NYT Spelling Bee Answers for December 31, 2022
Game Summary
| Center Letter | O |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | a, d, i, l, m, n |
| # of Pangrams | 1 (Perfect: none) |
| Total Words | 58 words |
| Total Points | 231 points |
| Genius Level | 162 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 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 8 |
| D | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | - | 11 |
| I | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 2 |
| L | 9 | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | 11 |
| M | 7 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 18 |
| N | 1 | 2 | - | 1 | - | 1 | 5 |
| O | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | 3 | Σ | 25 | 16 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 58 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AI×1 AL×1 AM×4 AN×2 |
|---|---|
| D | DI×3 DO×8 |
| I | ID×2 |
| L | LA×1 LI×2 LL×1 LO×7 |
| M | MA×2 MI×2 MO×14 |
| N | NO×5 |
| O | OI×1 OL×1 ON×1 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | AIO×1 ALM×1 AMI×1 AMM×2 AMN×1 ANI×1 ANO×1 |
|---|---|
| D | DIA×1 DIL×1 DIN×1 DOD×1 DOL×2 DOM×3 DOO×2 |
| I | IDI×1 IDO×1 |
| L | LAN×1 LIM×1 LIO×1 LLA×1 LOA×3 LOI×1 LOL×1 LOO×2 |
| M | MAM×1 MAN×1 MIL×1 MIN×1 MOA×1 MOD×1 MOI×1 MOL×2 MOM×1 MON×5 MOO×3 |
| N | NOD×1 NOM×2 NON×1 NOO×1 |
| O | OIL×1 OLI×1 ONI×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) |
|---|---|---|
| ma...... † | MA8 | a stringed instrument and a member of the lute family, having eight strings in four courses, frequently tuned as a violin, and with either a bowl-shaped back or a flat back |
| ai... | AI5 | A type of sauce, similar to mayonnaise, made from garlic, egg, lemon juice and olive oil. |
| al.... | AL6 | A type of tree nut. |
| am... | AM5 | Relating to an amine. |
| am.. | AM4 | Ammunition. |
| am..... | AM7 | A gaseous compound of hydrogen and nitrogen, NH3, with a pungent smell and taste. |
| am... | AM5 | amniocentesis |
| an... | AN5 | A negatively charged ion. |
| an.. | AN4 | Straight away; at once. |
| di..... | DI7 | A glimmering glass-like mineral that is an allotrope of carbon in which each atom is surrounded by four others in the form of a tetrahedron. |
| di... | DI5 | An artificial phallus (penis) for sexual use. |
| di.. | DI4 | dinosaur. |
| do.. | DO4 | A large, flightless bird, †Raphus cucullatus, related to the pigeon, that is now extinct (since the 1600s) and was native to Mauritius. |
| do.. | DO4 | A toy in the form of a human. |
| do... | DO5 | Any of a family of stuffed vegetable dishes. The filling generally consists of rice, minced meat or grains, together with onion, herbs and spices. |
| do.... | DO6 | A geographic area owned or controlled by a single person or organization. |
| do...... | DO8 | Power or the use of power; sovereignty over something; stewardship, supremacy. |
| do.... | DO6 | A tile divided into two squares, each having 0 to 6 (or sometimes more) dots or pips (as in dice), used in the game of dominoes. |
| do.... | DO6 | Used to refer to something whose name one cannot recall: an unspecified device, gadget, part, or thing. |
| do.. | DO4 | Destiny, especially terrible. |
| id... | ID5 | A manner of speaking, a mode of expression peculiar to a language, language family, or group of people. |
| id.. | ID4 | A graven image or representation of anything that is revered, or believed to convey spiritual power. |
| la..... | LA7 | A greasy yellow substance chemically akin to wax that is secreted from wooly animals, with a variety of uses from rust prevention, lubrication and waterproofing to cosmetics and skin ointments. |
| li.. | LI4 | Clipping of limousine. |
| li.. | LI4 | A big cat, Panthera leo, native to Africa, India and formerly much of Europe. |
