NYT Spelling Bee Answers for May 18, 2021

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for May 18, 2021

Game Summary

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for May 18, 2021
Center LetterA
Outer Lettersc, j, l, o, r, u
# of Pangrams1 (Perfect: 1)
Total Words33 words
Total Points141 points
Genius Level99 points
Bingo?No

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 May 18, 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>8Σ
A3112-7
C5532116
J---1-1
L11---2
O2-1-14
R21---3
U------
Σ13855233

Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints

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

A
AC×1
AJ×1
AR×1
AU×4
C
CA×6
CL×1
CO×8
CU×1
J
JO×1
L
LO×1
LU×1
O
OC×1
OR×3
R
RA×1
RO×1
RU×1
U

Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints

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

A
ACC×1
AJA×1
ARC×1
AUR×4
C
CAC×1
CAL×3
CAR×1
CAU×1
CLO×1
COA×1
COC×2
COL×2
COR×3
CUR×1
J
JOC×1
L
LOC×1
LUA×1
O
OCU×1
ORA×2
ORC×1
R
RAJ×1
ROA×1
RUR×1
U

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)
ac.....AC7An increase; something that accumulates, especially an amount of money that periodically accumulates for a specific purpose
aj..AJ4Slightly turned or opened.
ar..AR4A note in string instrument musical notation indicating that the bow is to be used in the usual way, usually following a passage that is played pizzicato.
au..AU4Distinctive atmosphere or quality associated with something.
au...AU5Of or pertaining to the ear.
au....AU6An atmospheric phenomenon created by charged particles from the sun striking the upper atmosphere, creating coloured lights in the sky. It is usually named australis or borealis based on whether it is in the Southern or Northern Hemisphere respectively.
au.....AU7Pertaining to the dawn; dawning, eastern, like a new beginning.
ca...CA5A tree, Theobroma cacao, whose seed is used to make chocolate.
ca..CA4A telephone conversation; a phone call.
ca...CA5A marsh plant native to cooler areas throughout the northern hemisphere, Calla palustris, having pale green flowers in a white spathe.
ca......CA8Any of various tropical plants grown in the Americas, especially of the genera Amaranthus and Xanthosoma, cultivated for their edible leaves.
ca...CA5A round dance accompanied by singing.
ca..CA4A style of close-fitting circular cap worn by women in the sixteenth century and later, often made of linen.
cl....CL6A sewer.
co..CO4A black or brownish black rock formed from prehistoric plant remains, composed largely of carbon and burned as a fuel.
co..CO4Any of the four cultivated plants which belong to the family Erythroxylaceae, native to western South America.
co...CO5The dried and partially fermented fatty seeds of the cacao tree from which chocolate is made.
co..CO4The kola plant, genus Cola, famous for its nut, or one of these nuts.
co....CO6Clothes that encircle the neck. The part of an upper garment (shirt, jacket, etc.) that fits around the neck and throat, especially if sewn from a separate piece of fabric. A decorative band or other fabric around the neckline. A chain worn around the neck. A similar detachable item. A coloured ring round the neck of a bird or mammal. A band or chain around an animal's neck, used to restrain and/or identify it.
co...CO5Any of many species of marine invertebrates in the class Anthozoa, most of which build hard calcium carbonate skeletons and form colonies, or a colony belonging to one of those species.
co.....CO7An outermost-but-one whorl of a flower, composed of petals, when it is not the same in appearance as the outermost whorl (the calyx); it usually comprises the petal, which may be fused.
co....CO6An enclosure for livestock, especially a circular one.
cu.....CU7Alternative spelling of curaçao
jo..... JO7Humorous, amusing or joking.
lo...LO5From or in a nearby location.
lu..LU4An elaborate Hawaiian feast featuring traditional foods and entertainment.
oc....OC6Of, or relating to the eye, or the sense of sight
or......OR8Of or relating to an oracle.
or..OR4Relating to the mouth.
or..OR4A sea mammal (Orcinus orca) related to dolphins and porpoises, commonly called the killer whale.
ra..RA4Alternative spelling of rajah
ro..RO4To make a loud, deep cry, especially from pain, anger, or other strong emotion.
ru...RU5Relating to the countryside or to agriculture.

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.

