NYT Spelling Bee Answers for May 22, 2021
Game Summary
| Center Letter | W |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | a, d, g, i, n, r |
| # of Pangrams | 3 (Perfect: 2) |
| Total Words | 39 words |
| Total Points | 235 points |
| Genius Level | 165 points |
| Bingo? | No |
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</th><th>10 | Σ | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | - | 2 | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | 4 |
| D | 2 | 1 | - | 2 | - | - | - | 5 |
| G | 1 | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | 2 |
| I | - | - | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | 2 |
| N | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| R | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| W | 5 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 3 | - | 1 | 26 | Σ | 8 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 4 | - | 1 | 39 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AW×4 |
|---|---|
| D | DA×2 DR×3 |
| G | GN×2 |
| I | IN×2 |
| N | |
| R | |
| W | WA×12 WI×12 WR×2 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | AWA×2 AWI×1 AWN×1 |
|---|---|
| D | DAW×2 DRA×3 |
| G | GNA×2 |
| I | IND×1 INW×1 |
| N | |
| R | |
| W | WAD×2 WAG×2 WAN×3 WAR×5 WIG×3 WIN×8 WIR×1 WRI×2 |
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) |
|---|---|---|
| aw... | AW5 | A judgment, sentence, or final decision. Specifically: The decision of arbitrators in a case submitted. |
| aw...... † | AW8 | present participle of award |
| aw... | AW5 | On the wing; flying; fluttering. |
| aw.... | AW6 | A rooflike cover, usually of canvas, extended over or before any place as a shelter from the sun, rain, or wind. |
| da.. | DA4 | To begin to brighten with daylight. |
| da..... | DA7 | Dawn. |
| dr.. | DR4 | To move or develop something. To sketch; depict with lines; to produce a picture with pencil, crayon, chalk, etc. on paper, cardboard, etc. To deduce or infer. |
| dr..... † | DR7 | present participle of draw |
| dr... | DR5 | past participle of draw |
| gn.. | GN4 | To bite something persistently, especially something tough. |
| gn..... | GN7 | severe or intense |
| in..... | IN7 | Having been drawn in or inward. |
| in.... | IN6 | Situated on the inside; that is within, inner; belonging to the inside. |
| wa..... | WA7 | Wads collectively. |
| wa.... | WA6 | Appropriate to wade in. |
| wa..... | WA7 | present participle of wag |
| wa.... | WA6 | present participle of wage |
| wa.. | WA4 | A hand-held narrow rod, usually used for pointing or instructing, or as a traditional emblem of authority. |
| wa.... | WA6 | present participle of wane |
| wa... | WA5 | Represents a contracted pronunciation of want to. |
| wa.. | WA4 | A warden; a guard; a guardian or watchman. |
| wa..... † | WA7 | present participle of ward |
| wa.. | WA4 | To make (someone) aware of (something impending); especially: To make (someone) aware of impending danger, evil, etc. |
| wa..... | WA7 | present participle of warn |
| wa..... | WA7 | engaged in war; belligerent |
| wi..... | WI7 | present participle of wig |
| wi.... | WI6 | Any of a number of mechanical or electrical devices which cause a component to oscillate between two states. A device that causes one or more lights to flash in a preset pattern. A red light near the door of a sound stage that flashes to indicate that cameras are rolling inside the stage and that all people and vehicles outside should remain quiet; a red-eye. A device used to cause lamps installed on a motor vehicle, especially an emergency vehicle such as an ambulance or police car, to flash as a warning. A device with multiple (often two), alternately flashing lights which is installed at a railway level crossing (or grade crossing), a movable bridge, etc., to warn vehicular traffic to stop. An instrument that creates a wigwagging motion for polishing. A warning device inside the cabin of a truck that causes a mechanical arm to drop into view when the pressure in the airbrake system of the truck becomes too low for the brakes to be reliably deployed. A grade crossing signal with a swinging motion used to indicate an approaching train. |
| wi........ | WI10 | present participle of wigwag. |
| wi.. | WI4 | Real or perceived movement of atmospheric air usually caused by convection or differences in air pressure. |
| wi..... | WI7 | present participle of wind |
| wi...... | WI8 | Towards the wind, or the direction from which the wind is blowing. |
| wi.. | WI4 | An appendage of an animal's (bird, bat, insect) body that enables it to fly |
| wi...... | WI8 | A fit or spasm. |
| wi..... | WI7 | present participle of wing |
| wi.... | WI6 | present participle of wine |
| wi..... | WI7 | present participle of win |
| wi.... | WI6 | present participle of wire |
| wr... | WR5 | To squeeze or twist (something) tightly so that liquid is forced out. See also wring out. |
| wr...... | WR8 | present participle of wring |
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.
