NYT Spelling Bee Answers for May 23, 2021

calendar May 23, 2021 · 14 min read · spelling bee  ·
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Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for May 23, 2021
Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for May 23, 2021

Game Summary

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for May 23, 2021
Center LetterE
Outer Lettersb, l, n, o, t, v
# of Pangrams1 (Perfect: none)
Total Words61 words
Total Points228 points
Genius Level160 points
Bingo?Yes

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 23, 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>8</th><th>9</th><th>10Σ
B646---117
E2122---7
L43-----7
N531-11-11
O3------3
T532----10
V4-1--1-6
Σ291412212161

Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints

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

B
BE×11
BO×6
E
EB×1
EL×1
EN×2
EV×3
L
LE×4
LO×3
N
NE×3
NO×8
O
OB×1
OL×1
OV×1
T
TE×6
TO×4
V
VE×4
VO×2

Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints

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

B
BEE×3
BEL×3
BEN×3
BET×1
BEV×1
BOB×1
BON×2
BOO×1
BOT×2
E
EBO×1
ELE×1
ENN×1
ENT×1
EVE×2
EVO×1
L
LEN×2
LEV×2
LOB×1
LON×1
LOV×1
N
NEN×1
NEO×1
NET×1
NOB×1
NOE×1
NON×3
NOT×1
NOV×2
O
OBO×1
OLE×1
OVE×1
T
TEE×1
TEL×2
TEN×3
TON×2
TOO×1
TOT×1
V
VEL×2
VEN×1
VET×1
VOL×1
VOT×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 (†).

Word2L RefDefinition (click to reveal)
be..BE4past participle of be.
be..BE4Beta vulgaris, a plant with a swollen root which is eaten or used to make sugar.
be....BE6Any of numerous species of insect in the order Coleoptera characterized by a pair of hard, shell-like front wings which cover and protect a pair of rear wings when at rest.
be..BE4A 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...BE5An attractive woman.
be..BE4A band worn around the waist to hold clothing to one's body (usually pants), hold weapons (such as a gun or sword), or serve as a decorative piece of clothing.
be........ †BE10Having a disposition to do good.
be..BE4simple past tense and past participle of bend
be...BE5A Japanese takeaway lunch served in a box, often with the food arranged into an elaborate design.
be...BE5Either of two plants often used in combination: an evergreen Indian creeping shrub, Piper betle, whose dried leaves are chewed with betel nut: the betel pepper the seed of the betel palm, Areca catechu: the betel nut
be...BE5An edge that is canted, one that is not a 90-degree angle; a chamfer.
bo....BO6A furry ball attached on top of a hat.
bo..BO4A composite material consisting largely of calcium phosphate and collagen and making up the skeleton of most vertebrates.
bo....BO6A type of hat, once worn by women or children, held in place by ribbons tied under the chin.
bo....BO6A soft, woolen shoe, usually knitted, for a baby or small pet.
bo....BO6A collection of compromised computers that is gradually built up and then unleashed as a DDOS attack or used to send very large quantities of spam.
bo....BO6A container, typically made of glass or plastic and having a tapered neck, used primarily for holding liquids.
eb..EB4(now poetic) Ebony; an ebony tree.
el....EL6The cardinal number occurring after ten and before twelve. Represented as 11 in Arabic digits.
en.....EN7To bestow with nobility, honour or grace.
en.....EN7An informal alliance or friendly understanding between two states.
ev..EV4Flat and level.
ev...EV5An occurrence; something that happens.
ev....EV6To move in regular procession through a system.
le..LE4Alternative letter-case form of Lent
le...LE5Slow (45–60 bpm).
le...LE5An elevated geographical feature.
le...LE5The same height at all places; parallel to a flat ground.
lo..LO4Any projection or division, especially one of a somewhat rounded form.
lo..LO4Solitary; having no companion.
lo..LO4A deep caring for the existence of another.
ne..NE4The Hawaiian goose, Branta sandvicensis, which was designated the state bird of Hawaii in 1957.
ne..NE4The chemical element (symbol Ne) with an atomic number of 10. The second of the noble gases, it is a colourless, odorless inert gas.
ne....NE6Any plant whose foliage is covered with stinging, mildly poisonous hairs, causing an instant rash. Especially, most species of herb genus Urtica, the stinging nettles: Most, but not all, subspecies of Urtica dioica (common nettle), Urtica incisa (Australian nettle); Wood nettle (Laportea canadensis); Bull nettles and spurge nettles of genus Cnidoscolus: Cnidoscolus stimulosus, bull nettle, spurge nettle, Cnidoscolus texanus, Texas bull nettle, Cnidoscolus urens, bull nettle, Nettle trees or tree nettles: Various species of the genus Dendrocnide: Urera baccifera (scratchbush), Urtica ferox (tree nettle); rock nettle (Eucnide); small-leaved nettle (Dendrocnide photinophylla).
no...NO5An aristocrat; one of aristocratic blood.
no..NO4A kind of hymn, or canticle, of mediaeval origin, sung in honor of the birth of Christ; a Christmas carol.
no..NO4Not any of a given number or group.
no...NO5A composition for nine instruments or nine voices.
no......NO8An anticipated event that does not occur, or one that is a disappointing anticlimax.
no..NO4A symbol or annotation. A mark or token by which a thing may be known; a visible sign; a character; a distinctive mark or feature; a characteristic quality. A mark, or sign, made to call attention, to point out something to notice, or the like; a sign, or token, proving or giving evidence. A brief remark; a marginal comment or explanation; hence, an annotation on a text or author; a comment; a critical, explanatory, or illustrative observation.
no...NO5Newly made, formed or evolved; having no precedent; of recent origin; new.
no.......NO9A short novel.
ob..OB4A 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..OL4A 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.
ov..OV4A chamber used for baking or heating.
te..TE4Synonym of teenager: a person between 13 and 19 years old.
te..TE4To count, reckon, or enumerate.
te....TE6A network protocol that enables one computer to communicate with another via the Internet; the program that acts as the client in this situation
te...TE5An opinion, belief, or principle that is held as absolute truth by someone or especially an organization.
te...TE5A projecting member left by cutting away the wood around it, and made to insert into a mortise, and in this way secure together the parts of a frame.
te..TE4A pavilion or portable lodge consisting of skins, canvas, or some strong cloth, stretched and sustained by poles, used for sheltering people from the weather.
to..TO4A specific pitch.
to...TO5A metric unit of mass equal to a thousand kilograms. Symbol: t
to....TO6To make a soft toot sound.
to..TO4A tote bag.
ve....VE6A closely woven fabric (originally of silk, now also of cotton or man-made fibres) with a thick short pile on one side.
ve.......VE9A cotton fabric with a short pile, resembling velvet.
ve..VE4An opening through which gases, especially air, can pass.
ve..VE4A political right to disapprove of (and thereby stop) the process of a decision, a law etc.
vo..VO4Any of a large number of species of small rodents of the subfamily Arvicolinae of the family Cricetidae which are not lemmings or muskrats.
vo..VO4a formalized choice on legally relevant measures such as employment or appointment to office or a proceeding about a legal dispute.

