NYT Spelling Bee Answers for May 15, 2021
Game Summary
| Center Letter | N |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | a, d, e, l, q, u |
| # of Pangrams | 1 (Perfect: none) |
| Total Words | 58 words |
| Total Points | 277 points |
| Genius Level | 194 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 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | - | 9 |
| D | 2 | - | 3 | 1 | 1 | - | 7 |
| E | 1 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - | 6 |
| L | 6 | 1 | 5 | 1 | - | - | 13 |
| N | 7 | - | 2 | 1 | - | - | 10 |
| Q | - | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | 2 |
| U | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 11 | Σ | 18 | 9 | 17 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 58 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AD×2 AN×7 |
|---|---|
| D | DE×5 DU×2 |
| E | EL×2 EN×4 |
| L | LA×5 LE×4 LU×4 |
| N | NA×3 NE×5 NU×2 |
| Q | QU×2 |
| U | UL×2 UN×9 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | ADD×2 ANA×1 ANN×6 |
|---|---|
| D | DEA×3 DEN×2 DUN×2 |
| E | ELA×2 END×3 ENN×1 |
| L | LAD×1 LAN×4 LEA×3 LEN×1 LUN×4 |
| N | NAA×1 NAD×1 NAN×1 NEE×4 NEN×1 NUD×1 NUL×1 |
| Q | QUE×2 |
| U | ULN×2 UND×2 UNE×2 UNL×4 UNN×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) |
|---|---|---|
| ad.... | AD6 | Addendum, any one of two or more numbers or other terms that are to be added together. |
| ad..... | AD7 | plural of addendum |
| an.. | AN4 | of, related to, intended for or involving the anus. |
| an... | AN5 | The record of a single event or item. |
| 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. |
| an...... | AN8 | simple past tense and past participle of anneal |
| an.... | AN6 | Happening once every year. |
| an... | AN5 | To formally revoke the validity of. |
| an...... | AN8 | simple past tense and past participle of annul |
| de.... | DE6 | To render less lively; to diminish; to muffle. |
| de...... | DE8 | simple past tense and past participle of deaden |
| de.. | DE4 | A senior official in a college or university, who may be in charge of a division or faculty (for example, the dean of science) or have some other advisory or disciplinary function (for example, the dean of students). |
| de.... | DE6 | To divest of all covering; to make bare or naked; to strip. |
| de..... | DE7 | simple past tense and past participle of denude |
| du.. | DU4 | A ridge or hill of sand piled up by the wind. |
| du.... | DU6 | simple past tense and past participle of dun |
| el.. | EL4 | Uncommon spelling of élan. |
| el... | EL5 | A genus of large South African antelope (Taurotragus), valued both for its hide and flesh. |
| en... | EN5 | simple past tense and past participle of end |
| en... | EN5 | To pass food into the stomach; to digest; also figuratively, to take on, absorb. |
| en.... | EN6 | simple past tense and past participle of endue |
| en.... | EN6 | The number nine. |
| la... | LA5 | Weighed down with a load, burdened. |
| la.. | LA4 | The part of Earth which is not covered by oceans or other bodies of water. |
| la.... | LA6 | A type of lightweight, four-wheeled carriage in which the front and back passenger seats face each other. |
| la.... | LA6 | In possession of land. |
| la.. | LA4 | A road, street, or similar thoroughfare. |
| le.... | LE6 | Made of lead. |
| le.. | LE4 | To incline, deviate, or bend, from a vertical position; to be in a position thus inclining or deviating. |
| le.... | LE6 | simple past tense and past participle of lean |
| le.. | LE4 | To allow to be used by someone temporarily, on condition that it or its equivalent will be returned. |
| lu.. | LU4 | A luna moth: a member of species Actias luna. |
| lu.. | LU4 | A fit of lunacy or madness; a period of frenzy; a crazy or unreasonable freak. |
| lu.... | LU6 | Something shaped like a crescent or half-moon; especially the pale area at the base of the fingernail. |
| lu..... | LU7 | plural of lunula |
| na.. | NA4 | A type of round, flat bread baked in a tandoor popular in South and Central Asian cuisine. |
| na.. | NA4 | Nothing. |
| na.. | NA4 | A banana. |
| ne.. | NE4 | A requirement for something; something needed. |
| ne.... | NE6 | Necessary; being required. |
| ne.... | NE6 | A long, thin, sharp implement usually for piercing as in sewing, embroidery, acupuncture, tattooing, body piercing, medical injections, sutures, etc; or a blunt but otherwise similar implement used for forming loops or knots in crafts such as darning, knitting, tatting, etc. |
| ne..... | NE7 | Covered or armored with needles. |
| ne.. | NE4 | The Hawaiian goose, Branta sandvicensis, which was designated the state bird of Hawaii in 1957. |
| nu.. | NU4 | Without clothing or other covering of the skin; without clothing on the genitals or female nipples. |
| nu.. | NU4 | A non-existent or empty value or set of values. |
| qu... | QU5 | The wife, consort, or widow of a king. |
| qu..... | QU7 | simple past tense and past participle of queen |
| ul.. | UL4 | The bone of the forearm that extends from the elbow to the wrist on the side opposite to the thumb, corresponding to the fibula of the hind limb. Also, the corresponding bone in the forelimb of any vertebrate. |
| ul... | UL5 | plural of ulna |
| un.... | UN6 | Pertaining to a corpse, though having qualities of life. |
| un... | UN5 | Excessive; going beyond that what is natural or sufficient. |
| un..... | UN7 | Not the same. |
| un....... † | UN9 | Unmatched, superlative, the best ever done, record setting. |
| un.... | UN6 | To unload. |
| un..... | UN7 | simple past tense and past participle of unlade |
| un..... | UN7 | Not carrying anything; unburdened. |
| un...... | UN8 | Without lead. |
| un...... | UN8 | Not needed. |
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.
