NYT Spelling Bee Answers for March 15, 2021

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for March 15, 2021

Game Summary

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for March 15, 2021
Center LetterL
Outer Letterse, m, n, o, t, u
# of Pangrams1 (Perfect: none)
Total Words47 words
Total Points172 points
Genius Level120 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 March 15, 2021

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
E---1-12
L114----15
M634---13
N2-1---3
O1-2-1-4
T3141--9
U-1----1
Σ2391121147

Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints

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

E
EL×1
EM×1
L
LE×3
LO×7
LU×5
M
ME×4
MO×6
MU×3
N
NE×1
NO×1
NU×1
O
OL×1
OM×2
OU×1
T
TE×2
TO×4
TU×3
U
UN×1

Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints

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

E
ELE×1
EMO×1
L
LEM×1
LEN×2
LOL×1
LON×1
LOO×3
LOT×1
LOU×1
LUL×2
LUM×1
LUN×1
LUT×1
M
MEL×3
MET×1
MOL×4
MOT×2
MUL×3
N
NET×1
NOE×1
NUL×1
O
OLE×1
OME×2
OUT×1
T
TEL×2
TOL×2
TOO×2
TUL×1
TUM×1
TUN×1
U
UNL×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.....EL7One 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....... EM9Payment for employment or an office; compensation for a job, which is usually monetary.
le...LE5A yellowish citrus fruit.
le..LE4Alternative letter-case form of Lent
le...LE5Slow (45–60 bpm).
lo..LO4To act lazily or indolently while reclining; to lean; to lie at ease.
lo..LO4Solitary; having no companion.
lo..LO4A utensil; tool; a weapon; an article in general.
lo..LO4An idler, a lout.
lo..LO4A scoop used to remove scum from brine pans in saltworks.
lo...LO5a game of chance similar to bingo
lo..LO4A troublemaker, often violent; a rude violent person; a yob.
lu..LU4A period of rest or soothing.
lu..LU4A remarkable person, object or idea.
lu...LU5In the International System of Units, the derived unit of luminous flux; the light that is emitted in a solid angle of one steradian from a source of one candela. Symbol: lm.
lu..LU4A fit of lunacy or madness; a period of frenzy; a crazy or unreasonable freak.
lu..LU4A fretted stringed instrument of European origin, similar to the guitar, having a bowl-shaped body or soundbox; any of a wide variety of chordophones with a pear-shaped body and a neck whose upper surface is in the same plane as the soundboard, with strings along the neck and parallel to the soundboard.
me...ME5A battle fought at close range; hand-to-hand combat; brawling.
me...ME5Any of various plants of the family Cucurbitaceae grown for food, generally not including the cucumber. Genus Cucumis, various musk melons, including the honeydew and the cantaloupes, and the horned melon. Genus Citrullus, the watermelon and others Genus Benincasa, a winter melon Genus Momordica, the bitter melon
me..ME4Molten material, the product of melting.
me....ME6A quality of endurance and courage.
mo..MO4A pigmented spot on the skin, a naevus, slightly raised, and sometimes hairy.
mo..MO4A female companion of a gangster, especially a former or current prostitute.
mo..MO4US standard spelling of moult.
mo....MO6Melted.
mo...MO5A type of hotel or lodging establishment, often located near a major highway, which typically features a series of rooms the entrances of which are immediately adjacent to a parking lot to facilitate convenient access to automobiles parked there.
mo....MO6To mark with blotches of different color, or shades of color, as if stained; to spot; to maculate.
mu..MU4The generally sterile male or female hybrid offspring of a male donkey and a female horse.
mu..MU4(usually with over) To work (over) mentally; to cogitate; to ruminate.
mu....MU6A fish of the family Mullidae (order Syngnathiformes), especially the genus Mullus (the red mullets or goatfish).
ne....NE6Any 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).
no..NO4A kind of hymn, or canticle, of mediaeval origin, sung in honor of the birth of Christ; a Christmas carol.
nu..NU4A non-existent or empty value or set of values.
ol..OL4A type of energy-absorbing landing gear strut in which sudden compression or extension of the strut causes a gas-filled chamber to push or pull a piston which forces oil through a small orifice, resulting in absorption of energy through viscous effects.
om....OM6Alternative form of omelette
om......OM8A dish made with beaten eggs cooked in a frying pan without stirring, flipped over to cook on both sides, and sometimes filled or topped with cheese, chives or other foodstuffs.
ou....OU6A vent or similar passage to allow the escape of something.
te..TE4To count, reckon, or enumerate.
te....TE6A network protocol that enables one computer to communicate with another via the Internet; the program that acts as the client in this situation
to..TO4Loss or damage incurred through a disaster.
to.....TO7A colourless, inflammable liquid hydrocarbon, methylbenzene, CH3.C6H5, used as a solvent, in high-octane fuels and in the production of many chemical compounds.
to..TO4A mechanical device intended to make a task easier.
to....TO6To make a soft toot sound.
tu...TU5A kind of silk lace or light netting, used for clothing, veils, etc.
tu....TU6Confused, agitated noise as made by a crowd.
tu....TU6An underground or underwater passage.
un...UN5Not let (not in temporary possession in return for rent)

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.