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.

  • been  (BE4)
  • beet  (BE4)
  • beetle  (BE6)
  • bell  (BE4)
  • belle  (BE5)
  • belt  (BE4)
  • benevolent†  (BE10)
  • bent  (BE4)
  • bento  (BE5)
  • betel  (BE5)
  • bevel  (BE5)
  • bobble  (BO6)
  • bone  (BO4)
  • bonnet  (BO6)
  • bootee  (BO6)
  • botnet  (BO6)
  • bottle  (BO6)
  • ebon  (EB4)
  • eleven  (EL6)
  • ennoble  (EN7)
  • entente  (EN7)
  • even  (EV4)
  • event  (EV5)
  • evolve  (EV6)
  • lent  (LE4)
  • lento  (LE5)
  • levee  (LE5)
  • level  (LE5)
  • lobe  (LO4)
  • lone  (LO4)
  • love  (LO4)
  • nene  (NE4)
  • neon  (NE4)
  • nettle  (NE6)
  • noble  (NO5)
  • noel  (NO4)
  • none  (NO4)
  • nonet  (NO5)
  • nonevent  (NO8)
  • note  (NO4)
  • novel  (NO5)
  • novelette  (NO9)
  • oboe  (OB4)
  • oleo  (OL4)
  • oven  (OV4)
  • teen  (TE4)
  • tell  (TE4)
  • telnet  (TE6)
  • tenet  (TE5)
  • tenon  (TE5)
  • tent  (TE4)
  • tone  (TO4)
  • tonne  (TO5)
  • tootle  (TO6)
  • tote  (TO4)
  • velvet  (VE6)
  • velveteen  (VE9)
  • vent  (VE4)
  • veto  (VE4)
  • vole  (VO4)
  • vote  (VO4)

