NYT Spelling Bee Answers for March 18, 2023
Game Summary
| Center Letter | I |
|---|---|
| Outer Letters | a, c, o, p, r, t |
| # of Pangrams | 3 (Perfect: 1) |
| Total Words | 65 words |
| Total Points | 352 points |
| Genius Level | 246 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 | 2 | 3 | 2 | - | - | 9 |
| C | 2 | 7 | 2 | 1 | - | 2 | 14 |
| I | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| O | - | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | - | 3 |
| P | 3 | 4 | - | 7 | 1 | 1 | 16 |
| R | 2 | 2 | - | 1 | - | - | 5 |
| T | 3 | 7 | 4 | 2 | - | 1 | 17 | Σ | 13 | 23 | 10 | 13 | 2 | 4 | 65 |
Two-Letter List (2LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding two letters.
| A | AC×2 AI×1 AO×1 AP×1 AR×2 AT×2 |
|---|---|
| C | CA×5 CI×4 CO×3 CR×2 |
| I | IO×1 |
| O | OC×1 OP×1 OR×1 |
| P | PA×5 PI×7 PO×2 PR×2 |
| R | RA×2 RI×2 RO×1 |
| T | TA×4 TI×2 TO×4 TR×7 |
Three-Letter List (3LL) Hints
The following list shows the number of solution words that begin with the corresponding three letters.
| A | ACA×2 AIR×1 AOR×1 APR×1 ARC×1 ARI×1 ATR×1 ATT×1 |
|---|---|
| C | CAC×1 CAP×1 CAR×3 CIA×1 CIR×2 CIT×1 COA×1 COC×1 COI×1 CRI×1 CRO×1 |
| I | IOT×1 |
| O | OCT×1 OPT×1 ORA×1 |
| P | PAI×1 PAR×1 PAT×3 PIC×3 PIP×1 PIR×1 PIT×2 POR×2 PRI×2 |
| R | RAI×1 RAT×1 RIC×1 RIO×1 ROT×1 |
| T | TAC×2 TAP×2 TIA×1 TIP×1 TOP×1 TOR×3 TRA×3 TRI×3 TRO×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) |
|---|---|---|
| ap..... † | AP7 | A round sweet and juicy stone fruit, resembling peach or plum in taste, with a yellow-orange flesh, lightly fuzzy skin and a large seed inside. |
| ca....... † | CA9 | An electronic component capable of storing electrical energy in an electric field; especially one consisting of two conductors separated by a dielectric. |
| pa....... † | PA9 | Inspired by or showing patriotism; done out of love of one's country; zealously and unselfishly devoted to the service of one's country |
| ac.... | AC6 | A shrub or tree of the tribe Acacieae. |
| ac.. | AC4 | Any of several South American palms, of the genus Euterpe, having a dark purple drupe. |
| ai..... | AI7 | An airfield (an area designated for the takeoff and landing of aircraft), including one or more runways and (for commercial airports) one or more passenger terminals. |
| ao.... | AO6 | Of or pertaining to the aorta or the aortic valve. |
| ar.... | AR6 | Alternative letter-case form of Arctic |
| ar.. | AR4 | A musical piece written typically for a solo voice with orchestral accompaniment in an opera or cantata. |
| at... | AT5 | plural of atrium |
| at... | AT5 | The space, often unfinished and with sloped walls, directly below the roof in the uppermost part of a house or other building, generally used for storage or habitation. |
| ca... | CA5 | plural of cactus |
| ca..... | CA7 | A sideways step in which one leg crosses over the other. |
| ca....... | CA9 | Thinly sliced raw beef or tuna, usually served as an appetizer. |
| ca... | CA5 | plural of carpus |
| ci.. | CI4 | hello, hi. |
| ci... | CI5 | Approximately, about, around |
| ci... | CI5 | plural of cirrus Tendrils or claspers. |
| ci.... | CI6 | Of, pertaining to, or derived from, citrus fruit. |
| co... | CO5 | Any of several omnivorous mammals, of the genus Nasua or Nasuella, in order Carnivora, that live in the range from southern United States to northern Argentina. |
| co... | CO5 | plural of coccus |
| co.. | CO4 | The fibre obtained from the husk of a coconut, used chiefly in making rope, matting and as a peat substitute. |
| cr.... | CR6 | A person who appraises the works of others. |
| cr... | CR5 | plural of crocus |
| io.. | IO4 | The ninth letter of the Greek alphabet. |
| oc.... | OC6 | plural of octopus |
| op... | OP5 | Of, or relating to the eye or to vision. |
| or...... | OR8 | A musical composition, often based on a religious theme; similar to opera but with no costume, scenery or acting. |
| pa.. | PA4 | Two similar or identical things taken together; often followed by of. |
| pa..... | PA7 | A type of instrumental suite popular in the 18th century |
| pa... | PA5 | A paved outside area, adjoining a house, used for dining or recreation. |
| pa..... | PA7 | A person who loves and zealously supports and defends their country. |
