NYT Spelling Bee Answers for May 9, 2021
Game Summary
| Center Letter | L |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | b, g, i, n, o, w |
| # of Pangrams | 4 (Perfect: 2) |
| Total Words | 68 words |
| Total Points | 360 points |
| Genius Level | 252 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 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B | 9 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 23 |
| G | 4 | - | 3 | 2 | 4 | - | 13 |
| I | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| L | 7 | 2 | 2 | 5 | - | - | 16 |
| N | - | - | - | - | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| O | 1 | - | 4 | - | 1 | - | 6 |
| W | 2 | - | 1 | 1 | 2 | - | 6 | Σ | 23 | 6 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 2 | 68 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| B | BI×5 BL×10 BO×8 |
|---|---|
| G | GI×4 GL×4 GO×5 |
| I | IG×1 |
| L | LI×3 LO×13 |
| N | NI×2 NO×1 |
| O | OB×2 OG×1 OI×1 OL×1 OO×1 |
| W | WI×4 WO×2 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| B | BIL×5 BLI×3 BLO×7 BOB×1 BOG×1 BOI×2 BOL×2 BOW×2 |
|---|---|
| G | GIG×2 GIL×2 GLI×1 GLO×3 GOB×2 GOG×1 GOO×2 |
| I | IGL×1 |
| L | LIN×2 LIO×1 LOB×2 LOG×3 LOI×1 LOL×2 LON×3 LOO×1 LOW×1 |
| N | NIB×1 NIG×1 NON×1 |
| O | OBL×2 OGL×1 OIL×1 OLI×1 OOL×1 |
| W | WIG×1 WIL×3 WOB×1 WOO×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) |
|---|---|---|
| bi.. | BI4 | Any of various bladed or pointed hand weapons, originally designating an Anglo-Saxon sword, and later a weapon of infantry, especially in the 14th and 15th centuries, commonly consisting of a broad, heavy, double-edged, hook-shaped blade, with a short pike at the back and another at the top, attached to the end of a long staff. |
| bi..... | BI7 | present participle of bill |
| bi..... | BI7 | a thousand million (logic: 1,000 × 1,000^2): 1 followed by nine zeros, 10; a milliard |
| bi.... | BI6 | A large wave, swell, surge, or undulating mass of something, such as water, smoke, fabric or sound |
| bi....... † | BI9 | present participle of billow |
| bl.. | BL4 | To cease (from); to stop; to desist, to let up. |
| bl... | BL5 | Alternative form of bling bling |
| bl... | BL5 | A small pancake, of Russian origin, made from buckwheat flour; traditionally served with melted butter, sour cream and caviar or smoked salmon. |
| bl.. | BL4 | A shapeless or amorphous mass; a vague shape or amount, especially of a liquid or semisolid substance; a clump, group or collection that lacks definite shape. |
| bl...... | BL8 | present participle of blob |
| bl.. | BL4 | A website that allows users to reflect, share opinions, and discuss various topics in the form of an online journal, sometimes letting readers comment on their posts. Most blogs are written in a slightly informal tone (personal journals, news, businesses, etc.) |
| bl...... | BL8 | The design and editing of a blog; weblogging. |
| bl.. | BL4 | To produce an air current. |
| bl..... † | BL7 | present participle of blow |
| bl... | BL5 | Distended, swollen, or inflated. |
| bo...... | BO8 | present participle of bobble |
| bo...... | BO8 | present participle of boggle |
| bo.. | BO4 | A localized accumulation of pus in the skin, resulting from infection. |
| bo..... | BO7 | present participle of boil |
| bo.. | BO4 | The rounded seed-bearing capsule of a cotton or flax plant. |
| bo.. | BO4 | A long, heavy, single-edged machete. |
| bo.. | BO4 | A roughly hemispherical container used to hold, mix or present food, such as salad, fruit or soup, or other items. |
| bo..... † | BO7 | present participle of bowl |
| gi...... | GI8 | present participle of giggle |
| gi.... | GI6 | A man who has a sexual relationship with a woman from whom he receives payment. |
| gi.. | GI4 | a breathing organ of fish and other aquatic animals |
| gi..... | GI7 | present participle of gill |
| gl.. | GL4 | Having a ready flow of words but lacking thought or understanding; superficial; shallow. |
| gl.. | GL4 | A round, shapeless or amorphous lump, as of a semisolid substance. |
| gl.. | GL4 | To emit light as if heated. |
| gl..... | GL7 | present participle of glow |
| go...... | GO8 | The act of eating greedily and noisily. |
| go.... | GO6 | One of various hostile supernatural creatures, now especially a malevolent and grotesque diminutive humanoid, often associated with orcs or trolls. |