Answer Definitions

  • been (verb): past participle of be.
  • beet (noun): Beta vulgaris, a plant with a swollen root which is eaten or used to make sugar.
  • beetle (noun): Any of numerous species of insect in the order Coleoptera characterized by a pair of hard, shell-like front wings which cover and protect a pair of rear wings when at rest.
  • 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.
  • belt (noun): A band worn around the waist to hold clothing to one's body (usually pants), hold weapons (such as a gun or sword), or serve as a decorative piece of clothing.
  • benevolent† (adjective): Having a disposition to do good.
  • bent (verb): simple past tense and past participle of bend
  • bento (noun): A Japanese takeaway lunch served in a box, often with the food arranged into an elaborate design.
  • betel (noun): Either of two plants often used in combination: an evergreen Indian creeping shrub, Piper betle, whose dried leaves are chewed with betel nut: the betel pepper the seed of the betel palm, Areca catechu: the betel nut
  • bevel (noun): An edge that is canted, one that is not a 90-degree angle; a chamfer.
  • 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.
  • bonnet (noun): A type of hat, once worn by women or children, held in place by ribbons tied under the chin.
  • bootee (noun): A soft, woolen shoe, usually knitted, for a baby or small pet.
  • botnet (noun): A collection of compromised computers that is gradually built up and then unleashed as a DDOS attack or used to send very large quantities of spam.
  • bottle (noun): A container, typically made of glass or plastic and having a tapered neck, used primarily for holding liquids.
  • ebon (noun): (now poetic) Ebony; an ebony tree.
  • eleven (numeral): The cardinal number occurring after ten and before twelve. Represented as 11 in Arabic digits.
  • ennoble (verb): To bestow with nobility, honour or grace.
  • entente (noun): An informal alliance or friendly understanding between two states.
  • even (adjective): Flat and level.
  • event (noun): An occurrence; something that happens.
  • evolve (verb): To move in regular procession through a system.
  • lent (noun): Alternative letter-case form of Lent
  • lento (adjective): Slow (45–60 bpm).
  • levee (noun): An elevated geographical feature.
  • level (adjective): The same height at all places; parallel to a flat ground.
  • lobe (noun): Any projection or division, especially one of a somewhat rounded form.
  • lone (adjective): Solitary; having no companion.
  • love (noun): A deep caring for the existence of another.
  • 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.
  • nettle (noun): Any plant whose foliage is covered with stinging, mildly poisonous hairs, causing an instant rash. Especially, most species of herb genus Urtica, the stinging nettles: Most, but not all, subspecies of Urtica dioica (common nettle), Urtica incisa (Australian nettle); Wood nettle (Laportea canadensis); Bull nettles and spurge nettles of genus Cnidoscolus: Cnidoscolus stimulosus, bull nettle, spurge nettle, Cnidoscolus texanus, Texas bull nettle, Cnidoscolus urens, bull nettle, Nettle trees or tree nettles: Various species of the genus Dendrocnide: Urera baccifera (scratchbush), Urtica ferox (tree nettle); rock nettle (Eucnide); small-leaved nettle (Dendrocnide photinophylla).
  • 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.
  • nonet (noun): A composition for nine instruments or nine voices.
  • nonevent (noun): An anticipated event that does not occur, or one that is a disappointing anticlimax.
  • note (noun): A symbol or annotation. A mark or token by which a thing may be known; a visible sign; a character; a distinctive mark or feature; a characteristic quality. A mark, or sign, made to call attention, to point out something to notice, or the like; a sign, or token, proving or giving evidence. A brief remark; a marginal comment or explanation; hence, an annotation on a text or author; a comment; a critical, explanatory, or illustrative observation.
  • novel (adjective): Newly made, formed or evolved; having no precedent; of recent origin; new.
  • novelette (noun): A short novel.
  • 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.
  • oven (noun): A chamber used for baking or heating.
  • teen (noun): Synonym of teenager: a person between 13 and 19 years old.
  • tell (verb): To count, reckon, or enumerate.
  • telnet (noun): A network protocol that enables one computer to communicate with another via the Internet; the program that acts as the client in this situation
  • tenet (noun): An opinion, belief, or principle that is held as absolute truth by someone or especially an organization.
  • tenon (noun): A projecting member left by cutting away the wood around it, and made to insert into a mortise, and in this way secure together the parts of a frame.
  • tent (noun): A pavilion or portable lodge consisting of skins, canvas, or some strong cloth, stretched and sustained by poles, used for sheltering people from the weather.
  • tone (noun): A specific pitch.
  • tonne (noun): A metric unit of mass equal to a thousand kilograms. Symbol: t
  • tootle (verb): To make a soft toot sound.
  • tote (noun): A tote bag.
  • velvet (noun): A closely woven fabric (originally of silk, now also of cotton or man-made fibres) with a thick short pile on one side.
  • velveteen (noun): A cotton fabric with a short pile, resembling velvet.
  • vent (noun): An opening through which gases, especially air, can pass.
  • veto (noun): A political right to disapprove of (and thereby stop) the process of a decision, a law etc.
  • vole (noun): Any of a large number of species of small rodents of the subfamily Arvicolinae of the family Cricetidae which are not lemmings or muskrats.
  • vote (noun): a formalized choice on legally relevant measures such as employment or appointment to office or a proceeding about a legal dispute.