| pi.. | PI4 | A disorder characterized by appetite and craving for non-edible substances, such as chalk, clay, dirt, ice, or sand. |
| pi..... | PI7 | Sliced, sautéed and served with lemon, parsley and butter sauce. |
| pi... | PI5 | An embroidery trim made of a series of small loops. |
| pi... | PI5 | Any of various small passerine birds, mainly from the genus Anthus, that are often drab, ground feeding insectivores of open country. |
| pi..... | PI7 | Alternative form of piratical |
| pi.. | PI4 | A flat bread pouch used for making sandwiches such as gyros or falafels. |
| pi..... | PI7 | Alternative spelling of pit-a-pat |
| po..... | PO7 | A porch, or a small space with a roof supported by columns, serving as the entrance to a building. |
| po...... | PO8 | A painting or other picture of a person, especially the head and shoulders. |
| pr..... | PR7 | Phallic. |
| pr... | PR5 | Advance; previous; coming before. |
| ra... | RA5 | A condiment used as a dip or sauce in the cuisine of southern Asia, made from seasoned yogurt. |
| ra... | RA5 | A number representing a comparison between two named things. |
| ri..... | RI7 | A soft Italian unsalted whey cheese resembling cottage cheese. |
| ri.. | RI4 | A tumultuous disturbance of the public peace by a large group of people, often involving violence or damage to property. |
| ro.. | RO4 | A kind of unleavened flatbread commonly consumed in South Asia and the Caribbean. |
| ta... | TA5 | Implied, but not made explicit, especially through silence. |
| ta.... | TA6 | A maneuver, or action calculated to achieve some end. |
| ta..... | TA7 | A starchy food made from the cassava plant, used in puddings. |
| ta... | TA5 | Any one of the species of large odd-toed ungulates of the taxonomic family Tapiridae with a long prehensile upper lip, of which all four surviving species are in genus Tapirus. |
| ti... | TI5 | The papal crown. |
| ti.... | TI6 | The very topmost point. |
| to... | TO5 | topical |
| to.. | TO4 | plural of torus |
| to... | TO5 | Pertaining to or shaped like a torus, or a section of a torus; toroidal. |
| to... | TO5 | A traditional Japanese gate at Shinto shrines, symbolically marking the transition from the profane to the sacred. |
| tr... | TR5 | An identifying characteristic, habit or trend. |
| tr..... | TR7 | Someone who violates an allegiance and betrays their country; someone guilty of treason; one who, in breach of trust, delivers their country to an enemy, or yields up any fort or place entrusted to their defense, or surrenders an army or body of troops to the enemy, unless when vanquished. |
| tr....... | TR9 | A small, informal Italian-style restaurant. |
| tr.... | TR6 | A soft knit fabric. |
| tr.. | TR4 | A group of three people or things. |
| tr.. | TR4 | A journey; an excursion or jaunt. |
| tr.... | TR6 | Either of the two parallels of latitude 23°27′ north and south of the equator; the farthest points at which the sun can be directly overhead; the boundaries of the torrid zone or tropics. |
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.
- apricot† (AP7)
- capacitor† (CA9)
- patriotic† (PA9)
- acacia (AC6)
- acai (AC4)
- airport (AI7)
- aortic (AO6)
- arctic (AR6)
- aria (AR4)
- atria (AT5)
- attic (AT5)
- cacti (CA5)
- carioca (CA7)
- carpaccio (CA9)
- carpi (CA5)
- ciao (CI4)
- circa (CI5)
- cirri (CI5)
- citric (CI6)
- coati (CO5)
- cocci (CO5)
- coir (CO4)
- critic (CR6)
- croci (CR5)
- iota (IO4)
- octopi (OC6)
- optic (OP5)
- oratorio (OR8)
- pair (PA4)
- partita (PA7)
- patio (PA5)
- patriot (PA7)
- pica (PI4)
- piccata (PI7)
- picot (PI5)
- pipit (PI5)
- piratic (PI7)
- pita (PI4)
- pitapat (PI7)
- portico (PO7)
- portrait (PO8)
- priapic (PR7)
- prior (PR5)
- raita (RA5)
- ratio (RA5)
- ricotta (RI7)
- riot (RI4)
- roti (RO4)
- tacit (TA5)
- tactic (TA6)
- tapioca (TA7)
- tapir (TA5)
- tiara (TI5)
- tiptop (TI6)
- topic (TO5)
- tori (TO4)
- toric (TO5)
- torii (TO5)
- trait (TR5)
- traitor (TR7)
- trattoria (TR9)
- tricot (TR6)
- trio (TR4)
- trip (TR4)
- tropic (TR6)
Answer Definitions
- apricot† (noun): A round sweet and juicy stone fruit, resembling peach or plum in taste, with a yellow-orange flesh, lightly fuzzy skin and a large seed inside.
- capacitor† (noun): An electronic component capable of storing electrical energy in an electric field; especially one consisting of two conductors separated by a dielectric.
