NYT Spelling Bee Answers for January 17, 2021
Game Summary
| Center Letter | T |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | a, c, h, l, o, p |
| # of Pangrams | 1 (Perfect: none) |
| Total Words | 59 words |
| Total Points | 210 points |
| Genius Level | 147 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 | Σ | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 2 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 5 |
| C | 5 | 4 | - | 3 | 1 | 13 |
| H | 4 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 7 |
| L | 2 | 3 | 1 | - | - | 6 |
| O | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | 2 |
| P | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| T | 10 | 2 | 2 | 2 | - | 16 | Σ | 29 | 16 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 59 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AL×2 AT×3 |
|---|---|
| C | CA×5 CH×1 CL×2 CO×5 |
| H | HA×4 HO×3 |
| L | LA×3 LO×3 |
| O | OA×1 OC×1 |
| P | PA×4 PH×2 PL×2 PO×2 |
| T | TA×7 TH×2 TO×7 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | ALL×1 ALT×1 ATO×2 ATT×1 |
|---|---|
| C | CAP×1 CAT×4 CHA×1 CLO×2 COA×2 COL×1 COO×2 |
| H | HAL×1 HAT×3 HOL×1 HOO×1 HOT×1 |
| L | LAP×1 LAT×2 LOA×1 LOO×1 LOT×1 |
| O | OAT×1 OCT×1 |
| P | PAC×1 PAL×1 PAT×2 PHA×1 PHO×1 PLA×1 PLO×1 POT×2 |
| T | TAC×3 TAL×2 TAP×1 TAT×1 THA×2 TOC×1 TOL×1 TOO×3 TOP×1 TOT×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) |
|---|---|---|
| al... | AL5 | To distribute or apportion by (or as if by) lot. |
| al.. | AL4 | A musical part or section higher than tenor and lower than soprano, formerly the part that performed a countermelody above the tenor or main melody. |
| at... | AT5 | a type of island consisting of a ribbon reef that nearly or entirely surrounds a lagoon and supports, in most cases, one to many islets on the reef platform. Atolls have a unique geology, so not all islands with a reef and a lagoon are atolls |
| at.. | AT4 | On the top of. |
| at.... | AT6 | To fasten, to join to (literally and figuratively). |
| ca..... | CA7 | Alternative letter-case form of CAPTCHA |
| ca..... | CA7 | Any tree of the genus Catalpa, in the family Bignoniaceae. The two North American species, the southern catalpa, Catalpa bignonioides, and the northern catalpa, Catalpa speciosa — along with the yellow catalpa, Catalpa ovata, from China — are often planted as ornamentals because of their showy flowers and decorative bean pods, though others regard the bean pods as a nuisance. |
| ca..... | CA7 | A shout or whistle expressing dislike, especially from a crowd or audience; a jeer, a boo. |
| ca... | CA5 | The act of seizing or capturing. |
| ca...... | CA8 | Alternative form of catch-all |
| ch.. | CH4 | To be engaged in informal conversation. |
| cl.. | CL4 | A thrombus, solidified mass of blood. |
| cl... | CL5 | A fabric, usually made of woven, knitted, or felted fibres or filaments, such as used in dressing, decorating, cleaning or other practical use. |
| co... | CO5 | To compel, constrain, force. |
| co.. | CO4 | An outer garment covering the upper torso and arms. |
| co.. | CO4 | A young male horse. |
| co... | CO5 | Alternative spelling of co-opt |
| co.. | CO4 | Any of various aquatic birds of the genus Fulica that are mainly black with a prominent frontal shield on the forehead. |
| ha.. | HA4 | To limp; move with a limping gait. |
| ha... | HA5 | A horizontal door in a floor or ceiling. |
| ha.. | HA4 | third-person singular simple present indicative form of have |
| ha... | HA5 | The fundamental form of yoga that focuses on asanas |
| ho.. | HO4 | A small piece of woodland or a woody hill; a copse. |
| ho.. | HO4 | A derisive cry or shout. |
| ho.... | HO6 | Alternative spelling of hot pot. |
| la.... | LA6 | A laptop computer. |
| la... | LA5 | To close or lock as if with a latch. |
| la.. | LA4 | A thin, narrow strip, fastened to the rafters, studs, or floor beams of a building, for the purpose of supporting a covering of tiles, plastering, etc. |
| lo... | LO5 | Averse, disinclined; reluctant, unwilling. |
| lo.. | LO4 | A scoop used to remove scum from brine pans in saltworks. |
| lo... | LO5 | a game of chance similar to bingo |
| oa.. | OA4 | A solemn pledge or promise that invokes a deity, a ruler, or another entity (not necessarily present) to attest the truth of a statement or sincerity of one's desire to fulfill a contract or promise. |
