LI5To go.
li...LI5Clipping of lithographic.
li....LI6Small in size.
lo..LO4The part of the body (of humans and quadrupeds) at each side of the backbone, between the ribs and hips
lo....LO6The Canadian dollar (both the coin and the monetary unit).
lo....LO6A low- to medium-viscosity topical preparation intended for application to unbroken skin.
ne..... †NE7A stone implement from the Neolithic era.
ni..NI4NATO &amp; ICAO phonetic alphabet code for the numeral 9.
ni......NI8The 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........NI10The ordinal form of the number nineteen.
ni.......NI9The ordinal form of the number ninety.
ni...NI5The ordinal form of the number nine.
ni..NI4Informal spelling of night.
no.......NO910.
no.........NO11The ordinal form of the number nonillion.
no....NO6Mental apprehension of whatever may be known, thought, or imagined; idea, concept.
ol..OL4A rich, thick, Spanish stew consisting of meat and vegetables.
ol...OL5An aerial maneuver in which one catches air by leaping off the ground with the skateboard and into the air.
on...ON5A monocotyledonous plant (Allium cepa), allied to garlic, used as vegetable and spice.
on....ON6Of a system: connected (generally electrically) to a larger network. Of a generator or power plant: connected to the grid. Of a computer: actively connected to the Internet or to some other communications service.
th..TH4Having little thickness or extent from one surface to its opposite.
th...TH5Singular second person prevocalic possessive determiner (preconsonantal form: thy).
ti..TI4A 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..TI4Until; to, up to; as late as (a given time).
ti..TI4To slope or incline (something); to slant.
ti...TI5Agricultural labour; husbandry.
ti..TI4A spike or point on an implement or tool, especially a prong of a fork or a tooth of a comb.
ti..TI4A slight coloring.
ti...TI5A tenth.
ti...TI5An 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....TI6Any 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.
to..TO4Labour, work, especially of a grueling nature.
to...TO5plain or simple twilled fabric
to....TO6A covering of linen, silk, or tapestry, spread over a dressing table in a chamber or dressing room.
to......TO8Archaic form of toilet. (in all senses related to dressing and personal grooming, but not a water closet)
to.....TO7A form of investment in which, on the death of an investor, his share is divided amongst the other investors.
to....TO6A Canadian two-dollar coin.

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)
  • entitle  (EN7)
  • eolith  (EO6)
  • heinie  (HE6)
  • hellion  (HE7)
  • hill  (HI4)
  • hilt  (HI4)
  • hint  (HI4)
  • hotline†  (HO7)
  • hottie  (HO6)
  • inlet  (IN5)
  • innie  (IN5)
  • intel  (IN5)
  • intent  (IN6)
  • intention  (IN9)
  • into  (IN4)
  • intone  (IN6)
  • lenient  (LE7)
  • lentil  (LE6)
  • leonine  (LE7)
  • lien  (LI4)
  • lilt  (LI4)
  • line  (LI4)
  • linen  (LI5)
  • lint  (LI4)
  • lintel  (LI6)
  • lion  (LI4)
  • lite  (LI4)
  • lithe  (LI5)
  • litho  (LI5)
  • little  (LI6)
  • loin  (LO4)
  • loonie  (LO6)
  • lotion  (LO6)
  • neolith†  (NE7)
  • nine  (NI4)
  • nineteen  (NI8)
  • nineteenth  (NI10)
  • ninetieth  (NI9)
  • ninth  (NI5)
  • nite  (NI4)
  • nonillion  (NO9)
  • nonillionth  (NO11)
  • notion  (NO6)
  • olio  (OL4)
  • ollie  (OL5)
  • onion  (ON5)
  • online  (ON6)
  • thin  (TH4)
  • thine  (TH5)
  • tile  (TI4)
  • till  (TI4)
  • tilt  (TI4)
  • tilth  (TI5)
  • tine  (TI4)
  • tint  (TI4)
  • tithe  (TI5)
  • title  (TI5)
  • tittle  (TI6)
  • toil  (TO4)
  • toile  (TO5)
  • toilet  (TO6)
  • toilette  (TO8)
  • tontine  (TO7)
  • toonie  (TO6)