| go...... | GO8 | present participle of goggle |
| go...... | GO8 | present participle of google |
| go.... | GO6 | The number 10 100 {\displaystyle 10^{100}} , or ten to the power of a hundred. Equivalent to ten duotrigintillion (short scale), or ten sedecilliard (long scale). |
| ig... | IG5 | A dome-shaped Inuit shelter, constructed of blocks cut from snow. |
| li... | LI5 | Language, especially language peculiar to a particular group, field, or region; jargon or a dialect. |
| li.... | LI6 | A covering for the inside surface of something. |
| li.. | LI4 | A big cat, Panthera leo, native to Africa, India and formerly much of Europe. |
| lo..... | LO7 | present participle of lob |
| lo.. | LO4 | A wolf. |
| lo..... | LO7 | present participle of log |
| lo... | LO5 | A combination of a user's identification and password used to enter a computer, program, network, etc. |
| lo.. | LO4 | A visual symbol or emblem that acts as a trademark or a means of identification of a company or organization. |
| lo.. | LO4 | The part of the body (of humans and quadrupeds) at each side of the backbone, between the ribs and hips |
| lo.. | LO4 | To act lazily or indolently while reclining; to lean; to lie at ease. |
| lo..... | LO7 | present participle of loll |
| lo.. | LO4 | Having much distance from one terminating point on an object or an area to another terminating point . |
| lo..... | LO7 | A large bow that has a strong tension, and is usually more than 3 feet tall. The most famous longbows in history were the English longbows, which were crafted of yew. |
| lo..... | LO7 | present participle of long |
| lo.. | LO4 | An idler, a lout. |
| lo.... | LO6 | present participle of low |
| ni...... | NI8 | The act or sound of one who nibbles. |
| ni...... | NI8 | present participle of niggle |
| no....... | NO9 | 10. |
| ob...... | OB8 | Happy and ready to do favours for others. |
| ob.... | OB6 | Having a length and width that are different; not square or circular. |
| og.... | OG6 | Action of the verb to ogle. |
| oi.... | OI6 | present participle of oil |
| ol.. | OL4 | A rich, thick, Spanish stew consisting of meat and vegetables. |
| oo.... | OO6 | A partially fermented tea, often roasted, which combines the characteristics of green tea and black tea. |
| wi...... | WI8 | present participle of wiggle |
| wi.. | WI4 | Used to express the future tense, sometimes with some implication of volition when used in the first person. Compare shall. |
| wi..... | WI7 | Ready to do something that is not (can't be expected as) a matter of course. |
| wi.... | WI6 | Any of various deciduous trees or shrubs in the genus Salix, in the willow family Salicaceae, found primarily on moist soils in cooler zones in the northern hemisphere. |
| wo...... † | WO8 | present participle of wobble |
| wo.. | WO4 | The hair of the sheep, llama and some other ruminants. |
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.
- bill (BI4)
- billing (BI7)
- billion (BI7)
- billow (BI6)
- billowing† (BI9)
- blin (BL4)
- bling (BL5)
- blini (BL5)
- blob (BL4)
- blobbing (BL8)
- blog (BL4)
- blogging (BL8)
- blow (BL4)
- blowing† (BL7)
- blown (BL5)
- bobbling (BO8)
- boggling (BO8)
- boil (BO4)
- boiling (BO7)
- boll (BO4)
- bolo (BO4)
- bowl (BO4)
- bowling† (BO7)
- giggling (GI8)
- gigolo (GI6)
- gill (GI4)
- gilling (GI7)
- glib (GL4)
- glob (GL4)
- glow (GL4)
- glowing (GL7)
- gobbling (GO8)
- goblin (GO6)
- goggling (GO8)
- googling (GO8)
- googol (GO6)
- igloo (IG5)
- lingo (LI5)
- lining (LI6)
- lion (LI4)
- lobbing (LO7)
- lobo (LO4)
- logging (LO7)
- login (LO5)
- logo (LO4)
- loin (LO4)
- loll (LO4)
- lolling (LO7)
- long (LO4)
- longbow (LO7)
- longing (LO7)
- loon (LO4)
- lowing (LO6)
- nibbling (NI8)
- niggling (NI8)
- nonillion (NO9)
- obliging (OB8)
- oblong (OB6)
- ogling (OG6)
- oiling (OI6)
- olio (OL4)
- oolong (OO6)
- wiggling (WI8)
- will (WI4)
- willing (WI7)
- willow (WI6)
- wobbling† (WO8)
- wool (WO4)
Answer Definitions
- bill (noun): Any of various bladed or pointed hand weapons, originally designating an Anglo-Saxon sword, and later a weapon of infantry, especially in the 14th and 15th centuries, commonly consisting of a broad, heavy, double-edged, hook-shaped blade, with a short pike at the back and another at the top, attached to the end of a long staff.
