NYT Spelling Bee Answers for August 20, 2022
Game Summary
| Center Letter | A |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | b, c, e, h, l, y |
| # of Pangrams | 1 (Perfect: none) |
| Total Words | 48 words |
| Total Points | 185 points |
| Genius Level | 130 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</th><th>9 | Σ | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 5 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - | 10 |
| B | 7 | 3 | 4 | - | - | 1 | 15 |
| C | 2 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | 11 |
| E | 1 | - | - | 1 | - | - | 2 |
| H | 3 | 1 | - | - | 1 | - | 5 |
| L | 2 | 2 | - | - | - | - | 4 |
| Y | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | Σ | 21 | 14 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 48 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AB×4 AC×2 AL×4 |
|---|---|
| B | BA×7 BE×4 BL×4 |
| C | CA×8 CH×1 CL×2 |
| E | EA×1 EY×1 |
| H | HA×3 HE×2 |
| L | LA×3 LE×1 |
| Y | YE×1 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | ABB×2 ABL×2 ACH×2 ALL×4 |
|---|---|
| B | BAB×5 BAL×2 BEA×2 BEL×2 BLA×3 BLE×1 |
| C | CAB×4 CAC×1 CAL×3 CHA×1 CLA×2 |
| E | EAC×1 EYE×1 |
| H | HAL×3 HEA×2 |
| L | LAB×1 LAC×2 LEA×1 |
| Y | YEA×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) |
|---|---|---|
| ab.... | AB6 | The dignity, estate, term, or jurisdiction of an abbot or abbess. |
| ab... | AB5 | the building or buildings occupied by a community of monks or nuns. |
| ab.. | AB4 | Having the necessary powers or the needed resources to accomplish a task. |
| ab.. | AB4 | In an able manner; with great ability. |
| ac.. | AC4 | To suffer pain; to be the source of, or be in, pain, especially continued dull pain; to be distressed. |
| ac.. | AC4 | Suffering from aches, sore. |
| al... | AL5 | To make quiet or put at rest; to pacify or appease; to quell; to calm. |
| al.... | AL6 | One of a number of alternative forms of the same gene occupying a given position, or locus, on a chromosome. |
| al... | AL5 | A narrow street or passageway, especially one through the middle of a block giving access to the rear of lots or buildings. |
| al.. | AL4 | To unite or form a connection between (people or things), as between families by marriage, or between states by confederacy, league, or treaty. |
| ba.. | BA4 | A kind of sponge cake soaked in rum-flavoured syrup. |
| ba.... | BA6 | To utter words indistinctly or unintelligibly; to utter inarticulate sounds |
| ba.. | BA4 | A baby or infant; a very young human or animal. |
| ba... | BA5 | Alternative form of Babel |
| ba.. | BA4 | A very young human, particularly from birth to a couple of years old or until walking is fully mastered. |
| ba.. | BA4 | Evil, especially considered as an active force for destruction or death. |
| ba.. | BA4 | A solid or hollow sphere, or roughly spherical mass. |
| be... | BE5 | The shore of a body of water, especially when sandy or pebbly. |
| be.... | BE6 | Pertaining to the material making up the edge of a seashore, as with pebbles, gravel, and sand. |
| be... | BE5 | To make (a rope) fast by turning it around a fastening point such as a cleat or piton. |
| be....... † | BE9 | Any pain in the belly, stomach, or abdomen. |
| bl.. | BL4 | To tell tales; to gossip without reserve or discretion. |
| bl.... | BL6 | Tending to blab or gossip a lot. |
| bl.. | BL4 | Nonsense; drivel; idle, meaningless talk. |
| bl.... | BL6 | Pale; bleak. |
| ca... | CA5 | A secret political clique or faction. |
| ca.... | CA6 | Alternative spelling of Kabballah |
| ca... | CA5 | A cabdriver; someone who drives a taxi. |
| ca... | CA5 | A long object used to make a physical connection. A strong, large-diameter wire or rope, or something resembling such a rope. An assembly of two or more cable-laid ropes. An assembly of two or more wires, used for electrical power or data circuits; one or more and/or the whole may be insulated. A strong rope or chain used to moor or anchor a ship. |
| ca... | CA5 | A store of things that may be required in the future, which can be retrieved rapidly, protected or hidden in some way. |
| ca.. | CA4 | A telephone conversation; a phone call. |
| ca... | CA5 | A marsh plant native to cooler areas throughout the northern hemisphere, Calla palustris, having pale green flowers in a white spathe. |
| ca...... | CA8 | That can be called. |
| ch..... | CH7 | A traditional bread eaten by Ashkenazi Jews, usually braided for the Sabbath and round for a yom tov. |
| cl.. | CL4 | A mineral substance made up of small crystals of silica and alumina, that is ductile when moist; the material of pre-fired ceramics. |
| cl.... | CL6 | Composed of clay or containing (much) clay; clayish. |
| ea.. | EA4 | All; every; qualifying a singular noun, indicating all examples of the thing so named seen as individual or separate items (compare every). |
| ey..... | EY7 | The ball of the eye. |
| ha... | HA5 | Permissible, according to Muslim religious customs, to have or do. |
| ha.. | HA4 | Sound, entire, healthy; robust, not impaired. |
| ha.. | HA4 | A corridor; a hallway. |
| he.. | HE4 | To make better from a disease, wound, etc.; to revive or cure. |
| he...... | HE8 | Receptive to treatment or cure. |
| la... | LA5 | A small ticket or sign giving information about something to which it is attached or intended to be attached. |
| la.. | LA4 | A light fabric containing patterns of holes, usually built up from a single thread. |
| la.. | LA4 | Made of lace or decorated with it. |
| le... | LE5 | A quantity of wood ashes, through which water passes, and thus imbibes the alkali. |
| ye.. | YE4 | yes. |
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.