| ll... | LL5 | A plain or steppe in parts of Latin America. |
| lo.. | LO4 | A burden; a weight to be carried. |
| lo.. | LO4 | A type of soil; an earthy mixture of sand, silt and clay, with organic matter to which its fertility is chiefly due. |
| lo.. | LO4 | An act or instance of lending, an act or instance of granting something for temporary use. |
| lo.. | LO4 | The part of the body (of humans and quadrupeds) at each side of the backbone, between the ribs and hips |
| lo.. | LO4 | To act lazily or indolently while reclining; to lean; to lie at ease. |
| lo.. | LO4 | A utensil; tool; a weapon; an article in general. |
| lo.. | LO4 | An idler, a lout. |
| ma.... | MA6 | Alternative letter-case form of Mammon (wealth, material avarice). |
| mi..... | MI7 | The cardinal number 1,000,000: 10; a thousand thousand. |
| mi.... | MI6 | A loyal servant of another, usually a more powerful being. |
| mo.. | MO4 | a low, mournful cry of pain, sorrow or pleasure |
| mo... | MO5 | Of, or relating to a mode or modus. |
| mo.. | MO4 | To toil, to work hard. |
| mo.. | MO4 | A hollow form or matrix for shaping a fluid or plastic substance. |
| mo.. | MO4 | A female companion of a gangster, especially a former or current prostitute. |
| mo... | MO5 | mother |
| mo... | MO5 | An ultimate atom, or simple, unextended point; something ultimate and indivisible. |
| mo... | MO5 | A dialogue between master and student designed to obtain an intuitive truth. |
| mo.. | MO4 | Clipping of mononucleosis. |
| mo....... | MO9 | Excessive interest or concentration on a singular object or subject. |
| mo...... | MO8 | Being or relating to a polynomial consisting of one term. |
| mo.. | MO4 | A mental or emotional state, composure. |
| mo... | MO5 | Money, cash. |
| mo.. | MO4 | Alternative letter-case form of Moon (“the Earth's only permanent natural satellite”). |
| no... | NO5 | Of the nature of, or relating to, a node. |
| no... | NO5 | A member of a society or class who herd animals from pasture to pasture with no fixed home. |
| no..... | NO7 | Of, resembling, relating to, or consisting of a name or names. |
| no....... | NO9 | 10. |
| no.. | NO4 | The time of day when the sun is in its zenith; twelve o'clock in the day, midday. |
| oi.... | OI6 | Somebody involved in the production, refinement or delivery of oil; such as an oil field worker or executive, or the owner of an oil well. |
| ol.. | OL4 | A rich, thick, Spanish stew consisting of meat and vegetables. |
| on... | ON5 | A monocotyledonous plant (Allium cepa), allied to garlic, used as vegetable and spice. |
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.
- mandolin† (MA8)
- aioli (AI5)
- almond (AL6)
- amino (AM5)
- ammo (AM4)
- ammonia (AM7)
- amnio (AM5)
- anion (AN5)
- anon (AN4)
- diamond (DI7)
- dildo (DI5)
- dino (DI4)
- dodo (DO4)
- doll (DO4)
- dolma (DO5)
- domain (DO6)
- dominion (DO8)
- domino (DO6)
- doodad (DO6)
- doom (DO4)
- idiom (ID5)
- idol (ID4)
- lanolin (LA7)
- limo (LI4)
- lion (LI4)
- llano (LL5)
- load (LO4)
- loam (LO4)
- loan (LO4)
- loin (LO4)
- loll (LO4)
- loom (LO4)
- loon (LO4)
- mammon (MA6)
- million (MI7)
- minion (MI6)
- moan (MO4)
- modal (MO5)
- moil (MO4)
- mold (MO4)
- moll (MO4)
- momma (MO5)
- monad (MO5)
- mondo (MO5)
- mono (MO4)
- monomania (MO9)
- monomial (MO8)
- mood (MO4)
- moola (MO5)
- moon (MO4)
- nodal (NO5)
- nomad (NO5)
- nominal (NO7)
- nonillion (NO9)
- noon (NO4)
- oilman (OI6)
- olio (OL4)
- onion (ON5)
Answer Definitions
- mandolin† (noun): a stringed instrument and a member of the lute family, having eight strings in four courses, frequently tuned as a violin, and with either a bowl-shaped back or a flat back
- aioli (noun): A type of sauce, similar to mayonnaise, made from garlic, egg, lemon juice and olive oil.
- almond (noun): A type of tree nut.
- amino (adjective): Relating to an amine.
