NYT Spelling Bee Answers for March 31, 2021
Game Summary
| Center Letter | E |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | a, b, k, l, n, o |
| # of Pangrams | 1 (Perfect: none) |
| Total Words | 61 words |
| Total Points | 215 points |
| Genius Level | 151 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 | Σ | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 3 | 2 | 4 | 1 | - | 1 | 11 |
| B | 9 | 4 | 3 | - | 3 | - | 19 |
| E | 2 | - | 1 | 1 | - | - | 4 |
| K | 5 | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | 9 |
| L | 7 | 1 | - | - | 1 | - | 9 |
| N | 4 | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | 6 |
| O | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 3 | Σ | 32 | 12 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 61 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AB×2 AE×1 AL×5 AN×3 |
|---|---|
| B | BA×8 BE×6 BL×2 BO×3 |
| E | EB×1 EL×1 EN×2 |
| K | KA×1 KE×5 KN×3 |
| L | LA×3 LE×3 LO×3 |
| N | NA×1 NE×2 NO×3 |
| O | OA×1 OB×1 OL×1 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | ABA×1 ABL×1 AEO×1 ALK×2 ALL×1 ALO×2 ANK×2 ANN×1 |
|---|---|
| B | BAB×3 BAK×1 BAL×2 BAN×2 BEA×3 BEE×1 BEL×2 BLE×1 BLO×1 BOB×1 BON×1 BOO×1 |
| E | EBO×1 ELA×1 ENA×1 ENN×1 |
| K | KAL×1 KEB×1 KEE×2 KEN×2 KNE×3 |
| L | LAB×1 LAK×1 LAN×1 LEA×2 LEE×1 LOA×1 LOB×1 LON×1 |
| N | NAN×1 NEN×1 NEO×1 NOB×1 NOE×1 NON×1 |
| O | OAK×1 OBO×1 OLE×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) |
|---|---|---|
| ab..... | AB7 | An edible univalve mollusc of the genus Haliotis, having a shell lined with mother-of-pearl. |
| ab.. | AB4 | Having the necessary powers or the needed resources to accomplish a task. |
| ae.. | AE4 | Alternative spelling of eon |
| al.... | AL6 | Any acyclic saturated hydrocarbon (methane, ethane, etc.). |
| al.... | AL6 | An unsaturated, aliphatic hydrocarbon with one or more carbon–carbon double bonds. |
| al.... | AL6 | One of a number of alternative forms of the same gene occupying a given position, or locus, on a chromosome. |
| al.. | AL4 | The resins of the tree Aquilaria malaccensis (syn. Aquilaria agallocha), known for their fragrant aroma, produced after infection by the fungus Phialophora parasitica. |
| al... | AL5 | By oneself, solitary. |
| an... | AN5 | The skeletal joint which connects the foot with the leg; the uppermost portion of the foot and lowermost portion of the leg, which contain this skeletal joint. |
| an....... † | AN9 | The bone of the ankle, forming the lower part of the ankle joint and joining with the tibia and fibula. |
| an.... | AN6 | To subject to great heat and then (often slow) cooling, and sometimes reheating and further cooling, for the purpose of rendering less brittle; to temper; to toughen. |
| ba.... | BA6 | To utter words indistinctly or unintelligibly; to utter inarticulate sounds |
| ba.. | BA4 | A baby or infant; a very young human or animal. |
| ba... | BA5 | Alternative form of Babel |
| ba.. | BA4 | To cook (something) in an oven (for someone). |
| ba.. | BA4 | Evil, especially considered as an active force for destruction or death. |
| ba.... | BA6 | The bony material that makes up the plates in the mouth of the baleen whale, Mysticeti, which it uses to trap its food; formerly used in corsetry. |
| ba.. | BA4 | A cause of misery or death. |
| ba...... | BA8 | Acceptable to a bank. |
| be.. | BE4 | Anatomical uses. A rigid structure projecting from the front of a bird's face, used for pecking, grooming, foraging, carrying items, eating food, etc. A similar structure forming the jaws of an octopus, turtle, etc. The long projecting sucking mouth of some insects and other invertebrates, as in the Hemiptera. The upper or projecting part of the shell, near the hinge of a bivalve. The prolongation of certain univalve shells containing the canal. Any process somewhat like the beak of a bird, terminating the fruit or other parts of a plant. |