| oc... | OC5 | The number system that uses the eight digits 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. |
| pa.. | PA4 | An agreement; a compact; a covenant. |
| pa..... | PA7 | Pertaining to the palate. |
| pa... | PA5 | A piece of cloth, or other suitable material, sewed or otherwise fixed upon a garment to repair or strengthen it, especially upon an old garment to cover a hole. |
| pa.. | PA4 | A trail for the use of, or worn by, pedestrians. |
| ph.. | PH4 | Excellent; cool; very good. |
| ph... | PH5 | A photograph. |
| pl.. | PL4 | A plot of land; a lot. |
| pl.. | PL4 | The course of a story, comprising a series of incidents which are gradually unfolded, sometimes by unexpected means. |
| po.... | PO6 | The tuber of a plant, Solanum tuberosum, eaten as a starchy vegetable, particularly in the Americas and Europe; this plant. |
| po...... † | PO8 | A ceremony amongst certain indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest in which gifts are bestowed upon guests and personal property is destroyed in a show of generosity and wealth. |
| ta.. | TA4 | Clipping of tachometer. |
| ta.. | TA4 | A Mexican snack food made of a small tortilla (soft or hard shelled) filled with ingredients such as meat, rice, beans, cheese, diced vegetables and salsa. |
| ta.. | TA4 | The sense of touch; feeling. |
| ta.. | TA4 | Originally a large range of transparent or glistening foliated minerals. Examples include mica, selenite and the hydrated magnesium silicate that the term talc generally has referred to in modern times (see below). Also an item made of such a mineral and depending for its function on the special nature of the mineral (see next). Mediaeval writers adopted the term from the Arabic. |
| ta.. | TA4 | Having a vertical extent greater than the average. For example, somebody with a height of over 6 feet would generally be considered to be tall. |
| ta.. | TA4 | A kind of cloth prepared by the Polynesians from the inner bark of the paper mulberry. |
| ta.... | TA6 | An image made in the skin with ink and a needle. |
| th.. | TH4 | Introducing a clause which is the subject or object of a verb (such as one involving reported speech), or which is a complement to a previous statement. |
| th.... | TH6 | Straw, rushes, or similar, used for making or covering the roofs of buildings, or of stacks of hay or grain. |
| to..... | TO7 | A piece of music (usually for a keyboard instrument) designed to emphasise the dexterity of the performer. |
| to.. | TO4 | Loss or damage incurred through a disaster. |
| to.. | TO4 | A mechanical device intended to make a task easier. |
| to.. | TO4 | The noise of a horn or whistle. |
| to... | TO5 | A hard, calcareous structure present in the mouth of many vertebrate animals, generally used for eating. |
| to..... | TO7 | A light overcoat. |
| to... | TO5 | An amount obtained by the addition of smaller amounts. |
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.
- allot (AL5)
- alto (AL4)
- atoll (AT5)
- atop (AT4)
- attach (AT6)
- captcha (CA7)
- catalpa (CA7)
- catcall (CA7)
- catch (CA5)
- catchall (CA8)
- chat (CH4)
- clot (CL4)
- cloth (CL5)
- coact (CO5)
- coat (CO4)
- colt (CO4)
- coopt (CO5)
- coot (CO4)
- halt (HA4)
- hatch (HA5)
- hath (HA4)
- hatha (HA5)
- holt (HO4)
- hoot (HO4)
- hotpot (HO6)
- laptop (LA6)
- latch (LA5)
- lath (LA4)
- loath (LO5)
- loot (LO4)
- lotto (LO5)
- oath (OA4)
- octal (OC5)
- pact (PA4)
- palatal (PA7)
- patch (PA5)
- path (PA4)
- phat (PH4)
- photo (PH5)
- plat (PL4)
- plot (PL4)
- potato (PO6)
- potlatch† (PO8)
- tach (TA4)
- taco (TA4)
- tact (TA4)
- talc (TA4)
- tall (TA4)
- tapa (TA4)
- tattoo (TA6)
- that (TH4)
- thatch (TH6)
- toccata (TO7)
- toll (TO4)
- tool (TO4)
- toot (TO4)
- tooth (TO5)
- topcoat (TO7)
- total (TO5)
Answer Definitions
- allot (verb): To distribute or apportion by (or as if by) lot.
- alto (noun): A musical part or section higher than tenor and lower than soprano, formerly the part that performed a countermelody above the tenor or main melody.
- atoll (noun): a type of island consisting of a ribbon reef that nearly or entirely surrounds a lagoon and supports, in most cases, one to many islets on the reef platform. Atolls have a unique geology, so not all islands with a reef and a lagoon are atolls
- atop (preposition): On the top of.
- attach (verb): To fasten, to join to (literally and figuratively).