- billing (verb): present participle of bill
- billion (noun): a thousand million (logic: 1,000 × 1,000^2): 1 followed by nine zeros, 10; a milliard
- billow (noun): A large wave, swell, surge, or undulating mass of something, such as water, smoke, fabric or sound
- billowing† (verb): present participle of billow
- blin (verb): To cease (from); to stop; to desist, to let up.
- bling (noun): Alternative form of bling bling
- blini (noun): A small pancake, of Russian origin, made from buckwheat flour; traditionally served with melted butter, sour cream and caviar or smoked salmon.
- blob (noun): A shapeless or amorphous mass; a vague shape or amount, especially of a liquid or semisolid substance; a clump, group or collection that lacks definite shape.
- blobbing (verb): present participle of blob
- blog (noun): A website that allows users to reflect, share opinions, and discuss various topics in the form of an online journal, sometimes letting readers comment on their posts. Most blogs are written in a slightly informal tone (personal journals, news, businesses, etc.)
- blogging (noun): The design and editing of a blog; weblogging.
- blow (verb): To produce an air current.
- blowing† (verb): present participle of blow
- blown (adjective): Distended, swollen, or inflated.
- bobbling (verb): present participle of bobble
- boggling (verb): present participle of boggle
- boil (noun): A localized accumulation of pus in the skin, resulting from infection.
- boiling (verb): present participle of boil
- boll (noun): The rounded seed-bearing capsule of a cotton or flax plant.
- bolo (noun): A long, heavy, single-edged machete.
- bowl (noun): A roughly hemispherical container used to hold, mix or present food, such as salad, fruit or soup, or other items.
- bowling† (verb): present participle of bowl
- giggling (verb): present participle of giggle
- gigolo (noun): A man who has a sexual relationship with a woman from whom he receives payment.
- gill (noun): a breathing organ of fish and other aquatic animals
- gilling (verb): present participle of gill
- glib (adjective): Having a ready flow of words but lacking thought or understanding; superficial; shallow.
- glob (noun): A round, shapeless or amorphous lump, as of a semisolid substance.
- glow (verb): To emit light as if heated.
- glowing (verb): present participle of glow
- gobbling (noun): The act of eating greedily and noisily.
- goblin (noun): One of various hostile supernatural creatures, now especially a malevolent and grotesque diminutive humanoid, often associated with orcs or trolls.
- goggling (verb): present participle of goggle
- googling (verb): present participle of google
- googol (numeral): The number 10 100 {\displaystyle 10^{100}} , or ten to the power of a hundred. Equivalent to ten duotrigintillion (short scale), or ten sedecilliard (long scale).
- igloo (noun): A dome-shaped Inuit shelter, constructed of blocks cut from snow.
- lingo (noun): Language, especially language peculiar to a particular group, field, or region; jargon or a dialect.
- lining (noun): A covering for the inside surface of something.
- lion (noun): A big cat, Panthera leo, native to Africa, India and formerly much of Europe.
- lobbing (verb): present participle of lob
- lobo (noun): A wolf.
- logging (verb): present participle of log
- login (noun): A combination of a user's identification and password used to enter a computer, program, network, etc.
- logo (noun): A visual symbol or emblem that acts as a trademark or a means of identification of a company or organization.
- loin (noun): The part of the body (of humans and quadrupeds) at each side of the backbone, between the ribs and hips
- loll (verb): To act lazily or indolently while reclining; to lean; to lie at ease.
- lolling (verb): present participle of loll
- long (adjective): Having much distance from one terminating point on an object or an area to another terminating point .
- longbow (noun): A large bow that has a strong tension, and is usually more than 3 feet tall. The most famous longbows in history were the English longbows, which were crafted of yew.
- longing (verb): present participle of long
- loon (noun): An idler, a lout.
- lowing (verb): present participle of low
- nibbling (noun): The act or sound of one who nibbles.
- niggling (verb): present participle of niggle
- nonillion (numeral): 10.
- obliging (adjective): Happy and ready to do favours for others.
- oblong (adjective): Having a length and width that are different; not square or circular.
- ogling (noun): Action of the verb to ogle.
- oiling (verb): present participle of oil
- olio (noun): A rich, thick, Spanish stew consisting of meat and vegetables.
- oolong (noun): A partially fermented tea, often roasted, which combines the characteristics of green tea and black tea.
- wiggling (verb): present participle of wiggle
- will (verb): Used to express the future tense, sometimes with some implication of volition when used in the first person. Compare shall.
- willing (adjective): Ready to do something that is not (can't be expected as) a matter of course.
- willow (noun): Any of various deciduous trees or shrubs in the genus Salix, in the willow family Salicaceae, found primarily on moist soils in cooler zones in the northern hemisphere.
- wobbling† (verb): present participle of wobble
- wool (noun): The hair of the sheep, llama and some other ruminants.