NYT Spelling Bee Answers for September 21, 2022

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for September 21, 2022

Game Summary

Spelling Bee "Hive" Board for September 21, 2022
Center LetterF
Outer Lettersa, c, e, i, l, t
# of Pangrams2 (Perfect: none)
Total Words61 words
Total Points243 points
Genius Level170 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 21, 2022

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>10Σ
A--12-1-4
C32-----5
E--3----3
F218622-140
I---1---1
L4-11---6
T1--1---2
Σ291011721161

Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints

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

A
AF×3
AL×1
C
CA×2
CL×3
E
EF×3
F
FA×12
FE×12
FI×8
FL×8
I
IC×1
L
LE×4
LI×2
T
TA×1
TI×1

Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints

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

A
AFF×3
ALF×1
C
CAF×1
CAL×1
CLE×2
CLI×1
E
EFF×3
F
FAC×7
FAI×1
FAL×2
FAT×2
FEA×1
FEC×1
FEE×2
FEL×4
FET×4
FIA×1
FIE×1
FIF×1
FIL×5
FLA×3
FLE×4
FLI×1
I
ICE×1
L
LEA×2
LEF×2
LIF×2
T
TAF×1
TIF×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)
fa...... FA8Plastic surgery to the face to remove wrinkles, fat or various signs of aging.
fa........ FA10To make easy or easier.
af....AF6To influence or alter.
af.......AF9Someone or something, especially, a television station, that is associated with a larger, related organization, such as a television network; a member of a group of associated things.
af.....AF7To cause (someone) pain, suffering or distress.
al.....AL7A plant, principally of Medicago sativa, grown as a pasture crop.
ca..CA4Alternative form of café
ca..CA4A young cow or bull.
cl..CL4A symbol found on a musical staff that indicates the pitches represented by the lines and the spaces on the staff
cl...CL5An opening, fissure, or V-shaped indentation made by or as if by splitting.
cl...CL5A vertical (or nearly vertical) rock face.
ef....EF6To erase (as anything impressed or inscribed upon a surface); to render illegible or indiscernible.
ef....EF6The result or outcome of a cause.
ef....EF6Of substances, quantities etc: exhausted, spent, worn-out.
fa..FA4The front part of the head of a human or other animal, featuring the eyes, nose and mouth, and the surrounding area.
fa...FA5Any one of the flat surfaces cut into a gem.
fa....FA6Of or affecting the face.
fa....FA6Easy, now especially in a disparaging sense; contemptibly easy.
fa..FA4Something actual as opposed to invented.
fa..FA4To be unsuccessful.
fa.....FA7A Middle Eastern food in the form of balls made from chickpeas or broad beans and other ingredients. Often served in a pita.
fa..FA4To be moved downwards. To move to a lower position under the effect of gravity.
fa...FA5Proceeding from, or appointed by, fate or destiny.
fa..FA4The presumed cause, force, principle, or divine will that predetermines events.
fe..FE4A relatively rare or difficult accomplishment.
fe...FE5Of or relating to feces.
fe..FE4To use or experience the sense of touch. To become aware of through the skin; to use the sense of touch on.
fe..FE4plural of foot
fe..FE4To make something fall; especially to chop down a tree.
fe...FE5Pronunciation spelling of fellow.
fe.....FE7To perform oral sex on (a man); to stimulate (a penis or testicles) using the mouth.
fe..FE4A cloth or stuff made of matted fibres of wool, or wool and fur, fulled or wrought into a compact substance by rolling and pressure, with lees or size, without spinning or weaving.
fe..FE4A variety of curd cheese made from sheep’s or goat’s milk and originating from Greece.
fe...FE5Pertaining to, or connected with, a fetus.
fe..FE4A festival open to the public, the proceeds from which are often given to charity.
fe....FE6A state of proper physical condition; kilter or trim.
fi..FI4An arbitrary or authoritative command or order to do something; an effectual decree.
fi..FI4An estate held by a person on condition of providing military service to a superior.
fi..FI4A small shrill pipe, resembling the piccolo flute, used chiefly to accompany the drum in military music
fi..FI4A collection of papers collated and archived together.
fi...FI5Alternative form of fillet
fi....FI6Pertaining to or befitting a son or daughter.
fi..FI4To occupy fully, to take up all of.
fi....FI6A headband; a ribbon or other band used to tie the hair up, or keep a headdress in place, or for decoration.
fl...FL5A tool used for threshing, consisting of a long handle with a shorter stick attached with a short piece of chain, thong or similar material.
fl..FL4Having no variations in height.
fl......FL8plural of flatfoot
fl..FL4A small, wingless, parasitic insect of the order Siphonaptera, renowned for its bloodsucking habits and jumping abilities.
fl..FL4To run away; to escape.
fl....FL6Hair or wool of a sheep or similar animal
fl...FL5A group of vessels or vehicles.
fl..FL4A fluttering or darting movement.
ic.....IC7A relatively rapid and turbulent flow of ice, somewhat analogous to a waterfall.
le..LE4The usually green and flat organ that represents the most prominent feature of most vegetative plants.
le.....LE7One of the components of a compound leaf.
le..LE4Designating the side of the body toward the west when one is facing north; the opposite of right. This arrow points to the reader's left: ←
le....LE6Alternative form of lefty
li..LI4The state of organisms preceding their death, characterized by biological processes such as metabolism and reproduction and distinguishing them from inanimate objects; the state of being alive and living.
li..LI4To raise or rise.
ta.....TA7A crisp, smooth woven fabric made from silk or synthetic fibers.
ti..TI4A small argument; a petty quarrel.

