NYT Spelling Bee Answers for July 26, 2021

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for July 26, 2021

Game Summary

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for July 26, 2021
Center LetterI
Outer Lettersa, b, c, e, k, l
# of Pangrams1 (Perfect: none)
Total Words46 words
Total Points232 points
Genius Level162 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 July 26, 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>9Σ
A132---6
B52113113
C-32--16
E-------
I-11---2
K2-1-2-5
L43421-14
Σ12121136246

Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints

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

A
AB×1
AC×2
AL×3
B
BA×4
BE×1
BI×8
C
CA×1
CE×2
CI×1
CL×2
E
I
IC×1
IL×1
K
KI×5
L
LA×5
LI×9

Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints

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

A
ABA×1
ACA×2
ALI×2
ALK×1
B
BAC×1
BAI×2
BAL×1
BEL×1
BIB×2
BIK×1
BIL×5
C
CAB×1
CEL×2
CIL×1
CLI×2
E
I
ICI×1
ILI×1
K
KIB×1
KIC×3
KIL×1
L
LAB×3
LAI×2
LIA×1
LIB×2
LIC×2
LIK×3
LIL×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)
ab...AB5plural form of an ancient bead calculator.
ac....AC6A shrub or tree of the tribe Acacieae.
ac..AC4Any of several South American palms, of the genus Euterpe, having a dark purple drupe.
al...AL5The plea or mode of defense under which a person on trial for a crime proves or attempts to prove being in another place when the alleged act was committed.
al...AL5Having resemblance or similitude; similar; without difference.
al....AL6One of a class of caustic bases, such as soda, soda ash, caustic soda, potash, ammonia, and lithia, whose distinguishing peculiarities are solubility in alcohol and water, uniting with oils and fats to form soap, neutralizing and forming salts with acids, turning to brown several vegetable yellows, and changing reddened litmus to blue.
ba.....BA7plural of bacillus
ba..BA4Security, usually a sum of money, exchanged for the release of an arrested person as a guarantee of that person's appearance for trial.
ba....BA6One who holds bailed property; one who takes possession of the property of another (called a bailor) in order to keep that property safe for the other.
ba.......BA9A plucked stringed instrument with a triangular body, short neck and three strings, of Russian origin.
be...BE5To lie around; encompass.
bi...BI5Alternative letter-case form of Bible (“a specific version, edition, translation, or copy of the Christian religious text”)
bi......BI8Of or relating to the Bible.
bi..BI4Clipping of bicycle.
bi......BI8Articulated with both lips.
bi..BI4A bitter brownish-yellow or greenish-yellow secretion produced by the liver, stored in the gall bladder, and discharged into the duodenum where it aids the process of digestion.
bi..BI4The spoiling of someone's score in the crib.
bi..BI4Any 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......BI8Capable of being billed for.
ca....CA6A cabdriver, someone who drives a taxi.
ce....CE6Of, pertaining to or located within the abdomen or abdominal cavity.
ce...CE5plural of cello
ci...CI5plural of cilium
cl...CL5A brief, sharp, not particularly loud, relatively high-pitched sound produced by the impact of something small and hard against something hard, such as by the operation of a switch, a lock, or a latch.
cl....... CL9That establishes rapport with an audience.
ic....IC6A drooping, tapering shape of ice.
il...IL5Relating to the ilium.
ki....KI6To grind coarsely.
ki..KI4To strike or hit with the foot or other extremity of the leg.
ki......KI8A backward kick, a retrograde movement of an extremity.
ki......KI8A sport similar to baseball, where a ball is kicked rather than hit.
ki..KI4To put to death; to extinguish the life of.
la...LA5The folds of tissue at the opening of the vulva, at either side of the vagina.
la....LA6Of or pertaining to the lips or labia.
la....LA6Liable to slip, err, fall, or apostatize.
la..LA4A layperson, as opposed to a member of the clergy.
la....LA6Of or pertaining to a layperson, layman, laywoman, or laypeople (laity).
li....LI6bound or obliged in law or equity; responsible; answerable.
li...LI5A written or pictorial false statement which unjustly seeks to damage someone's reputation.
li.....LI7The party against which a libel (hostile handbill) has been filed by a libelant.
li..LI4plural of louse
li..LI4To stroke with the tongue.
li.....LI7Capable of being liked.
li..LI4To enjoy, be pleased by; favor; be in favor of.
li......LI8Alternative spelling of likable
li...LI5A large shrub of the genus Syringa, especially Syringa vulgaris, bearing white, pale-pink, or purple flowers.

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.

