NYT Spelling Bee Answers for February 16, 2021
Game Summary
| Center Letter | N |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | b, e, i, l, m, t |
| # of Pangrams | 1 (Perfect: none) |
| Total Words | 54 words |
| Total Points | 259 points |
| Genius Level | 181 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</th><th>10</th><th>11</th><th>12 | Σ | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | 9 |
| E | - | - | - | 4 | - | - | - | 1 | - | 5 |
| I | - | 3 | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 5 |
| L | 5 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 12 |
| M | 4 | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7 |
| N | 3 | 1 | 3 | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 8 |
| T | 4 | 1 | 1 | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | 8 | Σ | 19 | 8 | 11 | 8 | 6 | - | - | 1 | 1 | 54 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| B | BE×6 BI×1 BL×2 |
|---|---|
| E | EL×1 EM×1 EN×3 |
| I | IM×1 IN×4 |
| L | LE×3 LI×9 |
| M | ME×1 MI×6 |
| N | NE×2 NI×6 |
| T | TE×5 TI×3 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| B | BEE×2 BEL×3 BEN×1 BIT×1 BLI×2 |
|---|---|
| E | ELE×1 EMI×1 ENT×3 |
| I | IMM×1 INL×1 INN×1 INT×2 |
| L | LEN×3 LIE×1 LIM×1 LIN×7 |
| M | MEN×1 MIE×1 MIN×4 MIT×1 |
| N | NEN×1 NET×1 NIB×1 NIM×2 NIN×2 NIT×1 |
| T | TEE×1 TEL×1 TEN×3 TIM×1 TIN×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 (†).
| Word | 2L Ref | Definition (click to reveal) |
|---|---|---|
| be..... | BE7 | A very direct or quick path or trip. |
| be.. | BE4 | past participle of be. |
| be.......... † | BE12 | an act of belittling |
| be..... | BE7 | plural of bellman |
| be...... | BE8 | The imaginary line marking the upper end of the lower body of an automobile, running just below the bottoms of the windows |
| be.. | BE4 | simple past tense and past participle of bend |
| bi.... | BI6 | past participle of bite |
| bl.. | BL4 | To cease (from); to stop; to desist, to let up. |
| bl... | BL5 | A small pancake, of Russian origin, made from buckwheat flour; traditionally served with melted butter, sour cream and caviar or smoked salmon. |
| el..... | EL7 | One of the simplest or essential parts or principles of which anything consists, or upon which the constitution or fundamental powers of anything are based. |
| em..... | EM7 | Noteworthy, remarkable, great. |
| en..... | EN7 | An informal alliance or friendly understanding between two states. |
| en..... | EN7 | To give a title to. (Can we add an example for this sense?) |
| en......... | EN11 | The right to have something, whether actual or perceived. |
| im...... | IM8 | about to happen, occur, or take place very soon, especially of something which won't last long. |
| in... | IN5 | To let in; admit. |
| in... | IN5 | A navel that is formed of a hollow in the abdomen (as opposed to one that protrudes from the abdomen). |
| in... | IN5 | intelligence (secret information) |
| in.... | IN6 | Something that is intended. |
| le..... | LE7 | Lax; not strict; tolerant of dissent or deviation |
| le.. | LE4 | Alternative letter-case form of Lent |
| le.... | LE6 | Any of several plants of the genus Lens, especially Lens culinaris, from southwest Asia, that have edible, lens-shaped seeds within flattened pods. |
| li.. | LI4 | A tendon. |
| li.. | LI4 | To draw or paint; to delineate. |
| li.. | LI4 | A path through two or more points (compare ‘segment’); a continuous mark, including as made by a pen; any path, curved or straight. |
| li..... | LI7 | plural of lineman |
| li... | LI5 | Thread or cloth made from flax fiber. |
| li...... | LI8 | A topical medical preparation intended to be rubbed into the skin with friction, as for example to relieve symptoms of arthritis. |
| li.... | LI6 | A small passerine bird, the common linnet (Linaria cannabina, syn. Carduelis cannabina), in the finch family Fringillidae, native to Europe, western Asia, and north Africa. |
