NYT Spelling Bee Answers for March 8, 2023
Game Summary
| Center Letter | B |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | a, e, k, m, n, t |
| # of Pangrams | 1 (Perfect: none) |
| Total Words | 32 words |
| Total Points | 132 points |
| Genius Level | 92 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</th><th>8</th><th>9</th><th>10 | Σ | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1 | 2 | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | - | 6 |
| B | 14 | 1 | 5 | 1 | - | 1 | - | 22 |
| E | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | 2 |
| K | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| M | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| N | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| T | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Σ | 15 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 32 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AB×4 AM×2 |
|---|---|
| B | BA×11 BE×11 |
| E | EM×2 |
| K | KE×1 |
| M | MA×1 |
| N | |
| T |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | ABA×2 ABE×2 AME×2 |
|---|---|
| B | BAB×3 BAK×1 BAN×4 BAT×3 BEA×5 BEE×2 BEN×1 BET×3 |
| E | EMB×2 |
| K | KEB×1 |
| M | MAM×1 |
| N | |
| T |
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) |
|---|---|---|
| em........ † | EM10 | a long mound of earth, stone, or similar material, usually built for purposes such as to hold back or store water, for protection from weather or enemies, or to support a road or railway. |
| ab... | AB5 | To lessen (something) in force or intensity; to moderate. |
| ab....... | AB9 | A lessening, diminution, or reduction; a moderation; removal or putting an end to. |
| ab.. | AB4 | To urge on, stimulate (a person to do) something desirable. |
| ab...... | AB8 | The act of abetting or assisting in a crime, wrongdoing etc. |
| am... | AM5 | Alternative form of amoeba |
| am.... | AM6 | plural of ameba, a variant of amoeba. |
| ba.. | BA4 | A kind of sponge cake soaked in rum-flavoured syrup. |
| ba.. | BA4 | A baby or infant; a very young human or animal. |
| ba... | BA5 | A Central and Eastern European coffee cake flavored with orange rind, rum, almonds, and raisins. |
| ba.. | BA4 | To cook (something) in an oven (for someone). |
| ba.... | BA6 | An elongated curved tropical fruit of a banana plant, which grows in bunches and has a creamy flesh and a smooth skin. In particular, the sweet, yellow fruit of the Cavendish banana cultivar, which may be eaten raw, as distinct from e.g. a plantain for cooking. |
| ba.. | BA4 | A cause of misery or death. |
| ba.. | BA4 | An institution where one can place and borrow money and take care of financial affairs. |
| ba.... | BA6 | Any of several small chickens, especially of a breed that is a miniature version of another breed. |
| ba.. | BA4 | To reduce the force of something; to abate. |
| ba....... | BA9 | A ballet move involving a beating action with an extended leg |
| ba.... | BA6 | To become better; improve in condition, especially by feeding. |
| be.. | BE4 | Anatomical uses. A rigid structure projecting from the front of a bird's face, used for pecking, grooming, foraging, carrying items, eating food, etc. A similar structure forming the jaws of an octopus, turtle, etc. The long projecting sucking mouth of some insects and other invertebrates, as in the Hemiptera. The upper or projecting part of the shell, near the hinge of a bivalve. The prolongation of certain univalve shells containing the canal. Any process somewhat like the beak of a bird, terminating the fruit or other parts of a plant. |
| be.. | BE4 | Any large piece of timber or iron long in proportion to its thickness, and prepared for use. |
| be.. | BE4 | Any plant of several genera of the taxonomic family Fabaceae that produces large edible seeds or edible seedpods. |
| be.. | BE4 | A stroke; a blow. |
| be.... | BE6 | Defeated. |
| be.. | BE4 | past participle of be. |
| be.. | BE4 | Beta vulgaris, a plant with a swollen root which is eaten or used to make sugar. |
| be.. | BE4 | simple past tense and past participle of bend |
| be.. | BE4 | The second letter of the Greek alphabet (Β, β), preceded by alpha (Α, α) and followed by gamma, (Γ, γ). In modern Greek it represents the voiced labiodental fricative sound of v found in the English words have and vase. |
| be.... | BE6 | To beteach. |
| be..... | BE7 | past participle of betake |
| em.... | EM6 | to throw up a bank so as to confine or to defend; to protect by a bank of earth or stone |
| ke... | KE5 | A dish of pieces of meat, fish, or vegetables roasted on a skewer or spit, especially a doner kebab. |
| ma... | MA5 | Any of various venomous snakes of the genus Dendroaspis, native to Africa, that live in trees. |
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.