- abbacy (AB6)
- abbey (AB5)
- able (AB4)
- ably (AB4)
- ache (AC4)
- achy (AC4)
- allay (AL5)
- allele (AL6)
- alley (AL5)
- ally (AL4)
- baba (BA4)
- babble (BA6)
- babe (BA4)
- babel (BA5)
- baby (BA4)
- bale (BA4)
- ball (BA4)
- beach (BE5)
- beachy (BE6)
- belay (BE5)
- bellyache† (BE9)
- blab (BL4)
- blabby (BL6)
- blah (BL4)
- bleach (BL6)
- cabal (CA5)
- cabala (CA6)
- cabby (CA5)
- cable (CA5)
- cache (CA5)
- call (CA4)
- calla (CA5)
- callable (CA8)
- challah (CH7)
- clay (CL4)
- clayey (CL6)
- each (EA4)
- eyeball (EY7)
- halal (HA5)
- hale (HA4)
- hall (HA4)
- heal (HE4)
- healable (HE8)
- label (LA5)
- lace (LA4)
- lacy (LA4)
- leach (LE5)
- yeah (YE4)
Answer Definitions
- abbacy (noun): The dignity, estate, term, or jurisdiction of an abbot or abbess.
- abbey (noun): the building or buildings occupied by a community of monks or nuns.
- able (adjective): Having the necessary powers or the needed resources to accomplish a task.
- ably (adverb): In an able manner; with great ability.
- ache (verb): To suffer pain; to be the source of, or be in, pain, especially continued dull pain; to be distressed.
- achy (adjective): Suffering from aches, sore.
- allay (verb): To make quiet or put at rest; to pacify or appease; to quell; to calm.
- allele (noun): One of a number of alternative forms of the same gene occupying a given position, or locus, on a chromosome.
- alley (noun): A narrow street or passageway, especially one through the middle of a block giving access to the rear of lots or buildings.
- ally (verb): To unite or form a connection between (people or things), as between families by marriage, or between states by confederacy, league, or treaty.
- baba (noun): A kind of sponge cake soaked in rum-flavoured syrup.
- babble (verb): To utter words indistinctly or unintelligibly; to utter inarticulate sounds
- babe (noun): A baby or infant; a very young human or animal.
- babel (noun): Alternative form of Babel
- baby (noun): A very young human, particularly from birth to a couple of years old or until walking is fully mastered.
- bale (noun): Evil, especially considered as an active force for destruction or death.
- ball (noun): A solid or hollow sphere, or roughly spherical mass.
- beach (noun): The shore of a body of water, especially when sandy or pebbly.
- beachy (adjective): Pertaining to the material making up the edge of a seashore, as with pebbles, gravel, and sand.
- belay (verb): To make (a rope) fast by turning it around a fastening point such as a cleat or piton.
- bellyache† (noun): Any pain in the belly, stomach, or abdomen.
- blab (verb): To tell tales; to gossip without reserve or discretion.
- blabby (adjective): Tending to blab or gossip a lot.
- blah (noun): Nonsense; drivel; idle, meaningless talk.
- bleach (adjective): Pale; bleak.
- cabal (noun): A secret political clique or faction.
- cabala (proper noun): Alternative spelling of Kabballah
- cabby (noun): A cabdriver; someone who drives a taxi.
- cable (noun): A long object used to make a physical connection. A strong, large-diameter wire or rope, or something resembling such a rope. An assembly of two or more cable-laid ropes. An assembly of two or more wires, used for electrical power or data circuits; one or more and/or the whole may be insulated. A strong rope or chain used to moor or anchor a ship.
- cache (noun): A store of things that may be required in the future, which can be retrieved rapidly, protected or hidden in some way.
- call (noun): A telephone conversation; a phone call.
- calla (noun): A marsh plant native to cooler areas throughout the northern hemisphere, Calla palustris, having pale green flowers in a white spathe.
- callable (adjective): That can be called.
- challah (noun): A traditional bread eaten by Ashkenazi Jews, usually braided for the Sabbath and round for a yom tov.
- clay (noun): A mineral substance made up of small crystals of silica and alumina, that is ductile when moist; the material of pre-fired ceramics.
- clayey (adjective): Composed of clay or containing (much) clay; clayish.
- each (determiner): All; every; qualifying a singular noun, indicating all examples of the thing so named seen as individual or separate items (compare every).
- eyeball (noun): The ball of the eye.
- halal (adjective): Permissible, according to Muslim religious customs, to have or do.
- hale (adjective): Sound, entire, healthy; robust, not impaired.
- hall (noun): A corridor; a hallway.
- heal (verb): To make better from a disease, wound, etc.; to revive or cure.
- healable (adjective): Receptive to treatment or cure.
- label (noun): A small ticket or sign giving information about something to which it is attached or intended to be attached.
- lace (noun): A light fabric containing patterns of holes, usually built up from a single thread.
- lacy (adjective): Made of lace or decorated with it.
- leach (noun): A quantity of wood ashes, through which water passes, and thus imbibes the alkali.
- yeah (particle): yes.