- addend (AD6)
- addenda (AD7)
- anal (AN4)
- annal (AN5)
- anneal (AN6)
- annealed (AN8)
- annual (AN6)
- annul (AN5)
- annulled (AN8)
- deaden (DE6)
- deadened (DE8)
- dean (DE4)
- denude (DE6)
- denuded (DE7)
- dune (DU4)
- dunned (DU6)
- elan (EL4)
- eland (EL5)
- ended (EN5)
- endue (EN5)
- endued (EN6)
- ennead (EN6)
- laden (LA5)
- land (LA4)
- landau (LA6)
- landed (LA6)
- lane (LA4)
- leaden (LE6)
- lean (LE4)
- leaned (LE6)
- lend (LE4)
- luna (LU4)
- lune (LU4)
- lunula (LU6)
- lunulae (LU7)
- naan (NA4)
- nada (NA4)
- nana (NA4)
- need (NE4)
- needed (NE6)
- needle (NE6)
- needled (NE7)
- nene (NE4)
- nude (NU4)
- null (NU4)
- queen (QU5)
- queened (QU7)
- ulna (UL4)
- ulnae (UL5)
- undead (UN6)
- undue (UN5)
- unequal (UN7)
- unequaled† (UN9)
- unlade (UN6)
- unladed (UN7)
- unladen (UN7)
- unleaded (UN8)
- unneeded (UN8)
Answer Definitions
- addend (noun): Addendum, any one of two or more numbers or other terms that are to be added together.
- addenda (noun): plural of addendum
- anal (adjective): of, related to, intended for or involving the anus.
- annal (noun): The record of a single event or item.
- 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.
- annealed (verb): simple past tense and past participle of anneal
- annual (adjective): Happening once every year.
- annul (verb): To formally revoke the validity of.
- annulled (verb): simple past tense and past participle of annul
- deaden (verb): To render less lively; to diminish; to muffle.
- deadened (verb): simple past tense and past participle of deaden
- dean (noun): A senior official in a college or university, who may be in charge of a division or faculty (for example, the dean of science) or have some other advisory or disciplinary function (for example, the dean of students).
- denude (verb): To divest of all covering; to make bare or naked; to strip.
- denuded (verb): simple past tense and past participle of denude
- dune (noun): A ridge or hill of sand piled up by the wind.
- dunned (verb): simple past tense and past participle of dun
- elan (noun): Uncommon spelling of élan.
- eland (noun): A genus of large South African antelope (Taurotragus), valued both for its hide and flesh.
- ended (verb): simple past tense and past participle of end
- endue (verb): To pass food into the stomach; to digest; also figuratively, to take on, absorb.
- endued (verb): simple past tense and past participle of endue
- ennead (noun): The number nine.
- laden (adjective): Weighed down with a load, burdened.
- land (noun): The part of Earth which is not covered by oceans or other bodies of water.
- landau (noun): A type of lightweight, four-wheeled carriage in which the front and back passenger seats face each other.
- landed (adjective): In possession of land.
- lane (noun): A road, street, or similar thoroughfare.
- leaden (adjective): Made of lead.
- lean (verb): To incline, deviate, or bend, from a vertical position; to be in a position thus inclining or deviating.
- leaned (verb): simple past tense and past participle of lean
- lend (verb): To allow to be used by someone temporarily, on condition that it or its equivalent will be returned.
- luna (noun): A luna moth: a member of species Actias luna.
- lune (noun): A fit of lunacy or madness; a period of frenzy; a crazy or unreasonable freak.
- lunula (noun): Something shaped like a crescent or half-moon; especially the pale area at the base of the fingernail.
- lunulae (noun): plural of lunula
- naan (noun): A type of round, flat bread baked in a tandoor popular in South and Central Asian cuisine.
- nada (pronoun): Nothing.
- nana (noun): A banana.
- need (noun): A requirement for something; something needed.
- needed (adjective): Necessary; being required.
- needle (noun): A long, thin, sharp implement usually for piercing as in sewing, embroidery, acupuncture, tattooing, body piercing, medical injections, sutures, etc; or a blunt but otherwise similar implement used for forming loops or knots in crafts such as darning, knitting, tatting, etc.
- needled (adjective): Covered or armored with needles.
- nene (noun): The Hawaiian goose, Branta sandvicensis, which was designated the state bird of Hawaii in 1957.
- nude (adjective): Without clothing or other covering of the skin; without clothing on the genitals or female nipples.
- null (noun): A non-existent or empty value or set of values.
- queen (noun): The wife, consort, or widow of a king.
- queened (verb): simple past tense and past participle of queen
- ulna (noun): The bone of the forearm that extends from the elbow to the wrist on the side opposite to the thumb, corresponding to the fibula of the hind limb. Also, the corresponding bone in the forelimb of any vertebrate.
- ulnae (noun): plural of ulna
- undead (adjective): Pertaining to a corpse, though having qualities of life.
- undue (adjective): Excessive; going beyond that what is natural or sufficient.
- unequal (adjective): Not the same.
- unequaled† (adjective): Unmatched, superlative, the best ever done, record setting.
- unlade (verb): To unload.
- unladed (verb): simple past tense and past participle of unlade
- unladen (adjective): Not carrying anything; unburdened.
- unleaded (adjective): Without lead.
- unneeded (adjective): Not needed.