- embankment† (EM10)
- abate (AB5)
- abatement (AB9)
- abet (AB4)
- abetment (AB8)
- ameba (AM5)
- amebae (AM6)
- baba (BA4)
- babe (BA4)
- babka (BA5)
- bake (BA4)
- banana (BA6)
- bane (BA4)
- bank (BA4)
- bantam (BA6)
- bate (BA4)
- battement (BA9)
- batten (BA6)
- beak (BE4)
- beam (BE4)
- bean (BE4)
- beat (BE4)
- beaten (BE6)
- been (BE4)
- beet (BE4)
- bent (BE4)
- beta (BE4)
- betake (BE6)
- betaken (BE7)
- embank (EM6)
- kebab (KE5)
- mamba (MA5)
Answer Definitions
- embankment† (noun): a long mound of earth, stone, or similar material, usually built for purposes such as to hold back or store water, for protection from weather or enemies, or to support a road or railway.
- abate (verb): To lessen (something) in force or intensity; to moderate.
- abatement (noun): A lessening, diminution, or reduction; a moderation; removal or putting an end to.
- abet (verb): To urge on, stimulate (a person to do) something desirable.
- abetment (noun): The act of abetting or assisting in a crime, wrongdoing etc.
- ameba (noun): Alternative form of amoeba
- amebae (noun): plural of ameba, a variant of amoeba.
- baba (noun): A kind of sponge cake soaked in rum-flavoured syrup.
- babe (noun): A baby or infant; a very young human or animal.
- babka (noun): A Central and Eastern European coffee cake flavored with orange rind, rum, almonds, and raisins.
- bake (verb): To cook (something) in an oven (for someone).
- banana (noun): An elongated curved tropical fruit of a banana plant, which grows in bunches and has a creamy flesh and a smooth skin. In particular, the sweet, yellow fruit of the Cavendish banana cultivar, which may be eaten raw, as distinct from e.g. a plantain for cooking.
- bane (noun): A cause of misery or death.
- bank (noun): An institution where one can place and borrow money and take care of financial affairs.
- bantam (noun): Any of several small chickens, especially of a breed that is a miniature version of another breed.
- bate (verb): To reduce the force of something; to abate.
- battement (noun): A ballet move involving a beating action with an extended leg
- batten (verb): To become better; improve in condition, especially by feeding.
- beak (noun): Anatomical uses. A rigid structure projecting from the front of a bird's face, used for pecking, grooming, foraging, carrying items, eating food, etc. A similar structure forming the jaws of an octopus, turtle, etc. The long projecting sucking mouth of some insects and other invertebrates, as in the Hemiptera. The upper or projecting part of the shell, near the hinge of a bivalve. The prolongation of certain univalve shells containing the canal. Any process somewhat like the beak of a bird, terminating the fruit or other parts of a plant.
- beam (noun): Any large piece of timber or iron long in proportion to its thickness, and prepared for use.
- bean (noun): Any plant of several genera of the taxonomic family Fabaceae that produces large edible seeds or edible seedpods.
- beat (noun): A stroke; a blow.
- beaten (adjective): Defeated.
- been (verb): past participle of be.
- beet (noun): Beta vulgaris, a plant with a swollen root which is eaten or used to make sugar.
- bent (verb): simple past tense and past participle of bend
- beta (noun): The second letter of the Greek alphabet (Β, β), preceded by alpha (Α, α) and followed by gamma, (Γ, γ). In modern Greek it represents the voiced labiodental fricative sound of v found in the English words have and vase.
- betake (verb): To beteach.
- betaken (verb): past participle of betake
- embank (verb): to throw up a bank so as to confine or to defend; to protect by a bank of earth or stone
- kebab (noun): A dish of pieces of meat, fish, or vegetables roasted on a skewer or spit, especially a doner kebab.
- mamba (noun): Any of various venomous snakes of the genus Dendroaspis, native to Africa, that live in trees.