  • element  (EL7)
  • emolument  (EM9)
  • lemon  (LE5)
  • lent  (LE4)
  • lento  (LE5)
  • loll  (LO4)
  • lone  (LO4)
  • loom  (LO4)
  • loon  (LO4)
  • loot  (LO4)
  • lotto  (LO5)
  • lout  (LO4)
  • lull  (LU4)
  • lulu  (LU4)
  • lumen  (LU5)
  • lune  (LU4)
  • lute  (LU4)
  • melee  (ME5)
  • melon  (ME5)
  • melt  (ME4)
  • mettle  (ME6)
  • mole  (MO4)
  • moll  (MO4)
  • molt  (MO4)
  • molten  (MO6)
  • motel  (MO5)
  • mottle  (MO6)
  • mule  (MU4)
  • mull  (MU4)
  • mullet  (MU6)
  • nettle  (NE6)
  • noel  (NO4)
  • null  (NU4)
  • oleo  (OL4)
  • omelet  (OM6)
  • omelette  (OM8)
  • outlet  (OU6)
  • tell  (TE4)
  • telnet  (TE6)
  • toll  (TO4)
  • toluene  (TO7)
  • tool  (TO4)
  • tootle  (TO6)
  • tulle  (TU5)
  • tumult  (TU6)
  • tunnel  (TU6)
  • unlet  (UN5)

Answer Definitions

  • 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.
  • emolument (noun): Payment for employment or an office; compensation for a job, which is usually monetary.
  • lemon (noun): A yellowish citrus fruit.
  • lent (noun): Alternative letter-case form of Lent
  • lento (adjective): Slow (45–60 bpm).
  • loll (verb): To act lazily or indolently while reclining; to lean; to lie at ease.
  • lone (adjective): Solitary; having no companion.
  • loom (noun): A utensil; tool; a weapon; an article in general.
  • loon (noun): An idler, a lout.
  • loot (noun): A scoop used to remove scum from brine pans in saltworks.
  • lotto (noun): a game of chance similar to bingo
  • lout (noun): A troublemaker, often violent; a rude violent person; a yob.
  • lull (noun): A period of rest or soothing.
  • lulu (noun): A remarkable person, object or idea.
  • lumen (noun): In the International System of Units, the derived unit of luminous flux; the light that is emitted in a solid angle of one steradian from a source of one candela. Symbol: lm.
  • lune (noun): A fit of lunacy or madness; a period of frenzy; a crazy or unreasonable freak.
  • lute (noun): A fretted stringed instrument of European origin, similar to the guitar, having a bowl-shaped body or soundbox; any of a wide variety of chordophones with a pear-shaped body and a neck whose upper surface is in the same plane as the soundboard, with strings along the neck and parallel to the soundboard.
  • melee (noun): A battle fought at close range; hand-to-hand combat; brawling.
  • melon (noun): Any of various plants of the family Cucurbitaceae grown for food, generally not including the cucumber. Genus Cucumis, various musk melons, including the honeydew and the cantaloupes, and the horned melon. Genus Citrullus, the watermelon and others Genus Benincasa, a winter melon Genus Momordica, the bitter melon
  • melt (noun): Molten material, the product of melting.
  • mettle (noun): A quality of endurance and courage.
  • mole (noun): A pigmented spot on the skin, a naevus, slightly raised, and sometimes hairy.
  • moll (noun): A female companion of a gangster, especially a former or current prostitute.
  • molt (verb): US standard spelling of moult.
  • molten (adjective): Melted.
  • motel (noun): A type of hotel or lodging establishment, often located near a major highway, which typically features a series of rooms the entrances of which are immediately adjacent to a parking lot to facilitate convenient access to automobiles parked there.
  • mottle (verb): To mark with blotches of different color, or shades of color, as if stained; to spot; to maculate.
  • mule (noun): The generally sterile male or female hybrid offspring of a male donkey and a female horse.
  • mull (verb): (usually with over) To work (over) mentally; to cogitate; to ruminate.
  • mullet (noun): A fish of the family Mullidae (order Syngnathiformes), especially the genus Mullus (the red mullets or goatfish).
  • 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).
  • noel (noun): A kind of hymn, or canticle, of mediaeval origin, sung in honor of the birth of Christ; a Christmas carol.
  • null (noun): A non-existent or empty value or set of values.
  • oleo (noun): A type of energy-absorbing landing gear strut in which sudden compression or extension of the strut causes a gas-filled chamber to push or pull a piston which forces oil through a small orifice, resulting in absorption of energy through viscous effects.
  • omelet (noun): Alternative form of omelette
  • omelette (noun): A dish made with beaten eggs cooked in a frying pan without stirring, flipped over to cook on both sides, and sometimes filled or topped with cheese, chives or other foodstuffs.
  • outlet (noun): A vent or similar passage to allow the escape of something.
  • tell (verb): To count, reckon, or enumerate.
  • 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
  • toll (noun): Loss or damage incurred through a disaster.
  • toluene (noun): A colourless, inflammable liquid hydrocarbon, methylbenzene, CH3.C6H5, used as a solvent, in high-octane fuels and in the production of many chemical compounds.
  • tool (noun): A mechanical device intended to make a task easier.
  • tootle (verb): To make a soft toot sound.
  • tulle (noun): A kind of silk lace or light netting, used for clothing, veils, etc.
  • tumult (noun): Confused, agitated noise as made by a crowd.
  • tunnel (noun): An underground or underwater passage.
  • unlet (adjective): Not let (not in temporary possession in return for rent)