NYT Spelling Bee Answers for December 28, 2021
Game Summary
| Center Letter | Y |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | a, g, i, n, r, t |
| # of Pangrams | 2 (Perfect: none) |
| Total Words | 40 words |
| Total Points | 208 points |
| Genius Level | 146 points |
| Bingo? | Yes |
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 | Σ | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 2 | 2 | - | - | 1 | 5 |
| G | 1 | - | 4 | 2 | 1 | 8 |
| I | 1 | - | - | 1 | - | 2 |
| N | 1 | 4 | - | - | 1 | 6 |
| R | - | 3 | 2 | - | - | 5 |
| T | 2 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 12 |
| Y | 2 | - | - | - | - | 2 | Σ | 9 | 14 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 40 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AI×1 AN×1 AR×3 |
|---|---|
| G | GA×1 GR×6 GY×1 |
| I | IN×1 IT×1 |
| N | NA×5 NI×1 |
| R | RA×5 |
| T | TA×4 TI×2 TR×3 TY×3 |
| Y | YA×2 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | AIR×1 ANG×1 ARR×2 ART×1 |
|---|---|
| G | GAN×1 GRA×5 GRI×1 GYR×1 |
| I | INA×1 ITT×1 |
| N | NAG×1 NAN×2 NAR×1 NAT×1 NIN×1 |
| R | RAI×1 RAN×1 RAR×1 RAT×1 RAY×1 |
| T | TAN×1 TAR×2 TAT×1 TIN×2 TRA×1 TRI×1 TRY×1 TYI×1 TYR×2 |
| Y | YAN×1 YAR×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) |
|---|---|---|
| ai.. | AI4 | (of a room or building) spacious, well lit, and well ventilated. |
| an... | AN5 | Displaying or feeling anger. |
| ar... | AR5 | an ordered series or arrangement. |
| ar...... | AR8 | present participle of array |
| ar.. | AR4 | Inclined toward paintings, music, etc. |
| ga.... | GA6 | A framework of steel bars resting on side supports to bridge over or around something. |
| gr.... | GR6 | Resembling grains; granular. |
| gr..... | GR7 | A storage facility for grain or sometimes animal feed. |
| gr.... | GR6 | A grandmother. |
| gr.. | GR4 | Having a color somewhere between white and black, as the ash of an ember. |
| gr..... | GR7 | present participle of gray |
| gr.... | GR6 | Containing sand or grit; consisting of grit; caused by grit; full of hard particles. |
| gy...... † | GY8 | present participle of gyrate |
| in..... | IN7 | The property of lacking sense or meaning (often to the point of boredom or annoyance). |
| it.. | IT4 | Extremely small. |
| na... | NA5 | Prone to nag, irritable. |
| na... | NA5 | A child's nurse. |
| na...... | NA8 | present participle of nanny |
| na.. | NA4 | Not, never. |
| na... | NA5 | Smart and fashionable. |
| ni... | NI5 | A silly or foolish person. |
| ra... | RA5 | marked by bringing precipitation in the form of showers |
| ra... | RA5 | Slender and long of limb; lanky |
| ra.... | RA6 | A measure of the scarcity of an object. |
| ra... | RA5 | Resembling or characteristic of a certain rodent. |
| ra.... | RA6 | present participle of ray |
| ta... | TA5 | having a sharp, pungent flavor |
| ta... | TA5 | To delay; to be late or tardy in beginning or doing anything. |
| ta...... † | TA8 | present participle of 'to delay.' |
| ta... | TA5 | worn and shabby; in poor condition. |
| ti... | TI5 | having a displeasingly thin, metallic sound. |
| ti.. | TI4 | Very small. |
| tr.. | TR4 | A small, typically rectangular or round, flat, and rigid object upon which things are carried. |
| tr..... | TR7 | A group or set of three people or things; three things combined into one. |
| tr.... | TR6 | Difficult to endure; arduous. |
| ty... | TY5 | Action of the verb to tie; ligature. |
| ty..... | TY7 | A government in which a single ruler has absolute power; this system of government. |
| ty.... | TY6 | A usurper; one who gains power and rules extralegally, distinguished from kings elevated by election or succession. |
| ya.. | YA4 | A principle in Chinese and related East Asian philosophies associated with bright, hot, masculine, etc. elements of the natural world. |
| ya.. | YA4 | A twisted strand of fiber used for knitting or weaving. |
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.