| be.. | BE4 | Any plant of several genera of the taxonomic family Fabaceae that produces large edible seeds or edible seedpods. |
| be...... | BE8 | A pitch deliberately thrown at the head of the batter. |
| be.. | BE4 | past participle of be. |
| be.. | BE4 | A percussive instrument made of metal or other hard material, typically but not always in the shape of an inverted cup with a flared rim, which resonates when struck. |
| be... | BE5 | An attractive woman. |
| bl... | BL5 | Without color; pale; pallid. |
| bl... | BL5 | An exemplar of a certain masculine, independent male archetype. |
| bo.... | BO6 | A furry ball attached on top of a hat. |
| bo.. | BO4 | A composite material consisting largely of calcium phosphate and collagen and making up the skeleton of most vertebrates. |
| bo...... | BO8 | Able to be booked or reserved. |
| eb.. | EB4 | (now poetic) Ebony; an ebony tree. |
| el.. | EL4 | Uncommon spelling of élan. |
| en.... | EN6 | To make somebody able (to do, or to be, something); to give sufficient ability or power to do or to be; to give strength or ability to. |
| en..... | EN7 | To bestow with nobility, honour or grace. |
| ka.. | KA4 | An edible plant, similar to cabbage, with curled leaves that do not form a dense head (Brassica oleracea var. acephala) |
| ke... | KE5 | A dish of pieces of meat, fish, or vegetables roasted on a skewer or spit, especially a doner kebab. |
| ke.. | KE4 | A large beam along the underside of a ship’s hull from bow to stern. |
| ke.. | KE4 | Often with a prepositional phrase, or with to and an infinitive: showing a quick and ardent responsiveness or willingness; eager, enthusiastic, interested. |
| ke.... | KE6 | A house or shelter for a dog. |
| ke.. | KE4 | A gambling game, a variety of the game of lotto, played with balls or knobs, numbered, and cards also numbered. |
| kn.. | KN4 | In humans, the joint or the region of the joint in the middle part of the leg between the thigh and the shank. |
| kn... | KN5 | To rest on one's bent knees, sometimes only one; to move to such a position. |
| kn... | KN5 | To ring a bell slowly, especially for a funeral; to toll. |
| la... | LA5 | A small ticket or sign giving information about something to which it is attached or intended to be attached. |
| la.. | LA4 | A large, landlocked stretch of water or similar liquid. |
| la.. | LA4 | A road, street, or similar thoroughfare. |
| le.. | LE4 | A crack, crevice, fissure, or hole which admits water or other fluid, or lets it escape. |
| le.. | LE4 | To incline, deviate, or bend, from a vertical position; to be in a position thus inclining or deviating. |
| le.. | LE4 | The vegetable Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum, having edible leaves and an onion-like bulb but with a milder flavour than the onion. |
| lo...... | LO8 | That may be loaned |
| lo.. | LO4 | Any projection or division, especially one of a somewhat rounded form. |
| lo.. | LO4 | Solitary; having no companion. |
| na..... | NA7 | A type of cotton cloth originally from Nanking in China. |
| ne.. | NE4 | The Hawaiian goose, Branta sandvicensis, which was designated the state bird of Hawaii in 1957. |
| ne.. | NE4 | The chemical element (symbol Ne) with an atomic number of 10. The second of the noble gases, it is a colourless, odorless inert gas. |
| no... | NO5 | An aristocrat; one of aristocratic blood. |
| no.. | NO4 | A kind of hymn, or canticle, of mediaeval origin, sung in honor of the birth of Christ; a Christmas carol. |
| no.. | NO4 | Not any of a given number or group. |
| oa... | OA5 | Made from the wood of the oak tree. Also in metaphorical uses, suggesting robustness. |
| ob.. | OB4 | A soprano and melody wind instrument in the modern orchestra and wind ensemble. It is a smaller instrument and generally made of grenadilla wood. It is a member of the double reed family. |
| ol.. | OL4 | 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. |
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.
