NYT Spelling Bee Answers for February 16, 2023
Game Summary
| Center Letter | C |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | i, k, l, p, r, y |
| # of Pangrams | 1 (Perfect: 1) |
| Total Words | 17 words |
| Total Points | 71 points |
| Genius Level | 50 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 | Σ | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | 1 | 3 | 1 | - | 5 |
| I | 1 | 1 | - | - | 2 |
| K | 1 | 1 | - | - | 2 |
| L | 1 | 1 | - | - | 2 |
| P | 1 | 3 | - | 1 | 5 |
| R | 1 | - | - | - | 1 |
| Y | - | - | - | - | - | Σ | 6 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 17 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| C | CI×1 CL×2 CR×1 CY×1 |
|---|---|
| I | IC×2 |
| K | KI×2 |
| L | LI×1 LY×1 |
| P | PI×2 PR×3 |
| R | RI×1 |
| Y |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| C | CIR×1 CLI×2 CRI×1 CYC×1 |
|---|---|
| I | ICI×1 ICK×1 |
| K | KIC×2 |
| L | LIC×1 LYR×1 |
| P | PIC×2 PRI×3 |
| R | RIC×1 |
| Y |
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) |
|---|---|---|
| pr..... † | PR7 | Covered with sharp points. |
| ci... | CI5 | plural of cirrus Tendrils or claspers. |
| cl... | CL5 | A brief, sharp, not particularly loud, relatively high-pitched sound produced by the impact of something small and hard against something hard, such as by the operation of a switch, a lock, or a latch. |
| cl.. | CL4 | To grip tightly. |
| cr... | CR5 | A painful muscular cramp or spasm of some part of the body, as of the neck or back, making it difficult to move the part affected. (Compare catch.) |
| cy.... | CY6 | Characterized by, or moving in cycles, or happening at regular intervals. |
| ic... | IC5 | In the manner of ice; with a cold or chilling effect. |
| ic.. | IC4 | Unpleasantly sticky; yucky; disgusting. |
| ki.. | KI4 | To strike or hit with the foot or other extremity of the leg. |
| ki... | KI5 | Lively, exciting, thrilling. |
| li.. | LI4 | To stroke with the tongue. |
| ly... | LY5 | Of, or relating to a type of poetry (such as a sonnet or ode) that expresses subjective thoughts and feelings, often in a songlike style |
| pi.. | PI4 | A tool used for digging; a pickaxe. |
| pi... | PI5 | Fussy; particular; demanding to have things just right. |
| pr... | PR5 | A small hole or perforation, caused by piercing. |
| pr... | PR5 | Alternative spelling of pricey |
| ri.. | RI4 | Straw, hay etc. stored in a stack for winter fodder, commonly protected with thatch. |
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.
- prickly† (PR7)
- cirri (CI5)
- click (CL5)
- clip (CL4)
- crick (CR5)
- cyclic (CY6)
- icily (IC5)
- icky (IC4)
- kick (KI4)
- kicky (KI5)
- lick (LI4)
- lyric (LY5)
- pick (PI4)
- picky (PI5)
- prick (PR5)
- pricy (PR5)
- rick (RI4)
Answer Definitions
- prickly† (adjective): Covered with sharp points.
- cirri (noun): plural of cirrus Tendrils or claspers.
- click (noun): A brief, sharp, not particularly loud, relatively high-pitched sound produced by the impact of something small and hard against something hard, such as by the operation of a switch, a lock, or a latch.
- clip (verb): To grip tightly.
- crick (noun): A painful muscular cramp or spasm of some part of the body, as of the neck or back, making it difficult to move the part affected. (Compare catch.)
- cyclic (adjective): Characterized by, or moving in cycles, or happening at regular intervals.
- icily (adverb): In the manner of ice; with a cold or chilling effect.
- icky (adjective): Unpleasantly sticky; yucky; disgusting.
- kick (verb): To strike or hit with the foot or other extremity of the leg.
- kicky (adjective): Lively, exciting, thrilling.
- lick (verb): To stroke with the tongue.
- lyric (adjective): Of, or relating to a type of poetry (such as a sonnet or ode) that expresses subjective thoughts and feelings, often in a songlike style
- pick (noun): A tool used for digging; a pickaxe.
- picky (adjective): Fussy; particular; demanding to have things just right.
- prick (noun): A small hole or perforation, caused by piercing.
- pricy (adjective): Alternative spelling of pricey
- rick (noun): Straw, hay etc. stored in a stack for winter fodder, commonly protected with thatch.