- patriotic† (adjective): Inspired by or showing patriotism; done out of love of one's country; zealously and unselfishly devoted to the service of one's country
- acacia (noun): A shrub or tree of the tribe Acacieae.
- acai (noun): Any of several South American palms, of the genus Euterpe, having a dark purple drupe.
- airport (noun): An airfield (an area designated for the takeoff and landing of aircraft), including one or more runways and (for commercial airports) one or more passenger terminals.
- aortic (adjective): Of or pertaining to the aorta or the aortic valve.
- arctic (adjective): Alternative letter-case form of Arctic
- aria (noun): A musical piece written typically for a solo voice with orchestral accompaniment in an opera or cantata.
- atria (noun): plural of atrium
- attic (noun): The space, often unfinished and with sloped walls, directly below the roof in the uppermost part of a house or other building, generally used for storage or habitation.
- cacti (noun): plural of cactus
- carioca (noun): A sideways step in which one leg crosses over the other.
- carpaccio (noun): Thinly sliced raw beef or tuna, usually served as an appetizer.
- carpi (noun): plural of carpus
- ciao (interjection): hello, hi.
- circa (preposition): Approximately, about, around
- cirri (noun): plural of cirrus Tendrils or claspers.
- citric (adjective): Of, pertaining to, or derived from, citrus fruit.
- coati (noun): Any of several omnivorous mammals, of the genus Nasua or Nasuella, in order Carnivora, that live in the range from southern United States to northern Argentina.
- cocci (noun): plural of coccus
- coir (noun): The fibre obtained from the husk of a coconut, used chiefly in making rope, matting and as a peat substitute.
- critic (noun): A person who appraises the works of others.
- croci (noun): plural of crocus
- iota (noun): The ninth letter of the Greek alphabet.
- octopi (noun): plural of octopus
- optic (adjective): Of, or relating to the eye or to vision.
- oratorio (noun): A musical composition, often based on a religious theme; similar to opera but with no costume, scenery or acting.
- pair (noun): Two similar or identical things taken together; often followed by of.
- partita (noun): A type of instrumental suite popular in the 18th century
- patio (noun): A paved outside area, adjoining a house, used for dining or recreation.
- patriot (noun): A person who loves and zealously supports and defends their country.
- pica (noun): A disorder characterized by appetite and craving for non-edible substances, such as chalk, clay, dirt, ice, or sand.
- piccata (adjective): Sliced, sautéed and served with lemon, parsley and butter sauce.
- picot (noun): An embroidery trim made of a series of small loops.
- pipit (noun): Any of various small passerine birds, mainly from the genus Anthus, that are often drab, ground feeding insectivores of open country.
- piratic (adjective): Alternative form of piratical
- pita (noun): A flat bread pouch used for making sandwiches such as gyros or falafels.
- pitapat (verb): Alternative spelling of pit-a-pat
- portico (noun): A porch, or a small space with a roof supported by columns, serving as the entrance to a building.
- portrait (noun): A painting or other picture of a person, especially the head and shoulders.
- priapic (adjective): Phallic.
- prior (adjective): Advance; previous; coming before.
- raita (noun): A condiment used as a dip or sauce in the cuisine of southern Asia, made from seasoned yogurt.
- ratio (noun): A number representing a comparison between two named things.
- ricotta (noun): A soft Italian unsalted whey cheese resembling cottage cheese.
- riot (noun): A tumultuous disturbance of the public peace by a large group of people, often involving violence or damage to property.
- roti (noun): A kind of unleavened flatbread commonly consumed in South Asia and the Caribbean.
- tacit (adjective): Implied, but not made explicit, especially through silence.
- tactic (noun): A maneuver, or action calculated to achieve some end.
- tapioca (noun): A starchy food made from the cassava plant, used in puddings.
- tapir (noun): Any one of the species of large odd-toed ungulates of the taxonomic family Tapiridae with a long prehensile upper lip, of which all four surviving species are in genus Tapirus.
- tiara (noun): The papal crown.
- tiptop (noun): The very topmost point.
- topic (adjective): topical
- tori (noun): plural of torus
- toric (adjective): Pertaining to or shaped like a torus, or a section of a torus; toroidal.
- torii (noun): A traditional Japanese gate at Shinto shrines, symbolically marking the transition from the profane to the sacred.
- trait (noun): An identifying characteristic, habit or trend.
- traitor (noun): Someone who violates an allegiance and betrays their country; someone guilty of treason; one who, in breach of trust, delivers their country to an enemy, or yields up any fort or place entrusted to their defense, or surrenders an army or body of troops to the enemy, unless when vanquished.
- trattoria (noun): A small, informal Italian-style restaurant.
- tricot (noun): A soft knit fabric.
- trio (noun): A group of three people or things.
- trip (noun): A journey; an excursion or jaunt.
- tropic (noun): Either of the two parallels of latitude 23°27′ north and south of the equator; the farthest points at which the sun can be directly overhead; the boundaries of the torrid zone or tropics.