- abalone (AB7)
- able (AB4)
- aeon (AE4)
- alkane (AL6)
- alkene (AL6)
- allele (AL6)
- aloe (AL4)
- alone (AL5)
- ankle (AN5)
- anklebone† (AN9)
- anneal (AN6)
- babble (BA6)
- babe (BA4)
- babel (BA5)
- bake (BA4)
- bale (BA4)
- baleen (BA6)
- bane (BA4)
- bankable (BA8)
- beak (BE4)
- bean (BE4)
- beanball (BE8)
- been (BE4)
- bell (BE4)
- belle (BE5)
- bleak (BL5)
- bloke (BL5)
- bobble (BO6)
- bone (BO4)
- bookable (BO8)
- ebon (EB4)
- elan (EL4)
- enable (EN6)
- ennoble (EN7)
- kale (KA4)
- kebab (KE5)
- keel (KE4)
- keen (KE4)
- kennel (KE6)
- keno (KE4)
- knee (KN4)
- kneel (KN5)
- knell (KN5)
- label (LA5)
- lake (LA4)
- lane (LA4)
- leak (LE4)
- lean (LE4)
- leek (LE4)
- loanable (LO8)
- lobe (LO4)
- lone (LO4)
- nankeen (NA7)
- nene (NE4)
- neon (NE4)
- noble (NO5)
- noel (NO4)
- none (NO4)
- oaken (OA5)
- oboe (OB4)
- oleo (OL4)
Answer Definitions
- abalone (noun): An edible univalve mollusc of the genus Haliotis, having a shell lined with mother-of-pearl.
- able (adjective): Having the necessary powers or the needed resources to accomplish a task.
- aeon (noun): Alternative spelling of eon
- alkane (noun): Any acyclic saturated hydrocarbon (methane, ethane, etc.).
- alkene (noun): An unsaturated, aliphatic hydrocarbon with one or more carbon–carbon double bonds.
- allele (noun): One of a number of alternative forms of the same gene occupying a given position, or locus, on a chromosome.
- aloe (noun): The resins of the tree Aquilaria malaccensis (syn. Aquilaria agallocha), known for their fragrant aroma, produced after infection by the fungus Phialophora parasitica.
- alone (adjective): By oneself, solitary.
- ankle (noun): The skeletal joint which connects the foot with the leg; the uppermost portion of the foot and lowermost portion of the leg, which contain this skeletal joint.
- anklebone† (noun): The bone of the ankle, forming the lower part of the ankle joint and joining with the tibia and fibula.
- anneal (verb): To subject to great heat and then (often slow) cooling, and sometimes reheating and further cooling, for the purpose of rendering less brittle; to temper; to toughen.
- babble (verb): To utter words indistinctly or unintelligibly; to utter inarticulate sounds
- babe (noun): A baby or infant; a very young human or animal.
- babel (noun): Alternative form of Babel
- bake (verb): To cook (something) in an oven (for someone).
- bale (noun): Evil, especially considered as an active force for destruction or death.
- baleen (noun): The bony material that makes up the plates in the mouth of the baleen whale, Mysticeti, which it uses to trap its food; formerly used in corsetry.
- bane (noun): A cause of misery or death.
- bankable (adjective): Acceptable to a bank.
