NYT Spelling Bee Answers for December 20, 2021
Game Summary
| Center Letter | M |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | a, c, h, i, r, t |
| # of Pangrams | 1 (Perfect: none) |
| Total Words | 32 words |
| Total Points | 140 points |
| Genius Level | 98 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 | Σ | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | 1 |
| C | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 3 |
| H | 1 | 1 | - | - | 1 | - | 3 |
| I | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| M | 7 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 18 |
| R | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| T | 2 | - | 3 | 1 | - | - | 6 | Σ | 13 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 32 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AR×1 |
|---|---|
| C | CA×1 CH×1 CR×1 |
| H | HA×3 |
| I | IM×1 |
| M | MA×14 MI×4 |
| R | |
| T | TA×3 TR×3 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | ARM×1 |
|---|---|
| C | CAM×1 CHA×1 CRA×1 |
| H | HAM×1 HAR×2 |
| I | IMA×1 |
| M | MAH×2 MAI×1 MAM×2 MAR×5 MAT×4 MIC×1 MIM×1 MIR×1 MIT×1 |
| R | |
| T | TAM×1 TAR×1 TAT×1 TRA×2 TRI×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 (†).
| Word | 2L Ref | Definition (click to reveal) |
|---|---|---|
| ar...... | AR8 | A chair with supports for the arms or elbows. |
| ca.. | CA4 | A camisole. |
| ch... | CH5 | An object, act or words believed to have magic power (usually carries a positive connotation). |
| cr.. | CR4 | To press, force, or drive, particularly in filling, or in thrusting one thing into another; to stuff; to fill to superfluity. |
| ha...... | HA8 | The tragic flaw of the protagonist in a literary tragedy. |
| ha... | HA5 | A sin. |
| ha.. | HA4 | physical injury; hurt; damage |
| im.. | IM4 | One who leads the salat prayers in a mosque. |
| ma..... | MA7 | An epithet granted in India and Tibet to people thought to have great knowledge and love of humanity |
| ma...... | MA8 | Alternative spelling of mahi-mahi |
| ma.. | MA4 | To wound seriously; to cause permanent loss of function of a limb or part of the body. |
| ma.. | MA4 | Mother, female parent. |
| ma... | MA5 | The milk-secreting organ of female humans and other mammals which includes the mammary gland and the nipple or teat; a breast; an udder. |
| ma.... | MA6 | A Latin American percussion instrument consisting of a hollow-gourd rattle containing pebbles or beans and often played in pairs, as a rhythm instrument. |
| ma... | MA5 | A formal, rhythmic way of walking, used especially by soldiers, bands and in ceremonies. |
| ma...... | MA8 | Of or pertaining to a traditional form of Mexican music, either sung or purely instrumental. |
| ma.. | MA4 | madam; a polite term of address for a lady. |
| ma.. | MA4 | A shop, store. |
| ma... | MA5 | A competitive sporting event such as a boxing meet, a baseball game, or a cricket match. |
| ma.... | MA6 | A type of powdered green tea, traditionally used in Japanese tea ceremonies. |
| ma.. | MA4 | Clipping of mathematics. |
| ma....... † | MA9 | A female leader of a family, a tribe or an ethnic or religious group. The dominant female in a family group of elephants |
| mi.. | MI4 | Any of a group of hydrous aluminosilicate minerals characterized by highly perfect cleavage, so that they readily separate into very thin leaves, more or less elastic. |
| mi... | MI5 | To imitate, especially in order to ridicule. |
| mi... | MI5 | The emotion usually following humour and accompanied by laughter; merriment; jollity; gaiety. |
| mi.. | MI4 | A mitten |
| ta.... | TA6 | A type of soy sauce made without wheat, having a rich flavor. |
| ta.... | TA6 | Tarmacadam. |
| ta.... | TA6 | Straw matting, in a standard size, used as a floor covering in Japanese houses. |
| tr.. | TR4 | A passenger vehicle for public use that runs on tracks in the road (called a streetcar or trolley in North America). |
| tr..... | TR7 | A streetcar. |
| tr.. | TR4 | To reduce slightly; to cut; especially, to remove excess. |
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.
- armchair (AR8)
- cami (CA4)
- charm (CH5)
- cram (CR4)
- hamartia (HA8)
- haram (HA5)
- harm (HA4)
- imam (IM4)
- mahatma (MA7)
- mahimahi (MA8)
- maim (MA4)
- mama (MA4)
- mamma (MA5)
- maraca (MA6)
- march (MA5)
- mariachi (MA8)
- marm (MA4)
- mart (MA4)
- match (MA5)
- matcha (MA6)
- math (MA4)
- matriarch† (MA9)
- mica (MI4)
- mimic (MI5)
- mirth (MI5)
- mitt (MI4)
- tamari (TA6)
- tarmac (TA6)
- tatami (TA6)
- tram (TR4)
- tramcar (TR7)
- trim (TR4)
Answer Definitions
- armchair (noun): A chair with supports for the arms or elbows.
- cami (noun): A camisole.
- charm (noun): An object, act or words believed to have magic power (usually carries a positive connotation).
- cram (verb): To press, force, or drive, particularly in filling, or in thrusting one thing into another; to stuff; to fill to superfluity.
- hamartia (noun): The tragic flaw of the protagonist in a literary tragedy.
- haram (noun): A sin.
- harm (noun): physical injury; hurt; damage
- imam (noun): One who leads the salat prayers in a mosque.
- mahatma (noun): An epithet granted in India and Tibet to people thought to have great knowledge and love of humanity
- mahimahi (noun): Alternative spelling of mahi-mahi
- maim (verb): To wound seriously; to cause permanent loss of function of a limb or part of the body.
- mama (noun): Mother, female parent.
- mamma (noun): The milk-secreting organ of female humans and other mammals which includes the mammary gland and the nipple or teat; a breast; an udder.
- maraca (noun): A Latin American percussion instrument consisting of a hollow-gourd rattle containing pebbles or beans and often played in pairs, as a rhythm instrument.
- march (noun): A formal, rhythmic way of walking, used especially by soldiers, bands and in ceremonies.
- mariachi (adjective): Of or pertaining to a traditional form of Mexican music, either sung or purely instrumental.
- marm (noun): madam; a polite term of address for a lady.
- mart (noun): A shop, store.
- match (noun): A competitive sporting event such as a boxing meet, a baseball game, or a cricket match.
- matcha (noun): A type of powdered green tea, traditionally used in Japanese tea ceremonies.
- math (noun): Clipping of mathematics.
- matriarch† (noun): A female leader of a family, a tribe or an ethnic or religious group. The dominant female in a family group of elephants
- mica (noun): Any of a group of hydrous aluminosilicate minerals characterized by highly perfect cleavage, so that they readily separate into very thin leaves, more or less elastic.
- mimic (verb): To imitate, especially in order to ridicule.
- mirth (noun): The emotion usually following humour and accompanied by laughter; merriment; jollity; gaiety.
- mitt (noun): A mitten
- tamari (noun): A type of soy sauce made without wheat, having a rich flavor.
- tarmac (noun): Tarmacadam.
- tatami (noun): Straw matting, in a standard size, used as a floor covering in Japanese houses.
- tram (noun): A passenger vehicle for public use that runs on tracks in the road (called a streetcar or trolley in North America).
- tramcar (noun): A streetcar.
- trim (verb): To reduce slightly; to cut; especially, to remove excess.