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.

  • facelift  (FA8)
  • facilitate  (FA10)
  • affect  (AF6)
  • affiliate  (AF9)
  • afflict  (AF7)
  • alfalfa  (AL7)
  • cafe  (CA4)
  • calf  (CA4)
  • clef  (CL4)
  • cleft  (CL5)
  • cliff  (CL5)
  • efface  (EF6)
  • effect  (EF6)
  • effete  (EF6)
  • face  (FA4)
  • facet  (FA5)
  • facial  (FA6)
  • facile  (FA6)
  • fact  (FA4)
  • fail  (FA4)
  • falafel  (FA7)
  • fall  (FA4)
  • fatal  (FA5)
  • fate  (FA4)
  • feat  (FE4)
  • fecal  (FE5)
  • feel  (FE4)
  • feet  (FE4)
  • fell  (FE4)
  • fella  (FE5)
  • fellate  (FE7)
  • felt  (FE4)
  • feta  (FE4)
  • fetal  (FE5)
  • fete  (FE4)
  • fettle  (FE6)
  • fiat  (FI4)
  • fief  (FI4)
  • fife  (FI4)
  • file  (FI4)
  • filet  (FI5)
  • filial  (FI6)
  • fill  (FI4)
  • fillet  (FI6)
  • flail  (FL5)
  • flat  (FL4)
  • flatfeet  (FL8)
  • flea  (FL4)
  • flee  (FL4)
  • fleece  (FL6)
  • fleet  (FL5)
  • flit  (FL4)
  • icefall  (IC7)
  • leaf  (LE4)
  • leaflet  (LE7)
  • left  (LE4)
  • leftie  (LE6)
  • life  (LI4)
  • lift  (LI4)
  • taffeta  (TA7)
  • tiff  (TI4)