- award (AW5)
- awarding† (AW8)
- awing (AW5)
- awning (AW6)
- dawn (DA4)
- dawning (DA7)
- draw (DR4)
- drawing† (DR7)
- drawn (DR5)
- gnaw (GN4)
- gnawing (GN7)
- indrawn (IN7)
- inward (IN6)
- wadding (WA7)
- wading (WA6)
- wagging (WA7)
- waging (WA6)
- wand (WA4)
- waning (WA6)
- wanna (WA5)
- ward (WA4)
- warding† (WA7)
- warn (WA4)
- warning (WA7)
- warring (WA7)
- wigging (WI7)
- wigwag (WI6)
- wigwagging (WI10)
- wind (WI4)
- winding (WI7)
- windward (WI8)
- wing (WI4)
- wingding (WI8)
- winging (WI7)
- wining (WI6)
- winning (WI7)
- wiring (WI6)
- wring (WR5)
- wringing (WR8)
Answer Definitions
- award (noun): A judgment, sentence, or final decision. Specifically: The decision of arbitrators in a case submitted.
- awarding† (verb): present participle of award
- awing (adverb): On the wing; flying; fluttering.
- awning (noun): A rooflike cover, usually of canvas, extended over or before any place as a shelter from the sun, rain, or wind.
- dawn (verb): To begin to brighten with daylight.
- dawning (noun): Dawn.
- draw (verb): To move or develop something. To sketch; depict with lines; to produce a picture with pencil, crayon, chalk, etc. on paper, cardboard, etc. To deduce or infer.
- drawing† (verb): present participle of draw
- drawn (verb): past participle of draw
- gnaw (verb): To bite something persistently, especially something tough.
- gnawing (adjective): severe or intense
- indrawn (adjective): Having been drawn in or inward.
- inward (adjective): Situated on the inside; that is within, inner; belonging to the inside.
- wadding (noun): Wads collectively.
- wading (adjective): Appropriate to wade in.
- wagging (verb): present participle of wag
- waging (verb): present participle of wage
- wand (noun): A hand-held narrow rod, usually used for pointing or instructing, or as a traditional emblem of authority.
- waning (verb): present participle of wane
- wanna (contraction): Represents a contracted pronunciation of want to.
- ward (noun): A warden; a guard; a guardian or watchman.
- warding† (verb): present participle of ward
- warn (verb): To make (someone) aware of (something impending); especially: To make (someone) aware of impending danger, evil, etc.
- warning (verb): present participle of warn
- warring (adjective): engaged in war; belligerent
- wigging (verb): present participle of wig
- wigwag (noun): Any of a number of mechanical or electrical devices which cause a component to oscillate between two states. A device that causes one or more lights to flash in a preset pattern. A red light near the door of a sound stage that flashes to indicate that cameras are rolling inside the stage and that all people and vehicles outside should remain quiet; a red-eye. A device used to cause lamps installed on a motor vehicle, especially an emergency vehicle such as an ambulance or police car, to flash as a warning. A device with multiple (often two), alternately flashing lights which is installed at a railway level crossing (or grade crossing), a movable bridge, etc., to warn vehicular traffic to stop. An instrument that creates a wigwagging motion for polishing. A warning device inside the cabin of a truck that causes a mechanical arm to drop into view when the pressure in the airbrake system of the truck becomes too low for the brakes to be reliably deployed. A grade crossing signal with a swinging motion used to indicate an approaching train.
- wigwagging (verb): present participle of wigwag.
- wind (noun): Real or perceived movement of atmospheric air usually caused by convection or differences in air pressure.
- winding (verb): present participle of wind
- windward (adjective): Towards the wind, or the direction from which the wind is blowing.
- wing (noun): An appendage of an animal's (bird, bat, insect) body that enables it to fly
- wingding (noun): A fit or spasm.
- winging (verb): present participle of wing
- wining (verb): present participle of wine
- winning (verb): present participle of win
- wiring (verb): present participle of wire
- wring (verb): To squeeze or twist (something) tightly so that liquid is forced out. See also wring out.
- wringing (verb): present participle of wring