- captcha (noun): Alternative letter-case form of CAPTCHA
- catalpa (noun): Any tree of the genus Catalpa, in the family Bignoniaceae. The two North American species, the southern catalpa, Catalpa bignonioides, and the northern catalpa, Catalpa speciosa — along with the yellow catalpa, Catalpa ovata, from China — are often planted as ornamentals because of their showy flowers and decorative bean pods, though others regard the bean pods as a nuisance.
- catcall (noun): A shout or whistle expressing dislike, especially from a crowd or audience; a jeer, a boo.
- catch (noun): The act of seizing or capturing.
- catchall (noun): Alternative form of catch-all
- chat (verb): To be engaged in informal conversation.
- clot (noun): A thrombus, solidified mass of blood.
- cloth (noun): A fabric, usually made of woven, knitted, or felted fibres or filaments, such as used in dressing, decorating, cleaning or other practical use.
- coact (verb): To compel, constrain, force.
- coat (noun): An outer garment covering the upper torso and arms.
- colt (noun): A young male horse.
- coopt (verb): Alternative spelling of co-opt
- coot (noun): Any of various aquatic birds of the genus Fulica that are mainly black with a prominent frontal shield on the forehead.
- halt (verb): To limp; move with a limping gait.
- hatch (noun): A horizontal door in a floor or ceiling.
- hath (verb): third-person singular simple present indicative form of have
- hatha (noun): The fundamental form of yoga that focuses on asanas
- holt (noun): A small piece of woodland or a woody hill; a copse.
- hoot (noun): A derisive cry or shout.
- hotpot (noun): Alternative spelling of hot pot.
- laptop (noun): A laptop computer.
- latch (verb): To close or lock as if with a latch.
- lath (noun): A thin, narrow strip, fastened to the rafters, studs, or floor beams of a building, for the purpose of supporting a covering of tiles, plastering, etc.
- loath (adjective): Averse, disinclined; reluctant, unwilling.
- loot (noun): A scoop used to remove scum from brine pans in saltworks.
- lotto (noun): a game of chance similar to bingo
- oath (noun): A solemn pledge or promise that invokes a deity, a ruler, or another entity (not necessarily present) to attest the truth of a statement or sincerity of one's desire to fulfill a contract or promise.
- octal (noun): The number system that uses the eight digits 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
- pact (noun): An agreement; a compact; a covenant.
- palatal (adjective): Pertaining to the palate.
- patch (noun): A piece of cloth, or other suitable material, sewed or otherwise fixed upon a garment to repair or strengthen it, especially upon an old garment to cover a hole.
- path (noun): A trail for the use of, or worn by, pedestrians.
- phat (adjective): Excellent; cool; very good.
- photo (noun): A photograph.
- plat (noun): A plot of land; a lot.
- plot (noun): The course of a story, comprising a series of incidents which are gradually unfolded, sometimes by unexpected means.
- potato (noun): The tuber of a plant, Solanum tuberosum, eaten as a starchy vegetable, particularly in the Americas and Europe; this plant.
- potlatch† (noun): A ceremony amongst certain indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest in which gifts are bestowed upon guests and personal property is destroyed in a show of generosity and wealth.
- tach (noun): Clipping of tachometer.
- taco (noun): A Mexican snack food made of a small tortilla (soft or hard shelled) filled with ingredients such as meat, rice, beans, cheese, diced vegetables and salsa.
- tact (noun): The sense of touch; feeling.
- talc (noun): Originally a large range of transparent or glistening foliated minerals. Examples include mica, selenite and the hydrated magnesium silicate that the term talc generally has referred to in modern times (see below). Also an item made of such a mineral and depending for its function on the special nature of the mineral (see next). Mediaeval writers adopted the term from the Arabic.
- tall (adjective): Having a vertical extent greater than the average. For example, somebody with a height of over 6 feet would generally be considered to be tall.
- tapa (noun): A kind of cloth prepared by the Polynesians from the inner bark of the paper mulberry.
- tattoo (noun): An image made in the skin with ink and a needle.
- that (conjunction): Introducing a clause which is the subject or object of a verb (such as one involving reported speech), or which is a complement to a previous statement.
- thatch (noun): Straw, rushes, or similar, used for making or covering the roofs of buildings, or of stacks of hay or grain.
- toccata (noun): A piece of music (usually for a keyboard instrument) designed to emphasise the dexterity of the performer.
- toll (noun): Loss or damage incurred through a disaster.
- tool (noun): A mechanical device intended to make a task easier.
- toot (noun): The noise of a horn or whistle.
- tooth (noun): A hard, calcareous structure present in the mouth of many vertebrate animals, generally used for eating.
- topcoat (noun): A light overcoat.
- total (noun): An amount obtained by the addition of smaller amounts.