NYT Spelling Bee Answers for September 20, 2021

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for September 20, 2021

Game Summary

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for September 20, 2021
Center LetterP
Outer Lettersa, c, e, h, k, y
# of Pangrams1 (Perfect: none)
Total Words30 words
Total Points107 points
Genius Level75 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 September 20, 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
A-1---1
C22---4
E1----1
H21---3
K11---2
P863-118
Y-1---1
Σ14123-130

Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints

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

A
AP×1
C
CA×1
CH×3
E
EP×1
H
HA×1
HE×1
HY×1
K
KA×1
KE×1
P
PA×8
PE×10
Y
YA×1

Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints

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

A
APA×1
C
CAP×1
CHA×1
CHE×2
E
EPE×1
H
HAP×1
HEA×1
HYP×1
K
KAP×1
KEE×1
P
PAC×2
PAP×4
PAY×2
PEA×5
PEC×1
PEE×2
PEK×1
PEP×1
Y
YAP×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)
ap...AP5Quickly, rapidly, with speed.
ca..CA4A piece or point of land, extending beyond the adjacent coast into a sea or lake; a promontory; a headland.
ch..CH4A man, a fellow.
ch...CH5Trade; traffic; chaffer; chaffering.
ch...CH5Of a small bird, to make short, high-pitched sounds.
ep..EP4A sharp-pointed dueling sword with a bell-shaped guard, used (with the end blunted) in sport fencing.
ha...HA5Having a feeling arising from a consciousness of well-being or of enjoyment; enjoying good of any kind, such as comfort, peace, or tranquillity; blissful, contented, joyous.
he..HE4A crowd; a throng; a multitude or great number of people.
hy..HY4Promotion or propaganda; especially exaggerated claims.
ka...KA5The tenth letter of the Greek alphabet.
ke..KE4To continue in (a course or mode of action); not to intermit or fall from; to uphold or maintain.
pa..PA4Step. A step taken with the foot. The distance covered in a step (or sometimes two), either vaguely or according to various specific set measurements.
pa..PA4A bundle made up and prepared to be carried; especially, a bundle to be carried on the back, but also a load for an animal, a bale.
pa..PA4Dad, daddy, father; a familiar or old-fashioned term of address to one’s father.
pa....PA6The office of the pope.
pa....PA6A tropical American evergreen tree, Carica papaya, having large, yellow, edible fruit
pa...PA5Like pap; soft; mushy.
pa...... PA8Money received on payday as payment for work performed.
pa...PA5one to whom money is paid.
pe...PE5A state of tranquility, quiet, and harmony; absence of violence. For instance, a state free from civil disturbance.
pe...PE5A tree (Prunus persica), native to China and now widely cultivated throughout temperate regions, having pink flowers and edible fruit.
pe....PE6Resembling a peach, peach-like.
pe..PE4A point; the sharp end or top of anything that terminates in a point; as, the peak, or front, of a cap.
pe...PE5Sickly; peaked.
pe..PE4To strike or pierce with the beak or bill (of a bird).
pe..PE4To look slyly, or with the eyes half closed, or through a crevice; to peep.
pe..PE4A short, soft, high-pitched sound, as made by a baby bird.
pe..PE4Alternative letter-case form of Peke (“Pekinese dog”)
pe...PE5Full of pep; energetic, cheerful, and vigorous; bouncy
ya...YA5Of a dog, yapping in an annoying manner.

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.

  • apace  (AP5)
  • cape  (CA4)
  • chap  (CH4)
  • cheap  (CH5)
  • cheep  (CH5)
  • epee  (EP4)
  • happy  (HA5)
  • heap  (HE4)
  • hype  (HY4)
  • kappa  (KA5)
  • keep  (KE4)
  • pace  (PA4)
  • pack  (PA4)
  • papa  (PA4)
  • papacy  (PA6)
  • papaya  (PA6)
  • pappy  (PA5)
  • paycheck  (PA8)
  • payee  (PA5)
  • peace  (PE5)
  • peach  (PE5)
  • peachy  (PE6)
  • peak  (PE4)
  • peaky  (PE5)
  • peck  (PE4)
  • peek  (PE4)
  • peep  (PE4)
  • peke  (PE4)
  • peppy  (PE5)
  • yappy  (YA5)

Answer Definitions

  • apace (adverb): Quickly, rapidly, with speed.
  • cape (noun): A piece or point of land, extending beyond the adjacent coast into a sea or lake; a promontory; a headland.
  • chap (noun): A man, a fellow.
  • cheap (noun): Trade; traffic; chaffer; chaffering.
  • cheep (verb): Of a small bird, to make short, high-pitched sounds.
  • epee (noun): A sharp-pointed dueling sword with a bell-shaped guard, used (with the end blunted) in sport fencing.
  • happy (adjective): Having a feeling arising from a consciousness of well-being or of enjoyment; enjoying good of any kind, such as comfort, peace, or tranquillity; blissful, contented, joyous.
  • heap (noun): A crowd; a throng; a multitude or great number of people.
  • hype (noun): Promotion or propaganda; especially exaggerated claims.
  • kappa (noun): The tenth letter of the Greek alphabet.
  • keep (verb): To continue in (a course or mode of action); not to intermit or fall from; to uphold or maintain.
  • pace (noun): Step. A step taken with the foot. The distance covered in a step (or sometimes two), either vaguely or according to various specific set measurements.
  • pack (noun): A bundle made up and prepared to be carried; especially, a bundle to be carried on the back, but also a load for an animal, a bale.
  • papa (noun): Dad, daddy, father; a familiar or old-fashioned term of address to one’s father.
  • papacy (noun): The office of the pope.
  • papaya (noun): A tropical American evergreen tree, Carica papaya, having large, yellow, edible fruit
  • pappy (adjective): Like pap; soft; mushy.
  • paycheck (noun): Money received on payday as payment for work performed.
  • payee (noun): one to whom money is paid.
  • peace (noun): A state of tranquility, quiet, and harmony; absence of violence. For instance, a state free from civil disturbance.
  • peach (noun): A tree (Prunus persica), native to China and now widely cultivated throughout temperate regions, having pink flowers and edible fruit.
  • peachy (adjective): Resembling a peach, peach-like.
  • peak (noun): A point; the sharp end or top of anything that terminates in a point; as, the peak, or front, of a cap.
  • peaky (adjective): Sickly; peaked.
  • peck (verb): To strike or pierce with the beak or bill (of a bird).
  • peek (verb): To look slyly, or with the eyes half closed, or through a crevice; to peep.
  • peep (noun): A short, soft, high-pitched sound, as made by a baby bird.
  • peke (noun): Alternative letter-case form of Peke (“Pekinese dog”)
  • peppy (adjective): Full of pep; energetic, cheerful, and vigorous; bouncy
  • yappy (adjective): Of a dog, yapping in an annoying manner.