- ammo (noun): Ammunition.
- ammonia (noun): A gaseous compound of hydrogen and nitrogen, NH3, with a pungent smell and taste.
- amnio (noun): amniocentesis
- anion (noun): A negatively charged ion.
- anon (adverb): Straight away; at once.
- diamond (noun): A glimmering glass-like mineral that is an allotrope of carbon in which each atom is surrounded by four others in the form of a tetrahedron.
- dildo (noun): An artificial phallus (penis) for sexual use.
- dino (noun): dinosaur.
- dodo (noun): A large, flightless bird, †Raphus cucullatus, related to the pigeon, that is now extinct (since the 1600s) and was native to Mauritius.
- doll (noun): A toy in the form of a human.
- dolma (noun): Any of a family of stuffed vegetable dishes. The filling generally consists of rice, minced meat or grains, together with onion, herbs and spices.
- domain (noun): A geographic area owned or controlled by a single person or organization.
- dominion (noun): Power or the use of power; sovereignty over something; stewardship, supremacy.
- domino (noun): A tile divided into two squares, each having 0 to 6 (or sometimes more) dots or pips (as in dice), used in the game of dominoes.
- doodad (noun): Used to refer to something whose name one cannot recall: an unspecified device, gadget, part, or thing.
- doom (noun): Destiny, especially terrible.
- idiom (noun): A manner of speaking, a mode of expression peculiar to a language, language family, or group of people.
- idol (noun): A graven image or representation of anything that is revered, or believed to convey spiritual power.
- lanolin (noun): A greasy yellow substance chemically akin to wax that is secreted from wooly animals, with a variety of uses from rust prevention, lubrication and waterproofing to cosmetics and skin ointments.
- limo (noun): Clipping of limousine.
- lion (noun): A big cat, Panthera leo, native to Africa, India and formerly much of Europe.
- llano (noun): A plain or steppe in parts of Latin America.
- load (noun): A burden; a weight to be carried.
- loam (noun): A type of soil; an earthy mixture of sand, silt and clay, with organic matter to which its fertility is chiefly due.
- loan (noun): An act or instance of lending, an act or instance of granting something for temporary use.
- loin (noun): The part of the body (of humans and quadrupeds) at each side of the backbone, between the ribs and hips
- loll (verb): To act lazily or indolently while reclining; to lean; to lie at ease.
- loom (noun): A utensil; tool; a weapon; an article in general.
- loon (noun): An idler, a lout.
- mammon (proper noun): Alternative letter-case form of Mammon (wealth, material avarice).
- million (numeral): The cardinal number 1,000,000: 10; a thousand thousand.
- minion (noun): A loyal servant of another, usually a more powerful being.
- moan (noun): a low, mournful cry of pain, sorrow or pleasure
- modal (adjective): Of, or relating to a mode or modus.
- moil (verb): To toil, to work hard.
- mold (noun): A hollow form or matrix for shaping a fluid or plastic substance.
- moll (noun): A female companion of a gangster, especially a former or current prostitute.
- momma (noun): mother
- monad (noun): An ultimate atom, or simple, unextended point; something ultimate and indivisible.
- mondo (noun): A dialogue between master and student designed to obtain an intuitive truth.
- mono (noun): Clipping of mononucleosis.
- monomania (noun): Excessive interest or concentration on a singular object or subject.
- monomial (adjective): Being or relating to a polynomial consisting of one term.
- mood (noun): A mental or emotional state, composure.
- moola (noun): Money, cash.
- moon (proper noun): Alternative letter-case form of Moon (“the Earth's only permanent natural satellite”).
- nodal (adjective): Of the nature of, or relating to, a node.
- nomad (noun): A member of a society or class who herd animals from pasture to pasture with no fixed home.
- nominal (adjective): Of, resembling, relating to, or consisting of a name or names.
- nonillion (numeral): 10.
- noon (noun): The time of day when the sun is in its zenith; twelve o'clock in the day, midday.
- oilman (noun): Somebody involved in the production, refinement or delivery of oil; such as an oil field worker or executive, or the owner of an oil well.
- olio (noun): A rich, thick, Spanish stew consisting of meat and vegetables.
- onion (noun): A monocotyledonous plant (Allium cepa), allied to garlic, used as vegetable and spice.