| li.. | LI4 | Clinging fuzzy fluff that clings to fabric or accumulates in one's pockets or navel etc. |
| li.... | LI6 | A horizontal structural beam spanning an opening, such as between the uprights of a door or a window, and which supports the wall above. |
| me.... | ME6 | A person who is being mentored |
| mi.. | MI4 | Demeanor; facial expression or attitude, especially one which is intended by its bearer. |
| mi.. | MI4 | That which belongs to me. Used predicatively. |
| mi.. | MI4 | Miniature, tiny, small. |
| mi... | MI5 | A half note, drawn as a semibreve with a stem. |
| mi.. | MI4 | A building or institution where money (originally, only coins) is produced under government licence. |
| mi.... | MI6 | A type of glove or garment that covers a hand with a separate sheath for the thumb, but not for other fingers, which are either enclosed in a single section or left uncovered. |
| ne.. | NE4 | The Hawaiian goose, Branta sandvicensis, which was designated the state bird of Hawaii in 1957. |
| ne.... | NE6 | Any plant whose foliage is covered with stinging, mildly poisonous hairs, causing an instant rash. Especially, most species of herb genus Urtica, the stinging nettles: Most, but not all, subspecies of Urtica dioica (common nettle), Urtica incisa (Australian nettle); Wood nettle (Laportea canadensis); Bull nettles and spurge nettles of genus Cnidoscolus: Cnidoscolus stimulosus, bull nettle, spurge nettle, Cnidoscolus texanus, Texas bull nettle, Cnidoscolus urens, bull nettle, Nettle trees or tree nettles: Various species of the genus Dendrocnide: Urera baccifera (scratchbush), Urtica ferox (tree nettle); rock nettle (Eucnide); small-leaved nettle (Dendrocnide photinophylla). |
| ni.... | NI6 | A small, quick bite taken with the front teeth. |
| ni... | NI5 | plural of nimbus |
| ni.... | NI6 | Adept at taking or grasping |
| ni.. | NI4 | NATO & ICAO phonetic alphabet code for the numeral 9. |
| ni...... | NI8 | 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". |
| ni.. | NI4 | Informal spelling of night. |
| te.. | TE4 | Synonym of teenager: a person between 13 and 19 years old. |
| te.... | TE6 | A network protocol that enables one computer to communicate with another via the Internet; the program that acts as the client in this situation |
| te...... | TE8 | A building that is rented to multiple tenants, especially a low-rent, run-down one. |
| te... | TE5 | An opinion, belief, or principle that is held as absolute truth by someone or especially an organization. |
| te.. | TE4 | A pavilion or portable lodge consisting of skins, canvas, or some strong cloth, stretched and sustained by poles, used for sheltering people from the weather. |
| ti...... | TI8 | A graphical representation of a chronological sequence of events (past or future); a chronology. |
| ti.. | TI4 | A spike or point on an implement or tool, especially a prong of a fork or a tooth of a comb. |
| ti.. | TI4 | A slight coloring. |
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.
- beeline (BE7)
- been (BE4)
- belittlement† (BE12)
- bellmen (BE7)
- beltline (BE8)
- bent (BE4)
- bitten (BI6)
- blin (BL4)
- blini (BL5)
- element (EL7)
- eminent (EM7)
- entente (EN7)
- entitle (EN7)
- entitlement (EN11)
- imminent (IM8)
- inlet (IN5)
- innie (IN5)
- intel (IN5)
- intent (IN6)
- lenient (LE7)
- lent (LE4)
- lentil (LE6)
- lien (LI4)
- limn (LI4)
- line (LI4)
- linemen (LI7)
- linen (LI5)
- liniment (LI8)
- linnet (LI6)
- lint (LI4)
- lintel (LI6)
- mentee (ME6)
- mien (MI4)
- mine (MI4)
- mini (MI4)
- minim (MI5)
- mint (MI4)
- mitten (MI6)
- nene (NE4)
- nettle (NE6)
- nibble (NI6)
- nimbi (NI5)
- nimble (NI6)
- nine (NI4)
- nineteen (NI8)
- nite (NI4)
- teen (TE4)
- telnet (TE6)
- tenement (TE8)
- tenet (TE5)
- tent (TE4)
- timeline (TI8)
- tine (TI4)
- tint (TI4)
Answer Definitions
- beeline (noun): A very direct or quick path or trip.