- airy (AI4)
- angry (AN5)
- array (AR5)
- arraying (AR8)
- arty (AR4)
- gantry (GA6)
- grainy (GR6)
- granary (GR7)
- granny (GR6)
- gray (GR4)
- graying (GR7)
- gritty (GR6)
- gyrating† (GY8)
- inanity (IN7)
- itty (IT4)
- naggy (NA5)
- nanny (NA5)
- nannying (NA8)
- nary (NA4)
- natty (NA5)
- ninny (NI5)
- rainy (RA5)
- rangy (RA5)
- rarity (RA6)
- ratty (RA5)
- raying (RA6)
- tangy (TA5)
- tarry (TA5)
- tarrying† (TA8)
- tatty (TA5)
- tinny (TI5)
- tiny (TI4)
- tray (TR4)
- trinity (TR7)
- trying (TR6)
- tying (TY5)
- tyranny (TY7)
- tyrant (TY6)
- yang (YA4)
- yarn (YA4)
Answer Definitions
- airy (adjective): (of a room or building) spacious, well lit, and well ventilated.
- angry (adjective): Displaying or feeling anger.
- array (noun): an ordered series or arrangement.
- arraying (verb): present participle of array
- arty (adjective): Inclined toward paintings, music, etc.
- gantry (noun): A framework of steel bars resting on side supports to bridge over or around something.
- grainy (adjective): Resembling grains; granular.
- granary (noun): A storage facility for grain or sometimes animal feed.
- granny (noun): A grandmother.
- gray (adjective): Having a color somewhere between white and black, as the ash of an ember.
- graying (verb): present participle of gray
- gritty (adjective): Containing sand or grit; consisting of grit; caused by grit; full of hard particles.
- gyrating† (verb): present participle of gyrate
- inanity (noun): The property of lacking sense or meaning (often to the point of boredom or annoyance).
- itty (adjective): Extremely small.
- naggy (adjective): Prone to nag, irritable.
- nanny (noun): A child's nurse.
- nannying (verb): present participle of nanny
- nary (adverb): Not, never.
- natty (adjective): Smart and fashionable.
- ninny (noun): A silly or foolish person.
- rainy (adjective): marked by bringing precipitation in the form of showers
- rangy (adjective): Slender and long of limb; lanky
- rarity (noun): A measure of the scarcity of an object.
- ratty (adjective): Resembling or characteristic of a certain rodent.
- raying (verb): present participle of ray
- tangy (adjective): having a sharp, pungent flavor
- tarry (verb): To delay; to be late or tardy in beginning or doing anything.
- tarrying† (verb): present participle of 'to delay.'
- tatty (noun): worn and shabby; in poor condition.
- tinny (adjective): having a displeasingly thin, metallic sound.
- tiny (adjective): Very small.
- tray (noun): A small, typically rectangular or round, flat, and rigid object upon which things are carried.
- trinity (noun): A group or set of three people or things; three things combined into one.
- trying (adjective): Difficult to endure; arduous.
- tying (noun): Action of the verb to tie; ligature.
- tyranny (noun): A government in which a single ruler has absolute power; this system of government.
- tyrant (noun): A usurper; one who gains power and rules extralegally, distinguished from kings elevated by election or succession.
- yang (noun): A principle in Chinese and related East Asian philosophies associated with bright, hot, masculine, etc. elements of the natural world.
- yarn (noun): A twisted strand of fiber used for knitting or weaving.