NYT Spelling Bee Answers for December 9, 2021
Game Summary
| Center Letter | C |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | d, e, h, l, n, u |
| # of Pangrams | 2 (Perfect: 1) |
| Total Words | 32 words |
| Total Points | 180 points |
| Genius Level | 126 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 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | 5 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 14 |
| D | - | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | 4 |
| E | - | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | - | 3 |
| H | - | 2 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 3 |
| L | 1 | 2 | - | 2 | - | - | - | 5 |
| N | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| U | - | 1 | - | - | 1 | - | 1 | 3 | Σ | 6 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 2 | - | 1 | 32 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| C | CE×5 CL×4 CU×5 |
|---|---|
| D | DE×3 DU×1 |
| E | ED×2 EU×1 |
| H | HE×1 HU×2 |
| L | LE×3 LU×2 |
| N | |
| U | UN×3 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| C | CED×2 CEL×3 CLE×2 CLU×2 CUD×2 CUE×1 CUL×2 |
|---|---|
| D | DED×2 DEU×1 DUN×1 |
| E | EDU×2 EUN×1 |
| H | HEN×1 HUN×2 |
| L | LEC×1 LEE×2 LUN×2 |
| N | |
| U | UNC×3 |
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) |
|---|---|---|
| ce.. | CE4 | To give up; yield to another. |
| ce... | CE5 | simple past tense and past participle of cede |
| ce.. | CE4 | A single-room dwelling for a hermit. |
| ce.... | CE6 | Containing cells; cellular. |
| ce..... | CE7 | A small cell. |
| cl.... | CL6 | To grip or hold fast. |
| cl...... | CL8 | Closed tightly. |
| cl.. | CL4 | A strand of yarn etc. as used to guide one through a labyrinth; something which points the way, a guide. |
| cl... | CL5 | simple past tense and past participle of clue |
| cu.... | CU6 | A snuggle; an affectionate embrace, often given to family members and close friends. |
| cu..... | CU7 | simple past tense and past participle of cuddle |
| cu.. | CU4 | simple past tense and past participle of cue |
| cu.. | CU4 | To pick or take someone or something (from a larger group). |
| cu.... | CU6 | simple past tense and past participle of cull |
| de.... | DE6 | To reach (a conclusion) by applying rules of logic or other forms of reasoning to given premises or known facts. |
| de..... | DE7 | simple past tense and past participle of deduce |
| de... | DE5 | A card with two pips, one of four in a standard deck of playing cards. |
| du... | DU5 | An unintelligent person. |
| ed... | ED5 | To direct the course of (a flow, journey etc.); to lead in a particular direction. |
| ed.... | ED6 | simple past tense and past participle of educe |
| eu.... | EU6 | A castrated human male. |
| he... | HE5 | from here, from this place, away |
| hu... | HU5 | A hump; a protuberance. |
| hu..... | HU7 | simple past tense and past participle of hunch |
| le.. | LE4 | A strong, lecherous desire or craving. |
| le... | LE5 | An aquatic blood-sucking annelid of class Hirudinea, especially Hirudo medicinalis. |
| le..... | LE7 | simple past tense and past participle of leech |
| lu... | LU5 | A light meal usually eaten around midday, notably when not as main meal of the day. |
| lu..... † | LU7 | simple past tense and past participle of lunch |
| un... | UN5 | The brother or brother-in-law of one’s parent. |
| un...... | UN8 | To open (something that was clenched). |
| un........ † | UN10 | Not clenched |
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.
- cede (CE4)
- ceded (CE5)
- cell (CE4)
- celled (CE6)
- cellule (CE7)
- clench (CL6)
- clenched (CL8)
- clue (CL4)
- clued (CL5)
- cuddle (CU6)
- cuddled (CU7)
- cued (CU4)
- cull (CU4)
- culled (CU6)
- deduce (DE6)
- deduced (DE7)
- deuce (DE5)
- dunce (DU5)
- educe (ED5)
- educed (ED6)
- eunuch (EU6)
- hence (HE5)
- hunch (HU5)
- hunched (HU7)
- lech (LE4)
- leech (LE5)
- leeched (LE7)
- lunch (LU5)
- lunched† (LU7)
- uncle (UN5)
- unclench (UN8)
- unclenched† (UN10)
Answer Definitions
- cede (verb): To give up; yield to another.
- ceded (verb): simple past tense and past participle of cede
- cell (noun): A single-room dwelling for a hermit.
- celled (adjective): Containing cells; cellular.
- cellule (noun): A small cell.
- clench (verb): To grip or hold fast.
- clenched (adjective): Closed tightly.
- clue (noun): A strand of yarn etc. as used to guide one through a labyrinth; something which points the way, a guide.
- clued (verb): simple past tense and past participle of clue
- cuddle (noun): A snuggle; an affectionate embrace, often given to family members and close friends.
- cuddled (verb): simple past tense and past participle of cuddle
- cued (verb): simple past tense and past participle of cue
- cull (verb): To pick or take someone or something (from a larger group).
- culled (verb): simple past tense and past participle of cull
- deduce (verb): To reach (a conclusion) by applying rules of logic or other forms of reasoning to given premises or known facts.
- deduced (verb): simple past tense and past participle of deduce
- deuce (noun): A card with two pips, one of four in a standard deck of playing cards.
- dunce (noun): An unintelligent person.
- educe (verb): To direct the course of (a flow, journey etc.); to lead in a particular direction.
- educed (verb): simple past tense and past participle of educe
- eunuch (noun): A castrated human male.
- hence (adverb): from here, from this place, away
- hunch (noun): A hump; a protuberance.
- hunched (verb): simple past tense and past participle of hunch
- lech (noun): A strong, lecherous desire or craving.
- leech (noun): An aquatic blood-sucking annelid of class Hirudinea, especially Hirudo medicinalis.
- leeched (verb): simple past tense and past participle of leech
- lunch (noun): A light meal usually eaten around midday, notably when not as main meal of the day.
- lunched† (verb): simple past tense and past participle of lunch
- uncle (noun): The brother or brother-in-law of one’s parent.
- unclench (verb): To open (something that was clenched).
- unclenched† (adjective): Not clenched