- been (verb): past participle of be.
- belittlement† (noun): an act of belittling
- bellmen (noun): plural of bellman
- beltline (noun): The imaginary line marking the upper end of the lower body of an automobile, running just below the bottoms of the windows
- bent (verb): simple past tense and past participle of bend
- bitten (verb): past participle of bite
- blin (verb): To cease (from); to stop; to desist, to let up.
- blini (noun): A small pancake, of Russian origin, made from buckwheat flour; traditionally served with melted butter, sour cream and caviar or smoked salmon.
- element (noun): One of the simplest or essential parts or principles of which anything consists, or upon which the constitution or fundamental powers of anything are based.
- eminent (adjective): Noteworthy, remarkable, great.
- entente (noun): An informal alliance or friendly understanding between two states.
- entitle (verb): To give a title to. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
- entitlement (noun): The right to have something, whether actual or perceived.
- imminent (adjective): about to happen, occur, or take place very soon, especially of something which won't last long.
- 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.
- lenient (adjective): Lax; not strict; tolerant of dissent or deviation
- lent (noun): Alternative letter-case form of Lent
- 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.
- lien (noun): A tendon.
- limn (verb): To draw or paint; to delineate.
- 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.
- linemen (noun): plural of lineman
- linen (noun): Thread or cloth made from flax fiber.
- liniment (noun): A topical medical preparation intended to be rubbed into the skin with friction, as for example to relieve symptoms of arthritis.
- linnet (noun): A small passerine bird, the common linnet (Linaria cannabina, syn. Carduelis cannabina), in the finch family Fringillidae, native to Europe, western Asia, and north Africa.
- 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.
- mentee (noun): A person who is being mentored
- mien (noun): Demeanor; facial expression or attitude, especially one which is intended by its bearer.
- mine (pronoun): That which belongs to me. Used predicatively.
- mini (adjective): Miniature, tiny, small.
- minim (noun): A half note, drawn as a semibreve with a stem.
- mint (noun): A building or institution where money (originally, only coins) is produced under government licence.
- mitten (noun): A type of glove or garment that covers a hand with a separate sheath for the thumb, but not for other fingers, which are either enclosed in a single section or left uncovered.
- nene (noun): The Hawaiian goose, Branta sandvicensis, which was designated the state bird of Hawaii in 1957.
- nettle (noun): Any plant whose foliage is covered with stinging, mildly poisonous hairs, causing an instant rash. Especially, most species of herb genus Urtica, the stinging nettles: Most, but not all, subspecies of Urtica dioica (common nettle), Urtica incisa (Australian nettle); Wood nettle (Laportea canadensis); Bull nettles and spurge nettles of genus Cnidoscolus: Cnidoscolus stimulosus, bull nettle, spurge nettle, Cnidoscolus texanus, Texas bull nettle, Cnidoscolus urens, bull nettle, Nettle trees or tree nettles: Various species of the genus Dendrocnide: Urera baccifera (scratchbush), Urtica ferox (tree nettle); rock nettle (Eucnide); small-leaved nettle (Dendrocnide photinophylla).
- nibble (noun): A small, quick bite taken with the front teeth.
- nimbi (noun): plural of nimbus
- nimble (adjective): Adept at taking or grasping
- nine (numeral): NATO & 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".
- nite (noun): Informal spelling of night.
- teen (noun): Synonym of teenager: a person between 13 and 19 years old.
- telnet (noun): A network protocol that enables one computer to communicate with another via the Internet; the program that acts as the client in this situation
- tenement (noun): A building that is rented to multiple tenants, especially a low-rent, run-down one.
- tenet (noun): An opinion, belief, or principle that is held as absolute truth by someone or especially an organization.
- tent (noun): A pavilion or portable lodge consisting of skins, canvas, or some strong cloth, stretched and sustained by poles, used for sheltering people from the weather.
- timeline (noun): A graphical representation of a chronological sequence of events (past or future); a chronology.
- 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.