Answer Definitions

  • elite (adjective): Of high birth or social position; aristocratic or patrician.
  • entitle (verb): To give a title to. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
  • eolith (noun): Crudely chopped flints, believed to be naturally produced by geological processes such as glaciation.
  • heinie (noun): The buttocks.
  • hellion (noun): An unruly, rowdy or mischievous person.
  • hill (noun): An elevated landmass smaller than a mountain.
  • hilt (noun): The handle of a sword, consisting of grip, guard, and pommel, designed to facilitate use of the blade and afford protection to the hand.
  • hint (noun): A clue.
  • hotline† (noun): A telephone line that is always staffed and able to give immediate assistance.
  • hottie (noun): A hot water bottle.
  • 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.
  • intention (noun): A course of action that a person intends to follow.
  • into (preposition): To or towards the inside of.
  • intone (verb): To give tone or variety of tone to; to vocalize.
  • lenient (adjective): Lax; not strict; tolerant of dissent or deviation
  • 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.
  • leonine (adjective): Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of a lion.
  • lien (noun): A tendon.
  • lilt (verb): To do something rhythmically, with animation and quickness, usually of music.
  • 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.
  • linen (noun): Thread or cloth made from flax fiber.
  • 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.
  • lion (noun): A big cat, Panthera leo, native to Africa, India and formerly much of Europe.
  • lite (adjective): Abridged; refers to a simpler or unpaid version of a product.
  • lithe (verb): To go.
  • litho (adjective): Clipping of lithographic.
  • little (adjective): Small in size.
  • loin (noun): The part of the body (of humans and quadrupeds) at each side of the backbone, between the ribs and hips
  • loonie (noun): The Canadian dollar (both the coin and the monetary unit).
  • lotion (noun): A low- to medium-viscosity topical preparation intended for application to unbroken skin.
  • neolith† (noun): A stone implement from the Neolithic era.
  • nine (numeral): NATO &amp; 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".
  • nineteenth (adjective): The ordinal form of the number nineteen.
  • ninetieth (adjective): The ordinal form of the number ninety.
  • ninth (adjective): The ordinal form of the number nine.
  • nite (noun): Informal spelling of night.
  • nonillion (numeral): 10.
  • nonillionth (adjective): The ordinal form of the number nonillion.
  • notion (noun): Mental apprehension of whatever may be known, thought, or imagined; idea, concept.
  • olio (noun): A rich, thick, Spanish stew consisting of meat and vegetables.
  • ollie (noun): An aerial maneuver in which one catches air by leaping off the ground with the skateboard and into the air.
  • onion (noun): A monocotyledonous plant (Allium cepa), allied to garlic, used as vegetable and spice.
  • online (adjective): Of a system: connected (generally electrically) to a larger network. Of a generator or power plant: connected to the grid. Of a computer: actively connected to the Internet or to some other communications service.
  • thin (adjective): Having little thickness or extent from one surface to its opposite.
  • thine (determiner): Singular second person prevocalic possessive determiner (preconsonantal form: thy).
  • 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.
  • tilth (noun): Agricultural labour; husbandry.
  • tine (noun): A spike or point on an implement or tool, especially a prong of a fork or a tooth of a comb.
  • tint (noun): A slight coloring.
  • tithe (noun): A tenth.
  • 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.
  • toil (noun): Labour, work, especially of a grueling nature.
  • toile (noun): plain or simple twilled fabric
  • toilet (noun): A covering of linen, silk, or tapestry, spread over a dressing table in a chamber or dressing room.
  • toilette (noun): Archaic form of toilet. (in all senses related to dressing and personal grooming, but not a water closet)
  • tontine (noun): A form of investment in which, on the death of an investor, his share is divided amongst the other investors.
  • toonie (noun): A Canadian two-dollar coin.