  • abaci  (AB5)
  • acacia  (AC6)
  • acai  (AC4)
  • alibi  (AL5)
  • alike  (AL5)
  • alkali  (AL6)
  • bacilli  (BA7)
  • bail  (BA4)
  • bailee  (BA6)
  • balalaika  (BA9)
  • belie  (BE5)
  • bible  (BI5)
  • biblical  (BI8)
  • bike  (BI4)
  • bilabial  (BI8)
  • bile  (BI4)
  • bilk  (BI4)
  • bill  (BI4)
  • billable  (BI8)
  • cabbie  (CA6)
  • celiac  (CE6)
  • celli  (CE5)
  • cilia  (CI5)
  • click  (CL5)
  • clickable  (CL9)
  • icicle  (IC6)
  • iliac  (IL5)
  • kibble  (KI6)
  • kick  (KI4)
  • kickback  (KI8)
  • kickball  (KI8)
  • kill  (KI4)
  • labia  (LA5)
  • labial  (LA6)
  • labile  (LA6)
  • laic  (LA4)
  • laical  (LA6)
  • liable  (LI6)
  • libel  (LI5)
  • libelee  (LI7)
  • lice  (LI4)
  • lick  (LI4)
  • likable  (LI7)
  • like  (LI4)
  • likeable  (LI8)
  • lilac  (LI5)

Answer Definitions

  • abaci (noun): plural form of an ancient bead calculator.
  • acacia (noun): A shrub or tree of the tribe Acacieae.
  • acai (noun): Any of several South American palms, of the genus Euterpe, having a dark purple drupe.
  • alibi (noun): The plea or mode of defense under which a person on trial for a crime proves or attempts to prove being in another place when the alleged act was committed.
  • alike (adjective): Having resemblance or similitude; similar; without difference.
  • alkali (noun): One of a class of caustic bases, such as soda, soda ash, caustic soda, potash, ammonia, and lithia, whose distinguishing peculiarities are solubility in alcohol and water, uniting with oils and fats to form soap, neutralizing and forming salts with acids, turning to brown several vegetable yellows, and changing reddened litmus to blue.
  • bacilli (noun): plural of bacillus
  • bail (noun): Security, usually a sum of money, exchanged for the release of an arrested person as a guarantee of that person's appearance for trial.
  • bailee (noun): One who holds bailed property; one who takes possession of the property of another (called a bailor) in order to keep that property safe for the other.
  • balalaika (noun): A plucked stringed instrument with a triangular body, short neck and three strings, of Russian origin.
  • belie (verb): To lie around; encompass.
  • bible (noun): Alternative letter-case form of Bible (“a specific version, edition, translation, or copy of the Christian religious text”)
  • biblical (adjective): Of or relating to the Bible.
  • bike (noun): Clipping of bicycle.
  • bilabial (adjective): Articulated with both lips.
  • bile (noun): A bitter brownish-yellow or greenish-yellow secretion produced by the liver, stored in the gall bladder, and discharged into the duodenum where it aids the process of digestion.
  • bilk (noun): The spoiling of someone's score in the crib.
  • 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.
  • billable (adjective): Capable of being billed for.
  • cabbie (noun): A cabdriver, someone who drives a taxi.
  • celiac (adjective): Of, pertaining to or located within the abdomen or abdominal cavity.
  • celli (noun): plural of cello
  • cilia (noun): plural of cilium
  • click (noun): A brief, sharp, not particularly loud, relatively high-pitched sound produced by the impact of something small and hard against something hard, such as by the operation of a switch, a lock, or a latch.
  • clickable (adjective): That establishes rapport with an audience.
  • icicle (noun): A drooping, tapering shape of ice.
  • iliac (adjective): Relating to the ilium.
  • kibble (verb): To grind coarsely.
  • kick (verb): To strike or hit with the foot or other extremity of the leg.
  • kickback (noun): A backward kick, a retrograde movement of an extremity.
  • kickball (noun): A sport similar to baseball, where a ball is kicked rather than hit.
  • kill (verb): To put to death; to extinguish the life of.
  • labia (noun): The folds of tissue at the opening of the vulva, at either side of the vagina.
  • labial (adjective): Of or pertaining to the lips or labia.
  • labile (adjective): Liable to slip, err, fall, or apostatize.
  • laic (noun): A layperson, as opposed to a member of the clergy.
  • laical (adjective): Of or pertaining to a layperson, layman, laywoman, or laypeople (laity).
  • liable (adjective): bound or obliged in law or equity; responsible; answerable.
  • libel (noun): A written or pictorial false statement which unjustly seeks to damage someone's reputation.
  • libelee (noun): The party against which a libel (hostile handbill) has been filed by a libelant.
  • lice (noun): plural of louse
  • lick (verb): To stroke with the tongue.
  • likable (adjective): Capable of being liked.
  • like (verb): To enjoy, be pleased by; favor; be in favor of.
  • likeable (adjective): Alternative spelling of likable
  • lilac (noun): A large shrub of the genus Syringa, especially Syringa vulgaris, bearing white, pale-pink, or purple flowers.