  • accrual  (AC7)
  • ajar  (AJ4)
  • arco  (AR4)
  • aura  (AU4)
  • aural  (AU5)
  • aurora  (AU6)
  • auroral  (AU7)
  • cacao  (CA5)
  • call  (CA4)
  • calla  (CA5)
  • callaloo  (CA8)
  • carol  (CA5)
  • caul  (CA4)
  • cloaca  (CL6)
  • coal  (CO4)
  • coca  (CO4)
  • cocoa  (CO5)
  • cola  (CO4)
  • collar  (CO6)
  • coral  (CO5)
  • corolla  (CO7)
  • corral  (CO6)
  • curacao  (CU7)
  • jocular  (JO7)
  • local  (LO5)
  • luau  (LU4)
  • ocular  (OC6)
  • oracular  (OR8)
  • oral  (OR4)
  • orca  (OR4)
  • raja  (RA4)
  • roar  (RO4)
  • rural  (RU5)

Answer Definitions

  • accrual (noun): An increase; something that accumulates, especially an amount of money that periodically accumulates for a specific purpose
  • ajar (adverb): Slightly turned or opened.
  • arco (adverb): A note in string instrument musical notation indicating that the bow is to be used in the usual way, usually following a passage that is played pizzicato.
  • aura (noun): Distinctive atmosphere or quality associated with something.
  • aural (adjective): Of or pertaining to the ear.
  • aurora (noun): An atmospheric phenomenon created by charged particles from the sun striking the upper atmosphere, creating coloured lights in the sky. It is usually named australis or borealis based on whether it is in the Southern or Northern Hemisphere respectively.
  • auroral (adjective): Pertaining to the dawn; dawning, eastern, like a new beginning.
  • cacao (noun): A tree, Theobroma cacao, whose seed is used to make chocolate.
  • call (noun): A telephone conversation; a phone call.
  • calla (noun): A marsh plant native to cooler areas throughout the northern hemisphere, Calla palustris, having pale green flowers in a white spathe.
  • callaloo (noun): Any of various tropical plants grown in the Americas, especially of the genera Amaranthus and Xanthosoma, cultivated for their edible leaves.
  • carol (noun): A round dance accompanied by singing.
  • caul (noun): A style of close-fitting circular cap worn by women in the sixteenth century and later, often made of linen.
  • cloaca (noun): A sewer.
  • coal (noun): A black or brownish black rock formed from prehistoric plant remains, composed largely of carbon and burned as a fuel.
  • coca (noun): Any of the four cultivated plants which belong to the family Erythroxylaceae, native to western South America.
  • cocoa (noun): The dried and partially fermented fatty seeds of the cacao tree from which chocolate is made.
  • cola (noun): The kola plant, genus Cola, famous for its nut, or one of these nuts.
  • collar (noun): Clothes that encircle the neck. The part of an upper garment (shirt, jacket, etc.) that fits around the neck and throat, especially if sewn from a separate piece of fabric. A decorative band or other fabric around the neckline. A chain worn around the neck. A similar detachable item. A coloured ring round the neck of a bird or mammal. A band or chain around an animal's neck, used to restrain and/or identify it.
  • coral (noun): Any of many species of marine invertebrates in the class Anthozoa, most of which build hard calcium carbonate skeletons and form colonies, or a colony belonging to one of those species.
  • corolla (noun): An outermost-but-one whorl of a flower, composed of petals, when it is not the same in appearance as the outermost whorl (the calyx); it usually comprises the petal, which may be fused.
  • corral (noun): An enclosure for livestock, especially a circular one.
  • curacao (noun): Alternative spelling of curaçao
  • jocular (adjective): Humorous, amusing or joking.
  • local (adjective): From or in a nearby location.
  • luau (noun): An elaborate Hawaiian feast featuring traditional foods and entertainment.
  • ocular (adjective): Of, or relating to the eye, or the sense of sight
  • oracular (adjective): Of or relating to an oracle.
  • oral (adjective): Relating to the mouth.
  • orca (noun): A sea mammal (Orcinus orca) related to dolphins and porpoises, commonly called the killer whale.
  • raja (noun): Alternative spelling of rajah
  • roar (verb): To make a loud, deep cry, especially from pain, anger, or other strong emotion.
  • rural (adjective): Relating to the countryside or to agriculture.