- beak (noun): Anatomical uses. A rigid structure projecting from the front of a bird's face, used for pecking, grooming, foraging, carrying items, eating food, etc. A similar structure forming the jaws of an octopus, turtle, etc. The long projecting sucking mouth of some insects and other invertebrates, as in the Hemiptera. The upper or projecting part of the shell, near the hinge of a bivalve. The prolongation of certain univalve shells containing the canal. Any process somewhat like the beak of a bird, terminating the fruit or other parts of a plant.
- bean (noun): Any plant of several genera of the taxonomic family Fabaceae that produces large edible seeds or edible seedpods.
- beanball (noun): A pitch deliberately thrown at the head of the batter.
- been (verb): past participle of be.
- bell (noun): A percussive instrument made of metal or other hard material, typically but not always in the shape of an inverted cup with a flared rim, which resonates when struck.
- belle (noun): An attractive woman.
- bleak (adjective): Without color; pale; pallid.
- bloke (noun): An exemplar of a certain masculine, independent male archetype.
- bobble (noun): A furry ball attached on top of a hat.
- bone (noun): A composite material consisting largely of calcium phosphate and collagen and making up the skeleton of most vertebrates.
- bookable (adjective): Able to be booked or reserved.
- ebon (noun): (now poetic) Ebony; an ebony tree.
- elan (noun): Uncommon spelling of élan.
- enable (verb): To make somebody able (to do, or to be, something); to give sufficient ability or power to do or to be; to give strength or ability to.
- ennoble (verb): To bestow with nobility, honour or grace.
- kale (noun): An edible plant, similar to cabbage, with curled leaves that do not form a dense head (Brassica oleracea var. acephala)
- kebab (noun): A dish of pieces of meat, fish, or vegetables roasted on a skewer or spit, especially a doner kebab.
- keel (noun): A large beam along the underside of a ship’s hull from bow to stern.
- keen (adjective): Often with a prepositional phrase, or with to and an infinitive: showing a quick and ardent responsiveness or willingness; eager, enthusiastic, interested.
- kennel (noun): A house or shelter for a dog.
- keno (noun): A gambling game, a variety of the game of lotto, played with balls or knobs, numbered, and cards also numbered.
- knee (noun): In humans, the joint or the region of the joint in the middle part of the leg between the thigh and the shank.
- kneel (verb): To rest on one's bent knees, sometimes only one; to move to such a position.
- knell (verb): To ring a bell slowly, especially for a funeral; to toll.
- label (noun): A small ticket or sign giving information about something to which it is attached or intended to be attached.
- lake (noun): A large, landlocked stretch of water or similar liquid.
- lane (noun): A road, street, or similar thoroughfare.
- leak (noun): A crack, crevice, fissure, or hole which admits water or other fluid, or lets it escape.
- lean (verb): To incline, deviate, or bend, from a vertical position; to be in a position thus inclining or deviating.
- leek (noun): The vegetable Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum, having edible leaves and an onion-like bulb but with a milder flavour than the onion.
- loanable (adjective): That may be loaned
- lobe (noun): Any projection or division, especially one of a somewhat rounded form.
- lone (adjective): Solitary; having no companion.
- nankeen (noun): A type of cotton cloth originally from Nanking in China.
- nene (noun): The Hawaiian goose, Branta sandvicensis, which was designated the state bird of Hawaii in 1957.
- neon (noun): The chemical element (symbol Ne) with an atomic number of 10. The second of the noble gases, it is a colourless, odorless inert gas.
- noble (noun): An aristocrat; one of aristocratic blood.
- noel (noun): A kind of hymn, or canticle, of mediaeval origin, sung in honor of the birth of Christ; a Christmas carol.
- none (pronoun): Not any of a given number or group.
- oaken (adjective): Made from the wood of the oak tree. Also in metaphorical uses, suggesting robustness.
- oboe (noun): A soprano and melody wind instrument in the modern orchestra and wind ensemble. It is a smaller instrument and generally made of grenadilla wood. It is a member of the double reed family.
- 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.