Answer Definitions

  • facelift (noun): Plastic surgery to the face to remove wrinkles, fat or various signs of aging.
  • facilitate (verb): To make easy or easier.
  • affect (verb): To influence or alter.
  • affiliate (noun): Someone or something, especially, a television station, that is associated with a larger, related organization, such as a television network; a member of a group of associated things.
  • afflict (verb): To cause (someone) pain, suffering or distress.
  • alfalfa (noun): A plant, principally of Medicago sativa, grown as a pasture crop.
  • cafe (noun): Alternative form of café
  • calf (noun): A young cow or bull.
  • clef (noun): A symbol found on a musical staff that indicates the pitches represented by the lines and the spaces on the staff
  • cleft (noun): An opening, fissure, or V-shaped indentation made by or as if by splitting.
  • cliff (noun): A vertical (or nearly vertical) rock face.
  • efface (verb): To erase (as anything impressed or inscribed upon a surface); to render illegible or indiscernible.
  • effect (noun): The result or outcome of a cause.
  • effete (adjective): Of substances, quantities etc: exhausted, spent, worn-out.
  • face (noun): The front part of the head of a human or other animal, featuring the eyes, nose and mouth, and the surrounding area.
  • facet (noun): Any one of the flat surfaces cut into a gem.
  • facial (adjective): Of or affecting the face.
  • facile (adjective): Easy, now especially in a disparaging sense; contemptibly easy.
  • fact (noun): Something actual as opposed to invented.
  • fail (verb): To be unsuccessful.
  • falafel (noun): A Middle Eastern food in the form of balls made from chickpeas or broad beans and other ingredients. Often served in a pita.
  • fall (verb): To be moved downwards. To move to a lower position under the effect of gravity.
  • fatal (adjective): Proceeding from, or appointed by, fate or destiny.
  • fate (noun): The presumed cause, force, principle, or divine will that predetermines events.
  • feat (noun): A relatively rare or difficult accomplishment.
  • fecal (adjective): Of or relating to feces.
  • feel (verb): To use or experience the sense of touch. To become aware of through the skin; to use the sense of touch on.
  • feet (noun): plural of foot
  • fell (verb): To make something fall; especially to chop down a tree.
  • fella (noun): Pronunciation spelling of fellow.
  • fellate (verb): To perform oral sex on (a man); to stimulate (a penis or testicles) using the mouth.
  • felt (noun): A cloth or stuff made of matted fibres of wool, or wool and fur, fulled or wrought into a compact substance by rolling and pressure, with lees or size, without spinning or weaving.
  • feta (noun): A variety of curd cheese made from sheep’s or goat’s milk and originating from Greece.
  • fetal (adjective): Pertaining to, or connected with, a fetus.
  • fete (noun): A festival open to the public, the proceeds from which are often given to charity.
  • fettle (noun): A state of proper physical condition; kilter or trim.
  • fiat (noun): An arbitrary or authoritative command or order to do something; an effectual decree.
  • fief (noun): An estate held by a person on condition of providing military service to a superior.
  • fife (noun): A small shrill pipe, resembling the piccolo flute, used chiefly to accompany the drum in military music
  • file (noun): A collection of papers collated and archived together.
  • filet (noun): Alternative form of fillet
  • filial (adjective): Pertaining to or befitting a son or daughter.
  • fill (verb): To occupy fully, to take up all of.
  • fillet (noun): A headband; a ribbon or other band used to tie the hair up, or keep a headdress in place, or for decoration.
  • flail (noun): A tool used for threshing, consisting of a long handle with a shorter stick attached with a short piece of chain, thong or similar material.
  • flat (adjective): Having no variations in height.
  • flatfeet (noun): plural of flatfoot
  • flea (noun): A small, wingless, parasitic insect of the order Siphonaptera, renowned for its bloodsucking habits and jumping abilities.
  • flee (verb): To run away; to escape.
  • fleece (noun): Hair or wool of a sheep or similar animal
  • fleet (noun): A group of vessels or vehicles.
  • flit (noun): A fluttering or darting movement.
  • icefall (noun): A relatively rapid and turbulent flow of ice, somewhat analogous to a waterfall.
  • leaf (noun): The usually green and flat organ that represents the most prominent feature of most vegetative plants.
  • leaflet (noun): One of the components of a compound leaf.
  • left (adjective): Designating the side of the body toward the west when one is facing north; the opposite of right. This arrow points to the reader's left: ←
  • leftie (noun): Alternative form of lefty
  • life (noun): The state of organisms preceding their death, characterized by biological processes such as metabolism and reproduction and distinguishing them from inanimate objects; the state of being alive and living.
  • lift (verb): To raise or rise.
  • taffeta (noun): A crisp, smooth woven fabric made from silk or synthetic fibers.
  • tiff (noun): A small argument; a petty quarrel.